Paul Allen, prior to his death on October 15, 2018, was an American mogul, investor, researcher, and philanthropist. He was the co-founder of Microsoft, the largest software company in the world. Besides Microsoft, Allen had other areas of business interest, including technology, real estate, media and sports.
In addition to co-founding Microsoft alongside Allen, his close friend Bill Gate also founded Vulcan Capital Inc and owned the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and co-owner of Seattle Sounders FC, which in 2009 became member of Major League Soccer.
The business mogul was also interested in research, so he founded research institutes like the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the Allen Institute for Brain Science, Stratolaunch Systems, and the Institute for Cell Science.
Brief biography
Allen was born in Seattle, Washington on January 21, 1953 to Edna Faye and Kenneth Sam Allen. His full name was Paul Gardner Allen. He attended a private school in Seattle, the Lakeside School, where he met his close and future business partner, Bill Gate.
The two were bonded by their love and passion for computers. After high school, Allen goes to Washington State University to study computer science, and Bill goes to Harvard. After two years, Paul Allen quit college and persuaded Bill to drop out so they could pursue their passion for computers and software.
Inspired by an article published on “PopularElectronics”, which included the new Altair microcomputer kit manufactured by MITS computer, were moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where MITS headquarters was located. After working for some time and saving $16,000, they created the biggest software in the world in 1975.
Their journey to success was not an easy path but vision, persistence and hard work had kept them going and today this small business that started with just $16,000 is generating $89 in sales. 95 billion in 2017 and the two friends found their name on the list of the richest men in the world.
Besides Microsoft, Paul Allen owned a chain of other businesses and investments. He was the founder of Vulcan Capital Inc – a private asset management firm, which he established in 1986, with a mission to find solutions to the world’s toughest problems. In 2013, he opened a new office in Palo Alto, California, with the goal of investing in young and emerging technology and internet companies. Decide.com, Audience Inc and Redfin are his latest investment firms.
His real estate company is in development and portfolio management services and developed more than 6 million square feet of residential, biotechnology and office space. In 2012, she sold office space worth $1.16 billion to Amazon.
Paul Allen was the owner of the league’s National Football Franchise, Seattle Seahawks; which he bought in 1996 from Ken Behring. He also owns the NBA team’s Portland Trail Blazers which he bought for $70 million in 1988 from real estate developer Larry Weinberg, and he is a part owner of Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC.
The business mogul was also a force to be reckoned with in the media industry, with his sister Jody Allen, he established Vulcan Productions – a television and film production company headquartered in Seattle. They both serve as the company’s executive producers.
His love and passion for aviation also led him to found Vulcan Aerospace, where he funded the SpaceShipOne project, which was the first private aircraft to place a civilian in suborbital space. Prior to his death, he was pursuing other aerospace interests as part of his Stratolaunch Systems
Allen was a renowned philanthropist who invested over $2 billion of his income for wildlife conservation, education, the arts, community services, science and technology. He had worked on several foundations such as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Stratolaunch Systems, and Institute for Cellular Science. In 2014, it dedicated approximately $100 million to the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
Also Read On: Grant Cardone Wife, Height, Weight, Brother, Family, Biography, Other Facts
Net worth: How much was Paul Allen worth?
In 2018, Paul Allen was named the 43rd richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion at the time of his death. His income was not only derived from his shares in the software company, but also from his other business activities.
Who was Paul Allen’s wife? – girlfriend, family
Paul Allen had never been married and had no children. The corporate mogul had been romantically linked to a couple of women who had never been promoted to become his wife. The first was tennis champion Monica Seles, who he reportedly dated for several years before calling it quits in 1998, and then Jerry Hall, who he reportedly had a short date with in 1999.
He has also been linked to television executive and CBS Television Distribution vice president of programming and development Leigh Colier, who he reportedly started dating since 2011.
Allen had been asked about his sexual orientation by some who think he’s gay or at least bisexual and haven’t mustered up enough courage to come out of the closet. But there has been no substantial evidence to support the claims.
His death
He died Monday, October 15, 2018 in Seattle, from complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Two weeks before his death, he announced that he was receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system diagnosed since 1983. He was 65 at the time of his death.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r63Io5innaeoe6S7zGiZrrKqZL2mu8%2BlnGivmKR6uK3SZqearZxirq24xKeqZq%2BZm7Jus8iro5%2BqmZq7pXnFmqSipKlitaq%2FjJ2cmqyYYq6vsIynnK1lp6S%2FtbSO