Paul Allen

In full Paul Gardner Allen ( 1953 - )

Co-Founder, Microsoft

In my own work, I've tried to anticipate what's coming over the horizon, to hasten its arrival, and to apply it to people's lives in a meaningful way. -Paul Allen

Paul Gardner Allen, born January 21, 1953, is an American investor and philanthropist who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates and is one of the wealthiest people in the world with a personal wealth of US$13.5 billion as of 2010. He is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc., which manages his business and philanthropic efforts.

Paul Allen was born in Seattle, Washington, to parents Kenneth S. Allen, an associate director of the University of Washington libraries. Allen attended Lakeside School, a private school in Seattle, and befriended Bill Gates, who was almost three years his junior but shared a common enthusiasm for computers. They used Lakeside's teletype terminal to develop their programming skills on several time-sharing computer systems.

Bill Gates

In full William Henry Gates III ( 1955 – )

Co-Founder & Chairman, Microsoft

“In this business, by the time you realize you’re in trouble, it’s too late to save yourself. Unless you’re running scared all the time, you’re gone.” -Bill Gates

Entrepreneur. William H. Gates, III, was born October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. The son of William H. Gates II, a Seattle attorney, and the late Mary Gates, a former schoolteacher, University of Washington regent and chairwoman of United Way International, Gates’ fascination with computers began at an early age.

After attending a public elementary school. Gates attended the private Lakedise School, where his career in computers would begin to manifest itself. A math whiz, Gates was already on the road to programming – tic-tac-toe games – and scrounging for programming remnants outside a computer company, with classmate Paul Allen.