If we ask who shaped today’s digital world, probably one of the first companies to be counted would be Microsoft, and one of the first names would be Bill Gates. Yes, Bill Gates founded Microsoft, but he was not alone. One of the Microsoft founders is Gates’ childhood friend Paul Allen. He even gave the Microsoft company its name by Paul Allen. However, it has not been as popular as Gates.
Unfortunately, Paul Allen could not take an active role in the Microsoft company for a long time, as he has been struggling with the diseases he eventually succumbed from his young age. However, thanks to the systems that he laid the foundations of, both the company and the digital world have taken their present form. Let’s get to know Paul Allen, one of the founding names of Microsoft, and see what he has added to our world.
Paul Allen and Bill Gates became interested in software at an early age:
Paul Gardner Allen was born on January 21, 1953 in Seattle, Washington, USA. Allen, whose father was the vice principal at the University of Washington Libraries, grew up in this city and began his education at the Lakeside School when he came of age.
Bill Gates was Paul Allen’s best friend at Lakeside School. The duo had been interested in the software world since then. They continued their work in the laboratory of the Computer Science Department at the University of Washington.
At the Lakeside Programming Club, which he founded with Ric Weiland and Kent Evans, they found the software bugs of the Computer Center Corporation. The club’s activities came to an end when Kent Evans died while climbing a mountain and the group went to different universities. However, this was not the real end.
While Paul Allen was at Washington State University, Bill Gates was at Harvard University and his conditions were much better. To pursue his dream studies, Allen dropped out of school and joined Gates. Shortly after, Gates dropped out of school and they rolled up their sleeves to start their dream company.
Microsoft company is born:
Dropping out of school and entering the business world, the duo founded the Microsoft company in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, together with Ric Weiland. Paul Allen came up with the name Microsoft by combining the words micro computer and software. The company makes a quick introduction to the software world.
Microsoft made an agreement with IBM in 1980 and started working on the disk operating system that we call DOS today. Thanks to their work called QDOS, the path to wealth opens before them. Thanks to the BASIC programming language they have developed before, their work is unique. However, the disease is about to knock on the door.
Paul Allen is leaving active duty:
Although Paul Allen and Bill Gates are good friends, they often quarreled over business reasons and even claimed different rights over the BASIC language. After Paul Allen was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in 1982, his already shaky business relationship was severed and Allen left his active role at the company. However, he remained the company’s chief technology officer and board member until Allen resigned.
Paul Allen, who has a great fortune with Microsoft’s public offering, instead of spending this money in a corner, partnered with his sister in 1986 to form Vulcan Inc. founded his company. Vulcan Inc. It would be more accurate to call it a holding rather than a company, because there were many different companies that undertook different works under its structure.
Paul Allen, Vulcan Inc. leaves its mark on the business world with:
Vulcan Inc. holding companies made a rapid entry into the real estate sector. Then they stepped into the film industry with Vulcan Production. Football and basketball teams such as Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC were owned by Paul Allen himself.
Paul Allen did not only come to conquer the business world with this holding, but also important charitable works were carried out in many fields such as education, health and science through the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Later, as their relationship got better with Bill Gates, they did many important charity works together. Since Paul Allen was neither married nor had children, he devoted his life to his work and foundation work.
Paul Allen is one of those who stare into space:
Paul Allen resigned completely from Microsoft in 2000, when he was not already on active duty. Spending millions of dollars, he founded the Allen Institute for Brain Science and later the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. These institutes, which made important studies in the field of science, were also pioneers in engineering and artificial intelligence studies.
Allen was also the sole financier of the first privately crewed spaceplane called SpaceShipOne. One of the biggest goals of Allen, who founded the Vulcan Aerospace company in the following years, was to reduce the costs of space travel and make it accessible to everyone. But the disease was progressing through his body, bringing him closer to the end.
Paul Allen has passed away, leaving a great legacy to the world of science and engineering:
While dozens of companies, dozens of studies, 43 patents, and events leading to lawsuits with giant companies, Paul Allen died on October 15, 2018 at the age of 65 due to septic shock due to cancer. When he died, he left more than $20 billion in wealth, and more importantly, companies and foundations that work with the same diligence even today.
We answered the question of Paul Allen, who founded Microsoft with Bill Gates and named the company, and talked about his work outside of Microsoft. Perhaps today’s computer world would have been much different had he not been separated because of his illness. You can share your thoughts in the comments.
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