Paul Allen Bio, Age, Wife, Family, Microsoft co-founder’s Career, Net Worth & Legacy
Seattle-born genius, guitar-rocker, space-plane pioneer and the “other” guy who started Microsoft—Paul Gardner Allen spent his 65 years turning ideas into billions and then giving most of it away. When he died in 2018 he was worth $20.3 billion, had owned two championship sports franchises, produced platinum music albums, discovered a WWII battleship on the ocean floor and donated more than $2 billion to science, homelessness and the arts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Paul Gardner Allen |
| Nick Name | “Idea Man” |
| Profession | Technologist, Investor, Philanthropist, Sports & Music Mogul |
| Birth Date | January 21, 1953 |
| Death Date | October 15, 2018 (age 65) |
| Birth Place | Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Known For | Co-founding Microsoft; owning Seattle Seahawks & Portland Trail Blazers; $1.6 billion art sale |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Height & Weight | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm); ≈ 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Hair Color | Brown (later salt-and-pepper) |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Qualification | Dropped out of Washington State University after 2 yrs |
| Religion | Raised Episcopal |
| Marital Status | Never married |
| Partner(s) | Long-time girlfriend (1980s-1990s); no public spouse |
| Children | None |
| Parents | Kenneth Allen (libraries exec) & Edna Allen (teacher) |
| Siblings | Jody Allen (sister, estate executor) |
| Hobbies | Jimi Hendrix-style guitar, deep-sea exploration, sci-fi, NBA & NFL games |
| Years Active | 1975 – 2018 |
| Net Worth at Death | ≈ $20.3 billion |
Early Life & Education
Paul was the son of a University of Washington librarian and a grade-school teacher. In 1968 the family scraped together tuition for Lakeside School—Seattle’s elite prep academy—where 14-year-old Allen met 12-year-old bill gates in the computer room. The pair debugged mainframe code at 2 a.m., hacked Tic-Tac-Toe and dreamed of “a computer on every desk.” After two years at Washington State University he dropped out to take a programming job at Honeywell in Boston, literally across the river from Gates at Harvard—setting the stage for the 1975 birth of Microsoft.
Career Journey
1. Microsoft Co-Founder (1975-1983)
- Wrote the first 8-bit BASIC interpreter for the Altair 8800—Microsoft’s debut product.
- Convinced Gates to leave Harvard and move to Albuquerque; negotiated IBM MS-DOS deal that catapulted the company.
- Owned 28 % of Microsoft at IPO in 1986, worth $194 million on day one.
2. Vulcan Inc. & Technology Bets (1986-2018)
- Founded Vulcan Inc. to manage his fortune; seed-funded Charter Communications, DreamWorks SKG, Ticketmaster, Aquantive, Mercata.
- Early personal stake in Google, Facebook, Uber and Amazon (sold $1.16 B Seattle campus to Bezos in 2015).
3. Sports & Entertainment Empire
| Asset | Year Purchased | 2026 Value Note |
|---|---|---|
| Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) | 1988 | 1,100 % return; now worth ≈ $3 billion |
| Seattle Seahawks (NFL) | 1997 | Won Super Bowl XLVIII; franchise value ≈ $5 billion |
| Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) | 2009 | Part-owner; 2× MLS Cup champs |
4. Deep-Sea & Space Ventures
- Found RMS Titanic debris field (2012) and USS Indianapolis wreck (2017) with his yacht Octopus.
- Financed SpaceShipOne, first private crewed craft to reach space (2004), seeding today’s Virgin Galactic.
5. Art & Culture
- Assembled 115-masterpiece collection (Picasso, Basquiat, Rothko, Seurat). Christie’s November 2022 sale totaled $1.6 billion—the largest single-owner auction in history; Seurat’s Les Poseuses alone brought $149 million.
