Paul Allen, who founded Microsoft alongside hi childhood friend Bill gates in 1975, has died Monday at the age of 65. Earlier this month Allen said the cancer he was treated for in 2009, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, had returned.
Mr Allen was also a prominent philanthropist, donating billions to science, conservation and the arts.
He served as the executive vice-president of research of Microsoft company and new product development until 1983. Then he left for health reasons. He was a major shareholder and member of the board.
Gates and Allen seemed to have a kind of reconciliation subsequently, even recreating a classic 1981 photo of the two of them in 2013.
“I am heartbroken by the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Paul Allen,” said Bill Gates in a statement on Monday.
His sister Jody confirmed his death in a statement on Monday and described the businessman as a “remarkable individual on every level”.
Allen ranked among the world’s wealthiest individuals. As of Monday afternoon, he ranked 44th on Forbes’ 2018 list of billionaires with an estimated net worth of more than $20 billion.
In recent decades, Allen was known for many things, including his love of sports, his love of music, and, relatedly, expensive toys, out of which he often built collections.
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