Accounting
Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Dies at 65: Owner of NFL Seahawks and NBA Trail Blazers
Oct. 16, 2018
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The family of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who was also the owner of the NFL Seattle Seahawks and NBA Trail Blazers,and a noted philanthropist, has died of complications from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He was 65.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our founder Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and noted technologist, philanthropist, community builder, conservationist, musician and supporter of the arts. Mr. Allen died on Monday afternoon, October 15, 2018, from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in Seattle. Mr. Allen was 65 years old.
STATEMENT FROM PAUL G. ALLEN’S FAMILY
This is a time of profound loss for Mr. Allen’s family. On their behalf, Paul’s sister, Ms. Jody Allen, has released the following statement.
“My brother was a remarkable individual on every level. While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us he was a much loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend.
Paul’s family and friends were blessed to experience his wit, warmth, his generosity and deep concern. For all the demands on his schedule, there was always time for family and friends. At this time of loss and grief for us – and so many others – we are profoundly grateful for the care and concern he demonstrated every day.”
STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF VULCAN INC. AND THE PAUL G. ALLEN NETWORK
Speaking on behalf of Vulcan Inc., the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trailblazers, Stratolaunch Systems, the Allen Institute and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Vulcan CEO Bill Hilf released this statement:
“All of us who had the honor of working with Paul feel inexpressible loss today. He possessed a remarkable intellect and a passion to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems, with the conviction that creative thinking and new approaches could make profound and lasting impact.
Millions of people were touched by his generosity, his persistence in pursuit of a better world, and his drive to accomplish as much as he could with the time and resources at his disposal.
Paul’s life was diverse and lived with gusto. It reflected his myriad interests in technology, music and the arts, biosciences and artificial intelligence, conservation and in the power of shared experience – in a stadium or a neighborhood – to transform individual lives and whole communities.
Paul loved Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. The impact of Paul’s efforts can be seen here at every turn. But the true impact of his vision and generosity is evident around the globe.
Paul thoughtfully addressed how the many institutions he founded and supported would continue after he was no longer able to lead them. This isn’t the time to deal in those specifics as we focus on Paul’s family. We will continue to work on furthering Paul’s mission and the projects he entrusted to us. There are no changes imminent for Vulcan, the teams, the research institutes or museums.
Today we mourn our boss, mentor and friend whose 65 years were too short – and acknowledge the honor it has been to work alongside someone whose life transformed the world.”
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aul G. Allen Timeline
- 1953: Paul Allen is born January 21, 1953 in Seattle, Washington
- 1968: While at Lakeside School, Paul meets Bill Gates. A friendship that would later produce one of the world’s most innovative companies, Microsoft.
- 1969: Attends first rock concert, where he sees Jimi Hendrix at Seattle Center Coliseum
- 1975: Founds Microsoft
- 1982: In September, Paul is diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Nearly eight months later, doctors said he had beaten the disease.
- 1983: Officially resigns from Microsoft in March
- 1986: Founds Vulcan Inc. in Seattle as an investment and project management firm with his sister, Jody Allen
- 1988: Establishes The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation
- 1988: Purchases the Portland Trail Blazers
- 1988: Rescues Seattle Cinerama from demolition by purchasing and restoring the theater
- 1990: The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation makes its first grant.
- 1990: Becomes a billionaire at age 37
- 1995: Makes his single biggest investment to date by purchasing a 18.5% stake in Dreamworks
- 1996: Purchases the St. Paul’s Hospital in London, which would reopen later after renovations as The Hospital Club
- 1997: Creates Vulcan Productions, an independent film production company
- 1997: Purchases the Seattle Seahawks, preventing the NFL team from relocating to California
- 2002: Donates $14 million to the University of Washington to construct the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering
- 2003: Launches the Allen Institute for Brain Science (AIBS) with $100 million in seed money
- 2004: SpaceShipOne becomes the first privately-based effort to successfully put a civilian in suborbital space, winning the Ansari X Prize
- 2004: Opens the Flying Heritage Collection, a private collection of warbirds, in Arlington, Washington
- 2008: Lifetime philanthropic giving reaches $1 billion in total
- 2009: Becomes a minority owner in Seattle Sounders, the MLS team
- 2011: Releases memoir “Idea Man”
- 2011: Announces the launch of Stratolaunch Systems. The venture’s goal is to create an air launch to orbit system
- 2012: Opens the Living Computer Museum, an interactive collection of vintage mainframes and machines, to the public in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood
- 2013: Announces expansion of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, aiming to model it after the Brain Science Institute
- 2014: Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl over the Denver Broncos
- 2014: Pledges $100 million to support efforts to stop Ebola outbreak in West Africa
- 2014: Founds the Allen Institute for Cell Science
- 2017: Locates the wreck of the USS Indianapolis
- 2018: Dies on Oct. 15 in Seattle of complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Read more stories about the remarkable things that Paul Allen enabled at PaulAllen.com >>