Personal Life
Never married and intensely private, Allen shared a decades-long relationship with a girlfriend in the 1990s but kept family life out of the spotlight. He split time between a 4,000-sq-ft waterfront “Flying Eagle” estate on Mercer Island, a 20-acre Santa Fe ranch (former Georgia O’Keeffe home), Idaho’s 3,600-acre Teton Ridge Ranch, an Atherton Silicon Valley mansion and the 414-ft super-yacht Octopus (two helicopters, two submarines, recording studio).
Controversies
- 1983 exit: Gates reportedly tried to dilute Allen’s equity while he underwent cancer treatment—detailed in Allen’s memoir Idea Man; the two later reconciled but tension lingered.
- Insider-trading suit: 2008 SEC fine over Charter Communications trades; settled for $1.2 million without admission of guilt.
Awards & Achievements
- National Medal of Technology & Innovation (presented by President Clinton, 1995)
- Time 100 Most Influential People (2007, 2008)
- Grammy Museum’s Service Award (for EMP/MoPOP)
- Super Bowl XLVIII Champion Owner (2014)
- NHL Seattle expansion approved under his estate (2021)
Physical Statistics
- Height: 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
- Weight: ≈ 175 lb (79 kg)
- Shoe Size: 11 US
- Distinguishing: Greying beard, round glasses, often seen in Vulcan-branded bomber jacket
Quotes
- “In my own work, I’ve learned to follow the idea wherever it leads.”
- “The possible is constantly being redefined—and I’m driven to help push the boundaries.”
- “You can’t be afraid to fail if you’re going to be an innovator.”
Favorites
- Guitar Icon: Jimi Hendrix (funded EMP museum in Seattle)
- Sci-Fi: Childhood’s End (Arthur C. Clarke)
- Yacht Feature: On-board recording studio where Mick Jagger jammed
- Charity Focus: Brain science, elephants, coral reefs
Salary & Net Worth
At death Allen’s $20.3 billion fortune placed him 44th on Forbes’ global list. Microsoft stock once accounted for the bulk, but by 2000 his stake had fallen below 5 %. The majority of wealth derived from:
- Vulcan Real Estate ($4.3 B Seattle portfolio)
- Sports franchises (combined value ≈ $8 B today)
- Art collection (sold for $1.6 B in 2022)
- Tech investments (Charter, Uber, DreamWorks, etc.)
Estate proceeds continue under sister Jody Allen’s stewardship, with an estimated $1.5 billion more pledged to philanthropy by 2026.
Interesting Facts
- Co-wrote a song on Guitar Hero III and jammed regularly with Joe Walsh and Dave Stewart.
- Lost an estimated $8 billion on early broadband ventures—still walked away a billionaire.
- Kept a Jurassic Park-style coral-reef lab on Octopus to trial reef-restoration tech.
Did You Know Already?
Allen’s 414-ft yacht Octopus cost $200 million to build and $20 million a year to operate—yet he still insisted on personally piloting the submersibles.
Social Media Links
Official accounts are inactive; legacy content managed by Vulcan Inc. and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation:
- Instagram – @paulallenlegacy
- Twitter – @pgafoundation
- Facebook – Paul G. Allen Foundation
- LinkedIn – Vulcan Inc.
FAQs
How much of Microsoft did Paul Allen own?
Roughly 28 % at IPO; stake dipped below 5 % by 2000.
Was Paul Allen richer than Bill Gates?
No—Gates’ 2026 net worth ≈ $156 B vs. Allen’s $20.3 B at death.
Which sports teams did he own?
Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Portland Trail Blazers (NBA), partial Seattle Sounders FC (MLS).
What happened to his art?
115-piece collection auctioned by Christie’s for $1.6 billion in 2022.
Who runs his estate now?
Sister Jody Allen, via Vulcan Inc. and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Conclusion
Paul Allen never sought the spotlight the way his old coding partner did, yet his fingerprints are everywhere—from the software you type on to the football team Seattle cheers, from Basquiat canvases to coral-reef DNA banks. He proved that a shy guitarist with a big imagination can still change the world—and that giving it away is the ultimate growth hack. If this deep-dive added a new layer to your Idea Man knowledge, share it; innovation grows when stories travel.
