Chris Liddell, who’s served as Microsoft’s chief financial officer for four and a half years, intends to leave the company rather soon.  Microsoft announced that Peter Klein will be transitioning in over the next month, and then Liddell will depart at the end of the 2009.

It should comfort Microsoft fans and/or shareholders to know that Liddell isn’t leaving in any sort of disgrace; CEO Steve Ballmer complimented him in a formal statement, and Liddell in fact seems to be interested in becoming a CEO himself.

Although, for the sake of your eyesight, this article hasn’t been written in red ink, financial types might want to just go ahead and imagine it that way.  The earnings report Microsoft released this afternoon contained all sorts of bad news. 

Steve Ballmer is perhaps – perhaps – best known for doing monkey dances while covered in sweat.  But if anyone thought he was pushing the Yahoo issue alone, Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell has stepped forward to talk about the situation.

Microsoft said it will need to borrow money for the first time in company history to acquire Yahoo, chief financial officer Chris Liddell said.