Al Gore

If nothing else, former Vice President Al Gore's office helps anyone who needs that extra little push to convince themselves that, yeah, having three monitors is necessary for important work. Why noted environmental speaker Gore would go for a paper sketch pad over whiteboards, we can't quite say. (Original post) [via TIME]

Steve Ballmer

When the Microsoft CEO looks straight ahead, there's a single monitor, a (Microsoft) mouse and keyboard, a phone, and a little space to eat lunch. When he looks to the side or reaches for files, it's a whole shelf and wall full of family and friend pics, along with his children's creative endeavors. Easy to forget these folks are human, no? [via The New York Times]

Steve Jobs

Apple's head honcho had only just begun working on the Macintosh computer and was living the single life when Diana Walker snapped this picture at his apartment. Easy to see where the focus on minimalist functionality comes from. The cutline: "I was single. All you needed was a cup of tea, a light, and your stereo, you know, and that's what I had." [via Diana Walker/The Bigger Picture Gallery]

37 Signals

Another team of minimalist-minded tech thinkers, they're the crew behind Basecamp, Campfire, and web coding language Ruby on Rails. They don't work in empty white rooms, but there's definitely an emphasis on keeping the decoration lean and the spaces open. [via Signal vs. Noise]