My Take
Paul Allen is one of those figures who gets perpetually undersold by his own origin story — yes, he co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates back in 1975, and yes, that alone would cement anyone's legacy, but what I find genuinely fascinating is everything he did after stepping away from the company in 1983. The guy won a Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, funded the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, bankrolled SpaceShipOne through his Vulcan Ventures, owned the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, jammed guitar in a rock band, and quietly poured billions into neuroscience research. He didn't cash out and disappear — he turned curiosity itself into a career. Losing him at 65 in 2018 felt like the universe snatching away someone who was only just hitting his philanthropic stride.
Overview
Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American businessman, computer programmer, and investor. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which was followed by the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paul Allen
- Name (Japanese)
- ポール・アレン
- Reading
- ぽーる・あれん
- Born
- January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Snake
- Origin
- Seattle, Washington, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- inventor / computer scientist / film producer / musician / entrepreneur
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Washington State University
Awards & achievements
- 2015 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.