Paul G. Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an entrepreneur who first established himself by co-founding Microsoft Corporation with Bill Gates. He regularly appears on lists of the richest people in the world; as of 2005 he is ranked by Forbes magazine as the seventh richest, worth an estimated $21 billion, $5 billion of which is in Microsoft stock.

Early years 

Allen was born in Seattle, Washington. At Lakeside School, Paul Allen (14 years old) and friend Bill Gates (12 years old) became early computer enthusiasts. Allen went on to attend Washington State University, though he dropped out after two years to pursue his and Gates's dream of writing software commercially for the new "personal computers". 

Microsoft 

With Bill Gates, he co-founded Microsoft (initially "Micro-Soft") in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975, and began selling a BASIC interpreter. Allen spearheaded a deal for Microsoft to buy an operating system called QDOS for $50,000. Microsoft won a contract to supply it for use as the operating system of IBM's new PC. This became a foundation of Microsoft's remarkable growth. 

Allen was forced to resign from Microsoft in 1983 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease which was successfully treated by several months of radiation therapy and a bone marrow transplant. 

In November 2000, Allen resigned from his position on the Microsoft board. 

Sports Involvement 

In 1997 Paul Allen purchased the Seattle Seahawks NFL team. He also played a large part in the development of the new Qwest Field. In addition to the Seahawks, Paul Allen purchased the Portland Trailblazers in 1988. Through his Vulcan Inc. Paul Allen also owns The Sporting News magazine. 

Octopus 

Paul Allen also owns the worlds largest private yacht, the Octopus. Costing US$200million to build, it is 416 feet (126.8 metres) long and has a permanent crew of 60, which includes several former Navy Seals. Octopus also has two helipads, seven smaller boats within and a 10 man submarine which capable of staying two weeks underwater with a full crew.