Steve Ballmer flies home to Seattle as Ballmer Group pledges $1.5B for housing

Steve Ballmer flew from Herbert C. Maas Airport in Libertyville, Illinois, to Boeing Field in Seattle late Thursday night, a 3-hour-27-minute hop in his Gulfstream G650. The flight, which touched down just after 6 p.m. local time, came after a brief stay in the Chicago area — a pattern consistent with business or personal stops away from his Hunts Point home.

The same day Ballmer’s jet was wheels-up, his Ballmer Group philanthropy announced a commitment to fund up to 10,000 affordable rental homes across Washington state, using forgivable loans of up to $150,000 per unit. The initiative, reported by Ward Media, could total $1.5 billion and is already financing projects from West Seattle to Twisp. It follows the Ballmers’ earlier pledge of $170 million per year for early childhood education slots.

Ballmer, who owns the Los Angeles Clippers and remains the NBA’s most hands-on owner, has been in the news this week for reportedly vetoing trade offers for Kawhi Leonard. But the housing announcement — rooted in his home state — offers a quieter counterpoint to the league’s salary-cap drama.