Adidas vs Microsoft: Founders, CEOs and History
Adidas was founded in 1949 by Adolf Dassler and is led by Bjørn Gulden. Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates, Paul Allen and is led by Satya Nadella.
Company facts
Founders
Adidas
Adolf Dassler
Adolf Dassler was the sole founder of Adidas. He developed sport-specific footwear, sought athlete feedback, and registered the Adidas company and 3-Stripes footwear in 1949.
Microsoft
Bill Gates
Microsoft was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, childhood friends from Seattle who had spent their teenage years finding ways to get free time on mainframe computers.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft and was crucial to its earliest technical and strategic decisions. He helped develop Altair BASIC, gave the company its original name, and participated in the operating-system opportunity that led to MS-DOS.
CEOs and their tenures
Adidas
- Robert Louis-Dreyfus1993–2001
CEO
He led Adidas through its 1990s restructuring and transition to a publicly listed sporting-goods group.
Source - Herbert Hainer2001–2016
CEO
During his tenure Adidas expanded its brand portfolio and grew its global footwear and apparel business.
Source - Kasper Rørsted2016–2022
CEO
Under Rørsted's leadership from 2016 to 2022, Adidas doubled its North American market share and expanded annual e-commerce sales from €1 billion to over €4 billion.
Source - Bjørn Gulden2023–present
CEO
Adidas reported 2025 sales of ~$28 billion (EUR24.811 billion) and attributable net income of ~$1.51 billion (EUR1.340 billion) during his tenure. His appointment was extended through 2030.
Source
Microsoft
- Bill Gates1975–2000
Co-founder and CEO
Gates built Microsoft's licensing model: software sold to many hardware makers rather than tied to one.
Source - Steve Ballmer2000–2014
CEO
Ballmer grew revenue from about $23 billion in FY2000 to about $78 billion in FY2013 and built the enterprise server and sales business that Azure later scaled on.
Source - Satya Nadella2014–present
Chairman and CEO
Nadella made Azure and Microsoft 365 the company's core, opened Microsoft to Linux and open source, and positioned it early in generative AI through OpenAI.
Source
Timeline: Adidas and Microsoft side by side
1924Adidas
Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory Established
Adolf and Rudolf Dassler established the predecessor shoe business in Herzogenaurach.
1936Adidas
Jesse Owens Wears Dassler Shoes
Jesse Owens competed in Dassler track shoes while winning four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics.
1949Adidas
Adidas Registered
Adolf Adi Dassler registered Adidas in Herzogenaurach after separating from Rudolf, who founded Puma.
1954Adidas
World Cup Boot Breakthrough
West Germany won the 1954 World Cup wearing Adidas boots with replaceable studs.
1970Adidas
Telstar World Cup Match Ball
Adidas supplied the Telstar as the official match ball for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
1975Microsoft
Microsoft Founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft after recognizing that the Altair 8800 needed usable programming software. Their first product, Altair BASIC, turned a hobbyist computer kit into a programmable platform.
1981Microsoft
MS-DOS Ships With IBM PC
IBM introduced its personal computer with MS-DOS 1.0 and other Microsoft products. The milestone mattered because Microsoft's operating-system work moved from a small software supplier's project into the emerging corporate PC standard.
1985Microsoft
Windows Launch
The release of Windows 1.0 began Microsoft's long move from command-line operating systems to graphical personal computing. The first version was not an instant blockbuster, but it gave Microsoft a user-interface path that could evolve with PC hardware.
1986Microsoft
Microsoft IPO
Microsoft went public on the Nasdaq in March 1986.
1990Microsoft
Office Suite Release
The bundling of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into Microsoft Office created a productivity suite that became central to business work. The bundle simplified enterprise purchasing and made file compatibility a competitive weapon.
1993Adidas
Robert Louis-Dreyfus Becomes CEO
Robert Louis-Dreyfus became CEO and led a restructuring of Adidas.
