--- description: Welcome to #theBrief, the four stories to know about right now—from the editors of TIME title: Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer To Buy Los Angeles Clippers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2892fd5015c282a4/6986955bcd804d4de9ccb3b0/154744476.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [The Brief](/tag/the-brief/) ## The Brief Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Former Microsoft Chief to Buy Clippers for $2 Billion by [TIME Video](/author/time-video/) ## TIME Video Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 30, 2014 2:51 PM CUT  Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., pauses while speaking at an event in New York, Oct. 25, 2012. Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer of Microsoft Corp., pauses while speaking at an event in New York, Oct. 25, 2012.Scott Eells—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [TIME Video](/author/time-video/) ## TIME Video Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 30, 2014 2:51 PM CUT Here are the stories TIME is watching this Friday, May 30: * Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer [has agreed to buy](https://time.com/wp-admin/as%20agreed%20to%20buy%20the%20Los%20Angeles%20Clippers%20for%20$2%20billion "undefined") the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, which would make the Clippers the most expensive NBA team ever sold. * As the NSA [fired back](http://time.com/137530/nsa-to-release-snowden-email/ "undefined"), Edward Snowden [claimed](http://time.com/2796572/snowden-nsas-email-release-is-incomplete/ "undefined") he wrote more emails than what officials have revealed and said the NSA “feels it has something to hide.” * For the first time in history, the National Spelling Bee [saw co-champions](http://time.com/2796332/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2014-champions/ "undefined") crowned. * SpaceX [unveiled](http://time.com/136336/spacex-dragon-elon-musk-live-stream/ "undefined") a new state-of-the-art spacecraft that will carry NASA astronauts to and from the International Space System. The Brief is published daily on weekdays. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2798449/steve-ballmer-clippers-nsa-edward-snowden-national-spelling-b-spacex/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2798449/steve-ballmer-clippers-nsa-edward-snowden-national-spelling-b-spacex/"},"headline":"Former Microsoft Chief to Buy Clippers for $2 Billion","datePublished":"2014-05-30T14:51:33.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:07:57.584Z","description":"Welcome to #theBrief, the four stories to know about right now—from the editors of TIME","url":"https://time.com/2798449/steve-ballmer-clippers-nsa-edward-snowden-national-spelling-b-spacex/","keywords":["The Brief"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2892fd5015c282a4/6986955bcd804d4de9ccb3b0/154744476.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Video","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-video/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2892fd5015c282a4/6986955bcd804d4de9ccb3b0/154744476.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Key Speakers As Microsoft Unveils Windows 8","caption":"Key Speakers As Microsoft Unveils Windows 8","creditText":"Scott Eells—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/the-brief/","name":"The Brief"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2798449/steve-ballmer-clippers-nsa-edward-snowden-national-spelling-b-spacex/","name":"Former Microsoft Chief to Buy Clippers for $2 Billion"}}]}] ```