Paul Allen Biography

In 1975 Paul Allen and Bill Gates founded Microsoft, which grew into one of the great success stories of the personal computer era. Allen left the company in 1983 after a bout with Hodgkin's disease; he remained a member of Microsoft's board of directors until 2000, and his company stock has made him one of the world's richest men. On his own he made a name for himself as a founder of and shrewd investor in hi-tech firms like Starwave, America Online and Ticketmaster, and as the enthusiastic owner of the NBA's Portland Trailblazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Paul Allen published a memoir in 2011, Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft.