Paul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He co-founded Microsoft alongside Bill Gates in 1975. At the time of his death, he was estimated to be the 46th-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion, comprising 100 million shares of Microsoft.Allen was the founder and Chairman of Vulcan Inc., which has managed his various business and philanthropic efforts. Allen had a multibillion-dollar investment portfolio including technology and media companies, scientific research, real estate holdings, private spaceflight ventures, and stakes in other companies. He owned two professional sports teams: the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association, and was part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, which joined Major League Soccer in 2009.
He was the founder of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Institute for Cell Science, and Stratolaunch Systems. In his lifetime, Allen gave more than $2 billion towards causes such as education, wildlife and environmental conservation, the arts, healthcare, community services, and more. Allen received numerous awards and honors in several different professions throughout his life, and on two separate occasions (2007 and 2008 respectively) was listed among the Time 100 Most Influential People in The World.