1995Adidas
Adidas Lists Publicly
Adidas completed its public listing in Frankfurt under Robert Louis-Dreyfus.
1995Microsoft
Windows 95 Released
Microsoft released Windows 95 in August 1995.
1997Adidas
Salomon Group Acquisition
Adidas acquired Salomon Group, adding winter sports equipment and TaylorMade golf.
1998Microsoft
U.S. Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Microsoft of using Windows power to suppress browser competition. The case mattered because it placed Microsoft's platform tactics under public and legal scrutiny at the height of its PC strong position.
2006Adidas
Reebok Acquisition Completed
Adidas completed its $3.8 billion acquisition of Reebok.
2010Microsoft
Azure Commercial Launch
Azure gave Microsoft a way to compete in cloud infrastructure as enterprise customers began shifting workloads away from company-owned servers.
2014Microsoft
Satya Nadella CEO
Satya Nadella became CEO and moved Microsoft away from a strategy that forced every product to serve Windows. He prioritized Azure, Microsoft 365, open source, Linux support, cross-platform software, and a more collaborative developer posture.
2016Microsoft
LinkedIn Acquisition
Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion in cash. The deal mattered because it added a professional identity network to a company already strong in Office, Dynamics, cloud services, recruiting tools, advertising, and enterprise sales.
2018Microsoft
GitHub Acquisition
Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion in stock, reversing years of developer skepticism toward the company. The acquisition placed Microsoft inside the daily workflow of software developers across languages, clouds, and operating systems.
2021Adidas
Reebok Divestiture Agreement
Adidas agreed to sell Reebok to Authentic Brands Group for total consideration of up to $2.37 billion (EUR2.1 billion).
2022Adidas
Ye Partnership Terminated
Adidas terminated its partnership with Ye and stopped production of Yeezy branded products.
2023Adidas
Bjørn Gulden Becomes CEO
Bjørn Gulden became Adidas CEO on January 1, 2023.
2023Microsoft
AI Leadership
Microsoft's expanded OpenAI partnership and Copilot product rollout placed the company at the center of enterprise generative AI adoption.
2023Microsoft
Activision Blizzard Acquisition Closes
Microsoft completed the Activision Blizzard acquisition after intense regulatory review. The deal added Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Candy Crush, and other franchises to Microsoft Gaming.
2025Adidas
Record 2025 Sales
Adidas reported sales of ~$28 billion (EUR24.811 billion) and attributable net income of ~$1.51 billion (EUR1.340 billion) for 2025.
Acquisitions
Adidas
- Runtastic2015$240M
- Five Ten2011$25M
- Reebok2006$3.8B
- Salomon Group1997$1.4B
Microsoft
- Activision Blizzard2023$68.7B
- Nuance Communications2022$19.7B
- ZeniMax Media2021$7.5B
- GitHub2018$7.5B
- LinkedIn2016$26.2B
Questions about Adidas vs Microsoft
Who is the CEO of Adidas AG and Microsoft Corporation?
Adidas AG is led by Bjørn Gulden and Microsoft Corporation is led by Satya Nadella. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Adidas AG founded vs Microsoft Corporation?
Adidas AG was founded in 1949 — 26 years before Microsoft Corporation, which was founded in 1975. Adidas AG's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Microsoft Corporation.
How many employees does Adidas AG have compared to Microsoft Corporation?
Adidas AG employs approximately 64,938 people, while Microsoft Corporation employs approximately 223,000. Microsoft Corporation has the larger workforce at 223,000 employees, compared to Adidas AG's 64,938. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Adidas AG and Microsoft Corporation headquartered?
Adidas AG is headquartered in Germany and Microsoft Corporation is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Adidas AG and Microsoft Corporation?
Adidas AG was founded by Adolf Dassler. Microsoft Corporation was founded by Bill Gates, Paul Allen.
Which company has a longer operating history — Adidas AG or Microsoft Corporation?
Adidas AG has been operating for approximately 77 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Microsoft Corporation has been in operation for around 51 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Adidas vs Microsoft overview