Remember the phrase "creating shareholder value"? The expression nearly died of shame after WorldCom's Bernie Ebbers made quarterly stock analyst presentations by pointing to a nearly vertical share-price chart and challenging: "Any questions?" That's why Microsoft's recent decision to pay out US $75 billion in dividends over the next four years was so refreshing. CEO Steve Ballmer left no doubt about the future of shareholder value: "I'm confident we have some of the greatest dollar growth prospects of any company in the world."