The Recent Death and Life of the astounding Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft
Paul G. Allen died this past week. He was one of the richest men in America.He owned NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Together with Bill Gates, he co-founded Microsoft.
He had owned the Portland Trailblazers. He owned his own company, Vulcan.
Among his personal collection are a 300 foot yacht complete with a submarine, Jimi Hendrix's guitar from Woodstock, and Captain Kirk's Enterprise seat from the bridge from the original series Star Trek.
He was a truly generous guy who literally gave several $ Million to help the homeless and other philanthropy ventures. A lot of his money will ultimately go towards charity.
He bought a huge swath of land in Seattle, which he was planning to turn into Seattle's version of New York City's Central Park. But, the city decided not to do so. Thus, he changed his plan to host businesses that would help
the economic structure of Seattle. One of those businesses is the headquarters for Amazon.
Here's the beginning of his obituary from the New York Times and I give you the link
following it, in case you want to learn more about him.
In response to:
Paul G. Allen, Microsoft’s Co-Founder, Is Dead at 65
Paul G. Allen in 2014. “In his own quiet and persistent way, he created magical products, experiences and institutions, and in doing so, he changed the world,” a Microsoft statement said.
By Steve Lohr
Oct. 15, 2018
Paul G. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who helped usher in the personal computing revolution and then channeled his enormous fortune into transforming Seattle into a cultural destination, died on Monday in Seattle. He was 65.
The cause was complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his family said in a statement.
The disease recurred recently after having been in remission for years. He left Microsoft in the early 1980s, after the cancer first appeared, and, using his enormous wealth, went on to make a powerful impact on Seattle life through his philanthropy and his ownership of the N.F.L. team there, ensuring that it would remain in the city.
Mr. Allen was a force at Microsoft during its first seven years, along with its co-founder, Bill Gates, as the personal computer was moving from a hobbyist curiosity to a mainstream technology, used by both businesses and consumers.
When the company was founded, in 1975, the machines were known as microcomputers, to distinguish the desktop computers from the hulking machines of the day. Mr. Allen came up with the name Micro-Soft, an apt one for a company that made software for small computers. The term personal computer would become commonplace later.
The company’s first product was a much-compressed version of the Basic programming language, designed to suit those underpowered machines. Yet the company’s big move came when it promised the computer giant IBM that it would deliver the operating system software for IBM’s entry into the personal computer business. Mr. Gates and Mr. Allen committed to supplying that software in 1980.
At the time, it was a promise without a product. But Mr. Allen was instrumental in putting together a deal to buy an early operating system from a programmer in Seattle. He and Mr. Gates tweaked and massaged the code, and it became the operating system that guided the IBM personal computer, introduced in 1981.
Mr. Allen, left, and Bill Gates on Oct. 19, 1981, after signing a contract with IBM to supply its line of personal computers with Microsoft software. It was a watershed moment for both IBM and Microsoft............
Paul G. Allen, Microsoft’s Co-Founder, Is Dead at 65
Paul G. Allen in 2014. “In his own quiet and persistent way, he created magical products, experiences and institutions, and in doing so, he changed the world,” a Microsoft statement said.
By Steve Lohr
Oct. 15, 2018
Paul G. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who helped usher in the personal computing revolution and then channeled his enormous fortune into transforming Seattle into a cultural destination, died on Monday in Seattle. He was 65.
The cause was complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his family said in a statement.
The disease recurred recently after having been in remission for years. He left Microsoft in the early 1980s, after the cancer first appeared, and, using his enormous wealth, went on to make a powerful impact on Seattle life through his philanthropy and his ownership of the N.F.L. team there, ensuring that it would remain in the city.
Mr. Allen was a force at Microsoft during its first seven years, along with its co-founder, Bill Gates, as the personal computer was moving from a hobbyist curiosity to a mainstream technology, used by both businesses and consumers.
When the company was founded, in 1975, the machines were known as microcomputers, to distinguish the desktop computers from the hulking machines of the day. Mr. Allen came up with the name Micro-Soft, an apt one for a company that made software for small computers. The term personal computer would become commonplace later.
The company’s first product was a much-compressed version of the Basic programming language, designed to suit those underpowered machines. Yet the company’s big move came when it promised the computer giant IBM that it would deliver the operating system software for IBM’s entry into the personal computer business. Mr. Gates and Mr. Allen committed to supplying that software in 1980.
At the time, it was a promise without a product. But Mr. Allen was instrumental in putting together a deal to buy an early operating system from a programmer in Seattle. He and Mr. Gates tweaked and massaged the code, and it became the operating system that guided the IBM personal computer, introduced in 1981.
Mr. Allen, left, and Bill Gates on Oct. 19, 1981, after signing a contract with IBM to supply its line of personal computers with Microsoft software. It was a watershed moment for both IBM and Microsoft............
Comments (4)
That's the bit where the image of philanthropy went down the pan for me.
Sorry Jim, but Amazon has to be one of the most inhumane companies on the list.
Like Amazon, or not, you can't argue that they have been a financial success and have given many jobs at living wages to many people who might not otherwise be employed.
Indeed, they were one of the few companies to recently raise their pay rate to at least 15 dollars per hour in an environment that has been stagnant in pay level since Trump got elected. Indeed, Trump has been against a raise in the minimum wage.
I certainly am not claiming they are a perfect company worldwide.
Again, this is really not about Amazon, but rather the extraordinary life of Paul Allen,
of which Amazon only deserved a tiny mention. Allen never owned Amazon.