Paul Allen
Birth DetailsJanuary 21, 1953 | Seattle, Washington
NationalityAmerican
LeagueBusiness Leader
EducationCollege dropout (Washington State University)
Net Worth$20.3 billion (October 2, 2018)
Paul Allen's Journey so far ...
Before you go ...
- A college dropout himself, Paul Allen persuaded his friend Bill Gates to skip Harvard University so that the two could focus on personal computing
- In 1975, Allen and Gates founded Microsoft and the duo got the license to work on the DOS operating system. In 1981, the software MS-DOS was made available to IBM Computers following which Microsoft became a household name
- However, Allen left Microsoft in 1983 after being detected with Hodgkin's disease. Although he had differences with Gates, he continued on the board till 2000
- Over the next three decades, his wealth grew to $26 billion due to his stake in Microsoft, and he became one of the wealthiest people on earth. In 2013, he became the world's richest bachelor with a personal fortune of $15.3 billion
- After leaving Microsoft, he founded Vulcan Inc in 1986 with his sister Jody Allen and through this venture he invested in sports teams, art, real estate and startups
- Allen allocated a substantial amount of his fortune to philanthropic projects after he joined the Giving Pledge, including the Allen Institute of Brain Sciences
- In 2015, Allen set up Vulcan Aerospace to ensure cheap space travel and a couple of years later he rolled out the world's largest plane that could launch rockets
- His love for yachts saw him buy one of the largest yachts, a 414-feet superyacht 'Octopus', which was equipped with helicopters, submarines, basketball court and swimming pool. It cost him $200 million to build it
- Allen loved sports and owned some marquee teams namely - NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and a stake in the Seattle Sounder soccer team
- In 2009, doctors detected cancer in Allen for which he underwent chemotherapy. On October 15, 2018, Paul Allen lost the battle to cancer at the age of 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Before you go ...
- In 2011, Allen wrote a memoir named - ‘Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft’
- Allen loved music and played the guitar, he was a fan of Jimi Hendrix and had a list of high-profile friends in the entertainment business, including U2 singer Bono
- Allen, the owner of 42 US patents, had no spouse or children to inherit his wealth and left behind a huge fortune
Last Updated: 12/02/2021
Paul Allen News
- Thanks for the awkward photo shoots and memories: Bill GatesBill Gates celebrated Microsoft’s 50th anniversary on Instagram, sharing memories and old photos of himself, saying, “Unfortunately, I'll never feel cool again because this was me in the early Microsoft days.” Reflecting on Microsoft’s founding, he called the code he wrote for the Altair “the coolest I've ever written.”
- Microsoft founder Bill Gates reflects upon a 50-year-old computer code that reshaped technologyAlthough the code that Gates printed out on a teletype machine may look crude compared to what's powering today's artificial intelligence platforms, it played a critical role in creating Microsoft in April 1975 - a golden anniversary that the Redmond, Washington, company will celebrate on Friday.
- Four men loom large in Microsoft historyMicrosoft was shaped by Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer and Satya Nadella over the course of the last half-century in the male-dominated tech world. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 and was best man at the 1994 wedding of Bill and Melinda Gates.
- Ai2 unveils second open language model OLMo 2This is an open source AI according to Open Source Initiative’s definition, meaning that the tools and data used to develop it are available to the public. Ai2 claimed that it has observed a considerable improvement in performance compared to their own previous OLMo 0424 model and that OLMo 2 7B outperforms Meta’s Llama-3.
- Stratolaunch achieves separation of hypersonic vehicle from the Roc Carrier PlaneThe company has achieved the successful separation of its hypersonic vehicle from the Roc Carrier plane. The preparations for this test was carried out in May and has boosted the business prospects of the company.
- 'Embrace what you don't know.' Bill Gates shares 5 things he never got to hear at his college graduationGates dropped out of Harvard University in 1975 and founded Microsoft with Paul Allen.
- More than a million artworks were auctioned in 2022, despite economic recession: ReportOut of the million artworks auctioned, about 704,747 were sold.
- Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art collection including works of Seurat, van Gogh sells for $1.6 billionAll 155 of the artworks put up for auction were sold with five paintings selling for prices above $100 million.
- Late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art collection auctioned for record $1.5 BillionAccording to Christie's auction house, the collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was auctioned off for a historic $1.5 billion Wednesday, with records set for works by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat and Klimt.
- Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art collection breaks record, fetches $1 billion at auctionAllen's collection at Christie's NY is the biggest sale in auction history.
