Condolences: Paul Allen

• Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft-turned billionaire philanthropist, died Monday, Oct. 15 in Seattle from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 65. As Variety reports, Allen dropped out of Washington State University in the ’70s to co-found Microsoft with his high school friend Bill Gates. However, Allen would leave the company just eight years later due to his first battle with Hodgkin’s disease, which he eventually won. Allen was diagnosed again in 2009, and just two weeks ago he tweeted that the disease had returned.

Allen, who was Founder and Chairman of Vulcan, Inc., had a wide range of professional and philanthropic interests — he owned the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers as well as a minority stake in the Seattle Sounders FC soccer team. He was also involved in broadcasting for a time as the founder of Portland-based Rose City Radio Corporation. Allen also funded SpaceShipOne, the first private aircraft to successfully put a civilian in suborbital space and he invested millions of dollars into the Allen Institute for Brain Science. He also founded Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (previously called the Experience Music Project), and has donated more than $1.5 billion to various organizations after becoming one of the first billionaires to join Gates and Warren Buffett‘s Giving Pledge in 2010. Allen also owned Portland’s Moda Center, Seattle’s Cinerama Theater and London’s Hospital Club, which is planning a Los Angeles branch.

In a statement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, “Paul Allen’s contributions to our company, our industry and our community are indispensable. As co-founder of Microsoft. in his own quiet and persistent way, he created magical products, experiences and institutions, and in doing so, he changed the world. I have learned so much from him — his inquisitiveness, curiosity and push for high standards is something that will continue to inspire me and all of us at Microsoft. Our hearts are with Paul’s family and loved ones. Rest in peace.”