Small Biz Wants to Celebrate With Bill

Microsoft Corp.’s Bill Gates is the business executive with whom most small-business owners would most like to ring in the new year, according to a survey. The chairman of the Redmond, Wash.-based software company was favored by 38% of 500 business owners who were asked by Sprint Business, a Dallas-based unit of Sprint Corp., which executive they would most like to pop the midnight cork with. Media tycoon Ted Turner came in a distant second, followed by movie director Steven Spielberg and the founders of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.