Paul Allen
Paul Allen was a visionary technologist, investor, and philanthropist best known as the co-founder of Microsoft alongside Bill Gates. Born in 1953 in Seattle, Washington, Allen convinced Gates to drop out of Harvard and together they created a version of BASIC for the Altair 8800 in 1975—marking the birth of Microsoft.
Though less visible than Gates during Microsoft’s early dominance, Allen was instrumental in the technical and strategic foundation of the company. He left Microsoft in the early 1980s after a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but went on to found Vulcan Inc. and pursue a wide range of ventures across technology, science, the arts, and sports.
His legacy includes funding major scientific initiatives, founding the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and owning professional sports teams in his home state. Allen passed away in 2018, but is remembered as a passionate innovator who helped shape the modern computing era.
💡 Did You Know?
- Paul Allen named Microsoft (a blend of “microcomputer” and “software”).
- He funded the construction of the Allen Telescope Array for SETI research.
- His Stratolaunch project created the world’s largest airplane by wingspan.