>And, if you don't know, how can you conclude whether somebody should/should not read read too much into something?

That's an easy one: because the person posing the question is unlikely to know, either. It wouldn't be the first time that some Microsoft employees make their millions and decide to move on to something else. Without actually asking the people in question, guessing what their motivation would be is simply that: a guess.

Microsoft isn't the young startup that it used to be. It dominates many of the arenas in which it competes. I didn't the know the people that left, but I wonder if they didn't leave because they wanted to work someplace that still has that startup feel. They're not at risk if it fails, they've already made their money.