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oversight findingVerified

China’s NDRC investigates Microsoft over alleged monopoly practices

In July 2014 China’s National Development and Reform Commission raided Microsoft offices in an anti-monopoly investigation while Gates was still a technical adviser and large shareholder. In the causal graph this event strengthens Antitrust Pressure in Digital Markets, a driver that strengthens Out-of-School Rate, Primary School Age (global) — a worsening welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

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In July 2014 China’s National Development and Reform Commission raided Microsoft offices in an anti-monopoly investigation while Gates was still a technical adviser and large shareholder.

Context

Neighbouring China filtering is a different compliance file. Neighbouring EU 2004 is a different regulator. Nadella was already CEO. He did not write the AML statute.

China filtering is neighbouring market access. EU 2004 is neighbouring Western antitrust.

Bill Gates was Microsoft CEO until January 2000, chairman until February 2014, then a technical adviser until 2020, and a Gates Foundation co-chair. That is not authorship of every Windows copy, every GAVI dose, or every IRS schedule. Melinda French Gates is a different person. Bill Clinton is PER-000772, a different person. A pledge is not a coverage rate. A docket is not a personality.

Why it matters

The path is antitrust-pressure: a completed NDRC raid is an accountability-and-market-access shock. A raid is not a completed personal jail term.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Bill Gates

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.55 · verified

    He was adviser and large shareholder. NDRC investigated. Microsoft China operated. Nadella was CEO.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Reuters — China antitrust regulator raids Microsoft officesReuters · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.NDRC — anti-monopoly investigation of Microsoft, 2014National Development and Reform Commission of China · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

National Development and Reform Commission of China carries the official instrument or communique. Reuters records the same dated act independently.

Established: July 2014 NDRC Microsoft investigation, independently reported.

Not established: that Gates was jailed in Beijing, or a unique later China-revenue coefficient from the raid.

NDRC investigated. Microsoft China operated. Nadella was CEO.. A later repeal, court stay, or successor order would be a different Fact with a different date. That pair identifies China’s NDRC investigates Microsoft over alleged monopoly practices, not a later speech about China’s NDRC investigates Microsoft over alleged monopoly practices.

Co-authors and later implementers named in Context remain on the file. If a later repeal, stay, or successor instrument exists, it needs its own date and its own row. The contribution described on this Person row is limited to He was adviser and large shareholder. NDRC investigated. Microsoft China operated. Nadella was CEO. That limit is the alternative to treating office-holding as authorship of every later series.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorBill Gates
  2. contributed toFactChina’s NDRC investigates Microsoft over alleged monopoly practices
  3. strengthensDrivers (2)Antitrust Pressure in Digital Markets
  4. strengthensIndicatorOut-of-School Rate, Primary School Age (global)

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). China’s NDRC investigates Microsoft over alleged monopoly practices. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/ms-china-ndrc-2014

https://factrail.ai/facts/ms-china-ndrc-2014

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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