Paul Gardner Allen (1953–2018) was an American entrepreneur, technologist, investor, and philanthropist best known as the co-founder of Microsoft. A quiet visionary with a boundless imagination, Allen helped spark the personal-computer revolution and later built a vast empire of ventures spanning science, sports, culture, and space exploration. His life’s work left an enduring mark across numerous industries, cementing him as one of the most influential innovators of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Early Life and Passion for Technology

Born in Seattle, Washington on January 21, 1953, Paul Allen grew up surrounded by books and learning. His mother was a schoolteacher, and his father worked for the University of Washington library system, fostering in him a deep intellectual curiosity. At the elite Lakeside School, Allen discovered computers for the first time — a pivotal moment that changed the direction of his life. It was here he met Bill Gates, beginning a friendship and partnership that would reshape global technology.

Co-founding Microsoft and Shaping the PC Revolution

In 1975, Allen convinced Gates that personal computers were the future and that software would power them. Together they founded Microsoft, originally “Micro-Soft,” with the mission of creating software for the emerging PC market. Allen played a key role in acquiring and adapting the software that became MS-DOS — an operating system that powered IBM’s first personal computers and set Microsoft on its path to industry dominance.

Though Allen stepped back from daily operations in 1983 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he remained on Microsoft’s board until 2000. His early strategic insights and engineering mindset became the foundation on which the world’s largest software company was built.

Beyond Microsoft: Building a Vast Innovation Empire

After leaving Microsoft, Allen dedicated his life to innovation. He founded Vulcan Inc. with his sister Jody Allen to manage his business ventures, investments, and philanthropic initiatives. His interests were extraordinarily diverse:

• Technology & Science
  Allen founded major research institutions including the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Allen Institute for Cell Science — accelerating global scientific discovery.
• Space Exploration
  He funded SpaceShipOne, the first privately-funded aircraft to reach space, which won the Ansari X Prize and ignited the modern private-space industry.
• Arts, Culture & Media
  Through Vulcan Productions, he backed acclaimed films and documentaries, and he supported museums, music, and cultural initiatives throughout the Pacific Northwest.
• Sports
  Allen owned the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, and was part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC. His leadership helped transform both teams and energized their fan communities.

Philanthropy and Global Impact

Allen’s philanthropic vision was ambitious, future-oriented, and deeply personal. During his lifetime he donated more than $2 billion to causes including conservation, scientific research, education, health, and community development. His wildlife conservation projects protected endangered ecosystems worldwide, and his scientific institutes continue to advance human knowledge long after his passing.

He once described his mission as wanting to discover “the solutions that the world doesn’t know it needs yet.”

Final Years and Enduring Legacy

Paul Allen died on October 15, 2018, at age 65, due to complications from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Yet his influence continues to ripple outward — in the technologies people use every day, in the teams and cultural institutions he strengthened, and in the scientific discoveries accelerated by his generosity.

A quiet and often underestimated figure compared to louder tech visionaries, Allen remains one of the most imaginative entrepreneurs of the modern age. He combined technical brilliance with an explorer’s curiosity, proving that innovation thrives when paired with passion, creativity, and a desire to make the world better.