Hungarian student "eggs on" Steve Ballmer - but misses!

By Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 20 May 2008 10:56

Opinion and Analysis

A Hungarian student has hurled three eggs at Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer during a talk a Budapest’s Corvinus University on Monday, hurled some abuse, missed Ballmer and was hurled away for his troubles!

Looks like Budapest have a Microsoft-hating pest in its midst, after an incident at the Corvinus University which saw Steve Ballmer agile enough to miss the oblong eggy missiles – unlike his boss, Bill Gates, who couldn’t avoid cream pies to his face a decade ago.

Ballmer was speaking at the University, telling students he had “one key question to ask”, then asking “How many of you still have examinations?”. Whether he was trying to be funny with that question or not, I don’t know, but what happened next was hilarious.

Egged on by his own convictions, the 20-something spectacle wearing student started shouting "Give back the money of the taxpayers!", and hurled three eggs in Ballmer’s direction. Despite only being in the fourth row, the student missed.

Wearing a white shirt with the words “Microsoft = Corruption” written on it, presumably in reference to Microsoft’s dealmaking with the Hungarian Government to use Microsoft products in favour of others, the student then decided to voluntarily leave the lecture hall of the Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, (Hungarian for the Budapest Corvinus University), where he was taken away by officials.

The whole affair can be seen on video – two of them are up now at YouTube. These seem to be filmed by students right next to the Hungarian egg thrower, either quick to reach for their video phones or potential accomplices in the prank.

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) says Steve Ballmer was uncharacteristically speechless, and then noted "It was a friendly disruption... that broke my train of thought."

You can also see a picture of the “attack” at the SMH site, where Steve Ballmer managed to avoid getting egg on his face.