By Emma Thompson
Publication Date: 2026-10-01 09:57:00
Lee has not disclosed where he is going next. Writing on LinkedIn, he said the decision followed a more personal calculation about whether he would regret turning the opportunity down.
“Considering my stage of life and career, will I regret it if I pass on this?” he wrote. “The answer I came up with was ‘Yes,’ and so I’ve taken a big leap and decided to retire from Microsoft.”
The move ends a Microsoft career that has spanned AI research, scientific discovery and leadership of the company’s global research organization.
Lee became President of Microsoft Science in February 2026, with responsibility for accelerating discovery across the physical, biological and medical sciences using AI and other emerging technologies. Before that, he served as President of Microsoft Research and led research operations across 14 laboratories worldwide.
Lee keeps his next destination under wraps
The next step remains deliberately vague. Lee described it on LinkedIn as a…
