Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen died yesterday at the age of 65. He was suffering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a type of cancer. Allen’s company Vulcan Inc. made the announcement through a statement. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world, ranked no. 44 on the Forbes list of billionaires in 2018 when he passed away.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of @PaulGAllen, our founder and noted technologist, philanthropist, community builder, conservationist, musician and supporter of the arts. All of us who worked with Paul feel an inexpressible loss today. https://t.co/OMLZ7ivvSD pic.twitter.com/Bfa8kK6Q8e
— Vulcan Inc. (@VulcanInc) October 15, 2018
Vulcan CEO Bill Hilf expressed his grief on the company’s blog:
All of us who had the honor of working with Paul feel inexpressible loss today. He possessed a remarkable intellect and a passion to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems, with the conviction that creative thinking and new approaches could make profound and lasting impact.
Millions of people were touched by his generosity, his persistence in pursuit of a better world, and his drive to accomplish as much as he could with the time and resources at his disposal.
Paul’s life was diverse and lived with gusto. It reflected his myriad interests in technology, music and the arts, biosciences and artificial intelligence, conservation and in the power of shared experience – in a stadium or a neighborhood – to transform individual lives and whole communities.
The other Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said personal computing wouldn’t have existed without him:
I am heartbroken by the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Paul Allen. From our early days together at Lakeside School, through our partnership in the creation of Microsoft, to some of our joint philanthropic projects over the years, Paul was a true partner and dear friend. Personal computing would not have existed without him.
Top executives of Microsoft competitors like Google, Apple, and Amazon also paid homage to Allen and his contribution to the tech industry.
Statement from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the passing of Paul Allen: pic.twitter.com/1iLDLenLKz
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) October 15, 2018
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Very sad to hear of Paul Allen’s passing. His passion for invention and pushing forward inspired so many. He was relentless to the end. My heart goes out to Paul’s family and friends.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) October 15, 2018
We lost a great technology pioneer today – thank you Paul Allen for your immense contributions to the world through your work and your philanthropy. Thoughts are with his family and the entire Microsoft community.
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 15, 2018
Our industry has lost a pioneer and our world has lost a force for good. We send our deepest condolences to Paul’s friends, the Allen family and everyone at Microsoft.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 15, 2018
Paul was a truly wonderful, bright and inspiring person—- and a great friend. I will miss him https://t.co/HYhtgZGo8C
— Steve Ballmer (@Steven_Ballmer) October 15, 2018
But Allen didn’t just leave a big impact on the tech industry. He was also a big sports aficionado and ambitious guitarist who used to jam with Mick Jagger and Bono. That’s why in addition to the tech industry the NFL team Seattle Seahawks, NBA team Portland Trailblazers, and legendary rock band Pearl Jam paid him tribute. It’s clear that Allen will be sorely missed, both inside and outside the tech industry.
“As long as we work together — with both urgency and determination — there are no limits to what we can achieve.” – @PaulGAllen pic.twitter.com/kEbqETBoN3
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 16, 2018
We miss you.
We thank you.
We love you. pic.twitter.com/rxkn1IjJ0R— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 15, 2018
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