He believed in the power of new ideas and helping creative thinkers accelerate discovery
He was the son of an elementary-school teacher and a librarian
His greatest satisfaction came from working to make the world a better place
He played a mean guitar and believed in the creative spark in all of us
He almost never missed a Seattle Seahawks or Portland Trail Blazers home game
He established institutes to unlock the mysteries of the brain, bioscience, and advance AI for the common good
He changed the trajectory of modern computing
He empowered scientists to push the boundaries of discovery
He believed that when smart people work together with vision and determination, there is little that can’t be accomplished
He was a pioneer in privatizing modern space exploration
By nature, I am attracted to tough problems—problems that, by definition, require innovative and dramatic solutions.
— Paul Allen
Paul Allen lived a life motivated by a love of ideas and the urge to put them into motion. His philanthropic contributions of more than $2.65 billion during his life have helped save endangered species, deepened our understanding of bioscience, shared art and music, developed new technologies, tackled epidemics, and explored the ocean floor. He loved learning from others and was driven to connect great minds, so, together, big things could happen.