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Tech

Steve Ballmer now owns 4% of Twitter

By
Mathew Ingram
Mathew Ingram
and
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mathew Ingram
Mathew Ingram
and
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 16, 2015, 12:10 PM ET
Los Angeles Clippers Fan Festival
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 18: New owner of the Los Angeles Clippers Steve Ballmer addresses the media after being introduced for the first time during Los Angeles Clippers Fan Festival at Staples Center on August 18, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)Photograph by Jeff Gross — Getty Images

So he wasn’t hacked. According to a source close to Steve Ballmer, the Twitter (TWTR) account that said he owns 4% of Twitter is one of Ballmer’s official accounts, and he has not been hacked, as had been thought.

According to a report from Bloomberg, the former Microsoft CEO has also confirmed via email that the account belongs to him and that he is now a significant shareholder in Twitter. As of late Friday, his account was also officially verified.

Ballmer’s stake means he now owns more of the real-time news service than co-founder and newly-minted CEO Jack Dorsey, who owns about 3% of the company. Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal recently increased his holdings in Twitter and owns about 5% of the stock.

Twitter shareholders seemed to like the news that the Microsoft billionaire has taken a stake in the company: The share price jumped by as much as 4% following the news, although it is still down by more than 40% from its high during the past year.

Here’s the Tweet heard ’round the world.

Screen Shot 2015-10-16 at 10.04.36 AM

Follow Barb Darrow on Twitter at @gigabarb. Read her coverage at fortune.com/barb-darrow or subscribe via her RSS feed.

And please subscribe to Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the business of technology.

About the Authors
By Mathew Ingram
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Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
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