Microsoft CEO had his bonus cut due to KIN failure

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer did not receive his maximum bonus for the last fiscal year, despite a record year for the software giant, according to Reuters. 54-year-old Ballmer took the hit due to the "unsuccessful launch of the Kin phone, loss of market share in the company's mobile phone business, and the need for the company to pursue innovations to take advantage of new form factors," as described by the company's annual proxy filing. Earlier this week, Ballmer did say in an interview that the KIN defocused activity from Windows Phone.

Ballmer received a cash bonus of $670,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010. That might seem like quite a lot, and it's actually equal to Ballmer's salary, but it's only half the maximum bonus payout. Despite Microsoft's successful sales of Windows 7, the company has had a poor year in the mobile space.

Microsoft killed the KIN just a few weeks after the handsets started to ship. In the mean time, Windows Mobile has been steadily losing share to competitors Apple, Google, Nokia, and RIM. Windows Phone 7 is launching in the next two months, just in time for the holiday season; will Ballmer get a bigger bonus in the next fiscal year?