Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer is to sell a portion of his stake in Microsoft. But it’s not because he wants out, it’s for a personal financial matter.

Ballmer said he’s selling the stock to gain financial diversification and to assist in tax planning before the end of the calendar year.

According to a statement from Microsoft he plans to sell around 75 million shares by the end of 2010. Before taking into account recent sales, according to the latest Microsoft proxy report, Ballmer held approximately 408 million shares.

"Even though this is a personal financial matter, I want to be clear about this to avoid any confusion," Ballmer said. "I am excited about our new products and the potential for our technology to change people's lives, and I remain fully committed to Microsoft and its success."