Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen passed away at 65. He had non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Apart from co-founding the tech giant, Allen also owned NFL team Seattle Seahawks and NBA team Portland Trail Blazers.
We miss you.
We thank you.
We love you. pic.twitter.com/rxkn1IjJ0R— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 15, 2018
Allen, who never married or had children, was also a well-known philanthropist and a huge sports enthusiast. When he owned Seahawks, the team also had some of the most successful years in franchise history.
In the time, Seahawks had 12 trips to the playoffs, three Super Bowl appearances and a victory at Super Bowl XLVIII beating the Denver Broncos. Before Allen’s ownership, it reached the playoffs a mere four times since its inception in 1976.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, among others, tweeted their condolences and shared memories of Allen as the news broke.
Deeply saddened by the passing of @PaulGAllen. I’ll miss him greatly. His gracious leadership and tremendous inspiration will never be forgotten.
The world is a better place because of Paul’s passion, commitment, and selflessness. His legacy will live on forever.
— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) October 15, 2018
Touted as “the idea man and original technologist behind Microsoft,” Allen was a pioneer of the PC software industry, especially in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period of development that saw billions take to computers as personal devices.
Since 2003, Allen invested over $350 million in brain research alone, especially through the Allen Institute for Brain Science.
With a keen interest in science explorations, Allen funded the SpaceShipOne – the first private spacecraft to carry a civilian into suborbital space and safely home again – a historic event that bagged the 2004 Ansari X-Prize.
Eight years since Microsoft was founded, Allen was diagnosed with cancer. Following it, he chose to retire early from his role at the company. He developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2009, which had been in remission until it returned earlier this year. In a statement released earlier this, month Allen said he planned to fight the disease “aggressively.”