- Most expensive art collection belonging to Microsoft co-founder worth $1 bn goes under the hammerThe collection of more than 150 pieces includes work by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin and Jasper Johns.
- Microsoft announces 10% dividend hike. Details hereMicrosoft has announced a 10 per cent dividend hike. The Dividend yield being just 1.1 per cent, is presumed to be better than the current inflation rate.
- Christie's to auction Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's art trove valued at over $1 BnThe works to be auctioned span 500 years of art history.
- Jeff Bezos follows Gates, Paul Allen in becoming latest tycoon to pursue his 'passion'Amazon founder Jeff Bezos plans to build rockets and save the planet.
- Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies of cancer complications at 65In early October, Allen had revealed he was being treated for the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he also was treated for in 2009.
- When Earth’s shape is flatly deniedBesides, fake news is subjective and alternative facts can bolster any argument, especially conspiracy theories floating around in cyberspace.
- Music titan Quincy Jones vouches for investor Paul Allen's skills on guitarThe Microsoft co-founder is well-known for his expertise on the strings.
- 'Hit Refresh': How Satya Nadella helped Microsoft rediscover its soul"The renewal would only happen, if we prioritize the organization’s culture and built confidence both inside and outside the company."
- World's largest aircraft passes first engine testsThe 747 turbofan engines were loaded with fuel, started one at a time and then allowed to idle at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, US.
- Why Paul Allen is making headlinesDid you know Paul Allen has been quietly building a giant twin-hulled aircraft in the California desert? Here some interesting facts
- From Eric Schmidt to Lakshmi Mittal, here are the summer escapes of the rich and famousThese dreamy vacation destinations are giving us major wanderlust.
- Trump Force One vs. Air Force OneThe luxurious jet (dubbed Trump Force One) is fitted out with gold-plated seatbelt buckles and a 52-inch flatscreen TV, among many other features.
- Bill Gates memorised employees' licence plates to keep tabs on themGates, who is now co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, described his management style from Microsoft's early days during a BBC interview.
- Three tips for Salman Khan to choose the perfect yacht for 50th birthdayRumour has it that Salman Khan will buy a yacht for his 50th birthday. We offer tips for him to choose a machine that'll suit his persona.
- In Silicon Valley, do it yourself is the sutra of successThe work done here is what turns up in the silicon crucibles of the world where venture money and entrepreneurial talent take over.
- Do billionaires prefer art ahead of fancy cars and private islands now?Local galleries are hoping that the new, younger generation of tech executives follow in the footsteps of Gates and Ellison and turn their attention toward the fine arts.
- Stunning facts about Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's $200mn super-yachtWith an estimated net worth of $17.5 billion, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen can afford some expensive toys. His 414-foot yacht, 'Octopus' is one of them.
- Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen threw a Bollywood-themed yacht partyScores of movie stars, musicians and supermodels hobnobbed aboard his 414-foot yacht, Octopus, at a Bollywood-themed bash.
- Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan bets $50 mn on research to create brain-inspired computingInfosys cofounder Kris Gopalakrishnan has put one chunk of his net worth on research that aims to create the next computing revolution.
- Seven most active technology investors in IndiaGlobal investors have for long spoken admiringly about India’s technical prowess. Now they are putting serious money where their mouth is.
- 60-year old Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is world's wealthiest bachelor: Report60-year old Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is world's wealthiest bachelor, followed by 79-year old Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani who has a net worth of $10.9 billion.
- 5 ways to cope if your first venture failsSuccess has many fathers and failure is an orphan, many young people are afraid of starting up, or simply give up when their first venture fails.
- Team Indus: Indian startup among 23 teams vying for Google Lunar X Prize to land on moonIf he can design a flawless mission, marshal support and sponsors and convince the ISRO, Narayan might well get a clear shot at the moon.
- An entrepreneur ought to be mobile and fluid, and be able to take quick & decisive calls: Kiran GopinathA formal education is not a prerequisite to be a successful entrepreneur. But you must be daring and innovative, says Kiran Gopinath .
- 10 crazy stories about Bill GatesMicrosoft co-founder Paul Allen has released a memoir called ‘Idea Man’ in which he has revealed some amazing stories about his friend Bill Gates.
- Microsoft co-founder refiles patent suit against web giantsMicrosoft co-founder Paul Allen has refiled a patent lawsuit against a host of web companies, including Google and Apple.
- Microsoft co-founder to donate fortune to charityMicrosoft co-founder Paul Allen has pledged to donate the majority of his $13.5 billion fortune to charity.
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