Paul Allen

Paul Allen

Paul Gardner Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an American investor and philanthropist best known as the co-founder, with Bill Gates, of Microsoft Corporation. As of March 2012, he was estimated to be the 48th richest person in the world, with an estimated wealth of $14.2 billion.

He is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., which manages his business and philanthropic efforts. Allen also has a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio which includes technology companies, real estate holdings, and stakes in other technology, media, and content companies. Allen also owns two professional sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, which joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2009. Allen's memoir Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft was released on April 19, 2011.