Amaya Toman On Monday, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, succumbed to a long-term cancer of the lymph nodes. Allen was 65 years old and died two weeks after confirming the return of an illness that had been in remission for nine years. He stated that he and the doctors were optimistic about the treatment.
"I am devastated by the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends ... The world of personal computing would never have existed without him," said Allen's friend, colleague and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Allen is survived by his sister, Jody, who described her late brother as a remarkable man in every way. "Despite his busy schedule, he always had time for family and friends," she said in a statement.
Paul Allen, together with Bill Gates, founded Microsoft in 1975. Gates called Allen a true partner and a dear friend who accompanied him from his young years at Lakeside School, through the founding of Microsoft, to partnership in some philanthropic projects. “He deserved much more time, but his contribution to the world of technology and philanthropy will last for generations. I will miss him tremendously," Gates said.
Gallery
Although Allen left Microsoft after being diagnosed with a malignant disease, he managed to temporarily cure it, so he returned as a venture capitalist with his investment firm Vulcan, which he founded in 1986. Allen invested, for example, in the mobile app startup ARO Saga, who co-founded Interval Research Corporation in 1992, invested $243 million to buy 80% of Ticketmaster a year later. He was the sole investor in SpaceShipOne, he also invested in medical research. Allen was also a big sports fan, belonging to the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team and the Seattle Seahawks football team, winner of the 2013 Superbowl.
Allen's death was confirmed Monday by his company, Venture: "Millions of people were touched by his kindness, his pursuit of a better world, and his drive to accomplish as much as he could in the time he was given," Vulcan CEO Bill Hilf said in a statement. In 2010, Allen expressed a desire to donate most of his wealth to charity after his death.
Source: with the BBC
