Former Microsoft CEO launches government spending database

Jessica Kim Cohen -

Steven A. Ballmer, who retired from his post as Microsoft CEO in 2014, unveiled a comprehensive database of government spending Tuesday, according to the New York Times.

The nonpartisan database, called USAFacts.org, looks at the revenue and spending of federal, state and local governments. The database — which only uses government data, to avoid criticisms of bias — tracks a range of services, including healthcare, crime and support for veterans.

In an interview with the New York Times, Mr. Ballmer characterized the effort as his way to "figure out what the government really does with the money."

"You know, when I really wanted to understand in depth what a company was doing, Amazon or Apple, I'd get their 10-K and read it," he told the New York Times, adding there was not a centralized place to find government financial reports.

Mr. Ballmer created the database with a team of economists, professors and professionals over the past three years. He said he has spent more than $10 million on the project, which includes his own private funding along with grants.

Click here to view the USAFacts.org database.

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