Microsoft Offers First Voluntary Buyout in 51-Year History

Microsoft is launching its inaugural voluntary retirement program for U.S. employees at senior director level and below with combined age-plus-tenure totaling 70 or more years. The move breaks from the company's historical reliance on performance-based attrition. **Worth flagging:** the timing coincides with massive AI infrastructure investments, suggesting potential knowledge-transfer risks among departing senior staff while freeing budget for AI-focused hiring.