Paul Allen

Paul Allen – Life, Achievements, and Memorable Quotes

Discover the biography of Paul Allen — Microsoft cofounder, entrepreneur, philanthropist, explorer — from his early life to his diverse legacy, along with his guiding philosophies in his own words.

Introduction

Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, technologist, investor, author, and philanthropist. He is best known as the cofounder of Microsoft alongside Bill Gates, a pioneer of the personal computing revolution. But Allen’s ambitions and interests extended far beyond software: he invested in space exploration, scientific research, arts, conservation, and sports. His multifaceted legacy remains a testament to the power of curiosity, breadth of vision, and commitment to impact.

Early Life and Family

Paul Allen was born in Seattle, Washington, to Kenneth Sam Allen, a librarian, and Edna Faye (née Gardner), a fourth-grade teacher.

He attended Lakeside School, a private preparatory school in Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Allen met Bill Gates; both shared an early fascination with computers and programming, using the school’s teletype terminals and the University of Washington’s computing resources to code and experiment.

Allen scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT and enrolled at Washington State University. Later, he left college (or at least did not complete a degree) to join programming work and cofound Microsoft with Gates.

Career and Achievements

Microsoft and Early Departure

In 1975, Allen and Gates formally founded Microsoft, aiming to bring software to microcomputers in the emerging personal computer era.

Allen was instrumental in naming the company “Micro-Soft,” a portmanteau of microcomputer and software.

However, after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1982, Allen stepped back from day-to-day operations at Microsoft in early 1983, though he remained on the board and held substantial influence.

Ventures & Investments

After Microsoft, Allen founded Vulcan Inc. (with his sister Jody Allen) to manage his business, philanthropic, and investment interests.

His interests spanned many domains:

• Space & Aerospace: He was a key backer of SpaceShipOne, a privately financed spacecraft, which in 2004 won the Ansari X Prize.

• Scientific Research & Institutes: Allen founded the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2), and the Allen Institute for Cell Science. These institutions pushed open science models and research tools to the world.

• Sports & Entertainment: He owned the Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) and the Seattle Seahawks (NFL). Under his ownership, the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII. He was also a part-owner of Seattle Sounders FC (Major League Soccer).

• Arts, Museums & Culture: Allen invested heavily in arts and culture—he funded museums (e.g. Museum of Pop Culture, formerly MoPOP), restored theaters (the Cinerama in Seattle), and was an avid collector and patron of the arts.

• Real Estate & Urban Development: Through Vulcan Real Estate, Allen participated in the redevelopment of Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood and sold major property assets (e.g. office complexes) in commercial transactions.

Philanthropy & Legacy

Allen was a prolific philanthropist, giving over $2 billion during his lifetime to causes including science, education, the environment, the arts, and community services.

He signed The Giving Pledge, committing to give away a majority of his wealth.

Allen also endowed major gifts to universities (e.g. University of Washington, Washington State University) and established funding for research centers.

His memoir, Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft, was published in 2011 and recounts his life, partnership with Gates, and post-Microsoft ventures.

Later Years and Death

In 2009, Allen faced another cancer diagnosis—non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—but he continued to work and invest until late in life.

On October 15, 2018, Paul Allen died of complications from cancer (septic shock related to cancer) at the age of 65.

Personality, Vision & Approach

Allen was known for his wide curiosity, eclectic interests, and ability to bridge domains. He did not confine himself to a narrow “tech billionaire” identity but embraced art, science, exploration, and public service.

In The New Yorker, a profile emphasized how Allen’s humanistic vision informed his technological ambition: he believed that computing should serve human ends and sought to invest in diverse fields—from marine research to music to museums.

He accepted that his ambitions sometimes spread wide and risked lacking tight focus, but he embraced that tradeoff as part of his path:

“At times, I cast my net too widely … But my choice of ventures wasn’t arbitrary.”

He also favored giving people latitude:

“Find the best people and give them room to operate, as long as they can accept my periodic high-intensity kibitzing.”

Allen believed the “possible is constantly being redefined”—a mindset that drove him to push boundaries even in mature fields.

Famous Quotes by Paul Allen

Here are some of Paul Allen’s memorable statements that reflect his philosophy, ambition, and worldview:

1. “What should exist? To me, that’s the most exciting question imaginable. What do we need that we don’t have? How can we realize our potential?”

2. “The possible is constantly being redefined, and I care deeply about helping humanity move forward.”

3. “I’m always interested in finding ways to innovate … It’s a blend; it’s not a point focus.”

4. “As a species, we've always been discoverers and adventurers, and space and the deep ocean are some of the last frontiers.”

5. “In my experience, each failure contains the seeds of your next success — if you are willing to learn from it.”

6. “You look at things you enjoy in your life, but much more important is what you can do to make the world a better place.”

7. “Facing your own mortality forces you to re-evaluate your priorities.”

8. “There’s no enjoyment to losing money.”

These quotes show a blend of idealism, curiosity, humility, and a drive toward legacy.

Lessons from Paul Allen

From Paul Allen’s life and words, several lessons emerge:

• Vision beyond the obvious. His willingness to ask “what should exist” rather than accept what is allowed him to seed new fields.

• Depth through diversity. His investments and projects across tech, science, art, conservation reflect a belief that value lies at intersections.

• Failure as an ally. Rather than fear failure, Allen saw it as informative—if one learns from it.

• Legacy is more than wealth. His giving, institution-building, and commitment to open science suggest that his measure of success was impact.

• Empower others. His management approach gave talented people room to explore, with guidance when needed.

• Curiosity is sustainable fuel. Even late in life, he chased new questions—about the brain, about space, about culture.

Conclusion

Paul Allen’s life is a story of invention, reinvention, and expansive ambition. From cofounding Microsoft to founding scientific institutes, acquiring sports franchises, backing space ventures, and championing the arts, he configured a life that refused to be limited. His legacy is not only in the wealth he created, but in the institutions, insights, and questions he left behind.