Paul Allen
Paul Gardner Allen (born January 21, 1953) is an American philanthropist, investor and innovator, best known as the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation alongside Bill Gates. As of January 2015, he was estimated to be the 47th richest person in the world, with an estimated wealth of $17 billion. Allen is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., which manages his various business and philanthropic efforts. Allen also has a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio including technology companies, real estate holdings, and stakes in other technology and media companies. He owns two professional sports teams, the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL), and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is part-owner of the Seattle Sounders FC, which joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2009. He is also the founder of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the Allen Institute for Cell Science and Stratolaunch Systems.