Paul Allen

Paul Gardner Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an entrepreneur who established himself by co-founding Microsoft Corporation with Bill Gates. He regularly appears on lists of the richest people in the world; as of 2005 he is ranked by Forbes magazine as the seventh richest, worth an estimated $21 billion, of which $5 billion is in Microsoft stock. His investment vehicle, Vulcan Ventures, also holds large stakes in Charter Communications and Dreamworks SKG. He was recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Microsoft

:For more information, see History of Microsoft

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

With Bill Gates, he co-founded Microsoft (initially "Micro-Soft") in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, and began selling a BASIC interpreter. Allen spearheaded a deal for Microsoft to buy an operating system called QDOS for $50,000. Microsoft won a contract to supply it for use as the operating system of IBM's new PC. This became a foundation of Microsoft's remarkable growth.

Related Topics:
Microsoft - Albuquerque - New Mexico - 1975 - BASIC - Interpreter - Operating system - QDOS - IBM - PC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Allen resigned from Microsoft in 1983 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease which was successfully treated by several months of radiation therapy and a bone marrow transplant.

Related Topics:
Hodgkin's disease - Radiation therapy - Bone marrow transplant

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In November 2000, Allen resigned from his position on the Microsoft board but was asked to consult as a senior strategy advisor to Microsoft executives.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~