Paul Gardner Allen was born on 21st January in 1953 in Seattle, Washington State USA, and is a programmer, entrepreneur, businessperson, television producer, investor, film producer, inventor and real estate developer. However, he is certainly best known as, in collocation with Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation in 1975, which is now in the top few companies in the world by market capitalisation. Paul Allen is also the founder of Vulcan Inc., which is a project management and investment company.
How rich can a person be, who has occupations such as Paul Gardner Allen? Latest estimates by Forbes magazine state that Paul has a net worth of over $18 billion, the majority of his wealth accumulated from his interest in Microsoft, as well as Vulcan Inc., and an amount which places him in the top 50 richest people in the world.
Paul Allen Net Worth $18 Billion
Allen went to Lakeside School where he met Bill Gates who was also enthusiastic about computers. Paul was studying at Washington State University but left it after two years to work with Honeywell in Boston as a programmer. It was a decisive step, as Paul met his friend Bill Gates again, persuaded him to leave Harvard University and to create Microsoft. The two were critical in developing a Data Operating System(DOS) which enabled the company to gain a contract to supply IBM for its PCs, and which was the basis for Paul’s and Bill Gates’ net worth.
Paul Allen contracted Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1982, and during lengthy radiation treatment gradually gave-up his position with Microsoft, although not formally leaving the company until 2000, and even then being retained as a consultant. Meantime, Paul Allen’s net worth is also earned in the film industry, through the production company Vulcan Productions whose projects include “Far from Heaven” directed by Todd Haynes, “Hard Candy” directed by David Slade, and documentaries “Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge”, “ Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial” etc. The film “Girl Rising” (2013) was very successful as more than $2.1 million has been collected to help poor girls to get education.
Allen has also tried himself as a writer; the autobiographical book “Idea Man: A memoir by the co-founder of Microsoft” was published in 2012, which added somewhat to his net worth. Paul Allen is also known in music world; Legacy Recordings has released an album by Paul Allen and the Underthinkers “Everywhere at Once“, not a world shaker but an interesting sideline.
Paul Gardner Allen’s impressive net worth and philanthropic view has allowed him to donate more than $1.5 billion to develop and improve services in different fields such as technology, education, science, wildlife conservation and even the arts. The philanthropist is ready to share his fortune, and in 2012 he was named as the most charitable person in the USA. In 2011 alone he donated over $375 million, and to administer his charity works, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation was established. Further, Paul Allen is an art lover and supporter (about 100 million of his net worth is donated) who has founded some non-profit institutions such as EMP Museum, STARTUP Gallery, Living Computer Museum and others. Of particular significance is that in 2014 Allen donated $100 million towards finding the cause of and a cure for the ebola epidemic in West Africa. In addition to that Paul Gardner Allen is a founder of Stratolaunch Systems, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence.
What is more, Paul Allen is the owner of professional sport teams such as Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and Portland Trail Blazers (NBA). Also a part of the Seattle Sounders FC belongs to the influential businessman.
Paul Gardner Allen is a diverse personality, who has never married, but dated such stars as Jerry Hall and Monica Seles, and is reputed to be something of a party animal. He also owns at least eight residences, three yachts, and a MIG-29 aircraft – aircraft is a hobby, and includes several World War 2 ‘planes as well as a Boeing 757.
Collier Trophy, News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form
Albums
"Everywhere at Once“
Nominations
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-fiction Series, News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Science and Nature Programming – Long Form
Movies
“Far from Heaven”, “Hard Candy” , “Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge”, “ Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial”, “Girl Rising” (2013)
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Fact
1
He is a founding partner of DreamWorks SKG. Although his involvement has been less publicized, he actually owns more stock than either Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg or David Geffen.
2
Owns a yacht named Meduse.
3
Along with Bill Gates, he was co-founder of Microsoft in 1975.
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Unseen Enemy
2017
Documentary executive producer post-production
The Ivory Game
2016
Documentary executive producer
Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale
2016
Documentary co-executive producer
Racing Extinction
2015
Documentary co-executive producer
That Film About Money
2014
Short executive producer
We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
2014
Documentary producer
Years of Living Dangerously
2014
TV Series documentary co-producer - 9 episodes
Girl Rising
2013
Documentary executive producer
Pandora's Promise
2013
Documentary executive producer
Where God Left His Shoes
2007
executive producer
Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas
2006
executive producer
American Masters
2005
TV Series documentary executive producer - 1 episode
Hard Candy
2005
executive producer
Lightning in a Bottle
2004
Documentary executive producer
The Blues
2003
TV Series documentary executive producer - 7 episodes
The Soul of a Man
2003
Documentary executive producer
Titus
1999
executive producer
Peter Gabriel: Eve
1996
Video Game executive producer - as Paul Allen
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
This Emotional Life
2010
TV Series documentary executive in charge - 3 episodes
Nova
2007
TV Series documentary executive in charge - 1 episode
Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge
2005
TV Mini-Series documentary executive in charge - 1 episode
Strange Days on Planet Earth
2005
TV Series documentary executive in charge - 4 episodes
Black Sky: Winning the X Prize
2004
TV Movie documentary executive in charge
Black Sky: The Race for Space
2004
TV Movie documentary executive in charge
Evolution
2002
TV Series documentary executive in charge - 7 episodes
Me & Isaac Newton
1999
Documentary presented by
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Inspirations
1997
Documentary concept
Production Manager
Title
Year
Status
Character
Success at the Core
2010
Video documentary short executive-in-charge
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Heart: Night at Sky Church
2011
TV Movie special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Portlandia
2014
TV Series
Himself
When Seattle Invented the Future: The 1962 World's Fair
2012
TV Movie documentary
Himself
60 Minutes
2011
TV Series documentary
Himself (segment "The Co-Founder")
SIFF 35th Anniversary Tribute
2009
Short
Himself - Guitarist
The Money Programme
2008
TV Series documentary
Himself
Super Bowl XL
2006
TV Special
Himself - Seattle Seahawks Owner
Black Sky: Winning the X Prize
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Black Sky: The Race for Space
2004
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Nova
2001
TV Series documentary
Presenter
Me & Isaac Newton
1999
Documentary
Presenter
The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires
1996
TV Movie documentary
Himself (co-founder, Microsoft)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
60 Minutes
2011
TV Series documentary
Himself (segment "The Co-Founder")
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2006
Emmy
News & Documentary Emmy Awards
Outstanding Informational Programming - Long Form
Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge (2005)
2004
Visionary Award
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
Investor and Philanthropist Paul G. Allen creates and advances world-class projects that change and... More
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2015
IDA Award
International Documentary Association
Best Short Form Series
We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
2010
IDA Award
International Documentary Association
Limited Series
This Emotional Life (2010)
2004
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Nonfiction Series
The Soul of a Man (2003)
Known for movies
Hard Candy (2005) as Producer
Titus (1999) as Producer
Racing Extinction (2015) as Producer
Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas (2006) as Producer