> Super cool to see MZ initials, which are for Mark Zbikowski. They are still to this day at the beginning of every Windows executable/PE file.

Another is "PK" as found in the header of ordinary .zip files, after its creator Phil Katz (RIP).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Katz

Looks like this is him?

https://github.com/microsoft/MS-DOS/commit/2d04cacc5322951f1... https://github.com/mzbik

I can't recall where exactly but there's something similar in systemd, some files have LPKS... in them, which are most probably poettering, sievers and others early devs initials.

What? Is this what MZ means? Fascinating!

"He was the designer of the MS-DOS executable file format, and the headers of that file format start with his initials: the ASCII characters 'MZ' (0x4D, 0x5A)" Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zbikowski

> In 2006, he was honored for 25 years of service with the company, the third employee to reach this milestone, after Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. He retired the same year from Microsoft

Considering he "only" joined MS in 1981 (which was found in 1975?), I'm surprised no more people between him and Bill stayed at MS.

Also shouldn't Paul Allen still count (from Wikipedia, "Allen resigned from his position on the Microsoft board of directors on November 9, 2000, but he remained as a senior strategy advisor to the company's executives.")?

Edit: wow, never knew he worked at Valve, too.

Early Microsoft seemed to be a pretty hardcore environment. I guess many employees came and got burned out in a few years.

And/or they cashed out $TEXAS in stock and rode off into the sunset.

Yeah man. Meaningful work and loads of cash after IPO. I have always wished to work in such an environment.

I think a lot of people left Microsoft to start/join Valve, foremost of which Gabe Newell himself.