Editing Paul Allen (section)

==Microsoft==
{{Main|History of Microsoft|Microsoft#1972–1985: Founding}}
[[File:Altair Basic Sign.jpg|thumb|195px|The title page of the [[assembly language]] code that produced [[Altair BASIC]], developed by Allen, Gates, and [[Monte Davidoff]], with two early Microsoft business cards showing Gates as president and Allen as vice president]]
Allen and Gates formed Microsoft in 1975 in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], and began marketing a [[BASIC]] programming language interpreter, with their first employee being high school friend and collaborator [[Ric Weiland]].<ref name="thocp1">{{cite web|title=Microsoft history |publisher=The History of Computing Project |url=http://www.thocp.net/companies/microsoft/microsoft_company.htm |access-date=November 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514211138/http://www.thocp.net/companies/microsoft/microsoft_company.htm |archive-date=May 14, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="before microsoft"/> Allen came up with the name of "Micro-Soft", a combination of "microcomputer" and "software".<ref>{{cite news | url= https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1995/10/02/206528/index.htm | work= CNN | first= Bill | last= Gates | title= Bill Gates & Paul Allen Talk Check Out The Ultimate Buddy Act in Business History: The Multibillionaire Co-Founders Of Microsoft Sit Still For An Entire Afternoon To Tell Fortune's Brent Schlender Their Story And Speculate About The Future Of Personal Computing And Telecommunications | date= October 2, 1995 | access-date= August 3, 2020 | archive-date= May 3, 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110503155554/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1995/10/02/206528/index.htm | url-status= live }}</ref>

Microsoft committed to delivering a disk operating system ([[DOS]]) to IBM for the original [[IBM PC]] in 1980, although they had not yet developed one, and Allen spearheaded a deal for Microsoft to purchase [[86-DOS|QDOS]] (Quick and Dirty Operating System) written by [[Tim Paterson]] who was employed at [[Seattle Computer Products]].<ref>[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/30/msdos_paternity_suit_resolved/ MS-DOS paternity suit settled] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804233015/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/07/30/msdos_paternity_suit_resolved/ |date=August 4, 2011 }} The Register</ref><ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-cofounder-paul-allen-dies-at-age-65-2018-10 Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies at 65 after a battle with cancer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015235530/https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-cofounder-paul-allen-dies-at-age-65-2018-10 |date=October 15, 2018 }} Business Insider</ref> As a result of this transaction, Microsoft secured a contract to supply the DOS that ran on IBM's PC line, which opened the door to Allen's and Gates' wealth and success.<ref name="before microsoft"/>

The company restructured on June 25, 1981, to become an incorporated business in its home state of Washington (with a further change of its name to "Microsoft Corporation, Inc."). As part of the restructuring, Gates became president of the company and chairman of the board, and Allen became executive vice president and vice chairman.<ref name="before microsoft"/><ref name="keyevents">{{cite web |title=Microsoft Visitor Center Student Information: Key Events in Microsoft History |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/3/0/130dd86a-a196-4700-b577-521c4cf5cec1/key_events_in_microsoft_history.doc |publisher=Microsoft |format=.DOC |access-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226224212/http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/3/0/130dd86a-a196-4700-b577-521c4cf5cec1/key_events_in_microsoft_history.doc |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The relationship between Allen and Gates became strained as they argued even over small things.<ref name="leibovich20001231">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/12/31/alter-egos/91b267b0-858c-4d4e-a4bd-48f22e015f70/ |title=Alter Egos |last=Leibovich |first=Mark |date=December 31, 2000 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=June 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225224631/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2000/12/31/alter-egos/91b267b0-858c-4d4e-a4bd-48f22e015f70/ |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286 | url-access=subscription}}</ref> Allen effectively left Microsoft in 1982 after being diagnosed with [[Hodgkin's lymphoma]], though he remained on the board of directors as vice chairman.<ref name="before microsoft"/><ref name=fortune2018>[http://fortune.com/2018/10/01/paul-allen-cancer/ Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Says His Cancer Has Returned, Expresses Optimism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016131436/http://fortune.com/2018/10/01/paul-allen-cancer/ |date=October 16, 2018 }} Fortune</ref> Gates reportedly asked Allen to give him some of his shares to compensate for the higher amount of work that Gates was doing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title= Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft|last= Allen|first= Paul|publisher= Penguin Publishing Group|year= 2012|isbn= 978-1-101-47645-1|page= 91|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=I2XUC0mp4wIC|access-date= March 26, 2018|archive-date= July 28, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200728053026/https://books.google.com/books?id=I2XUC0mp4wIC|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title= Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft|last= Allen|first= Paul|publisher= Penguin Publishing Group|year= 2012|isbn= 978-1-101-47645-1|page= 131|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=I2XUC0mp4wIC|access-date= March 26, 2018|archive-date= July 28, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200728053026/https://books.google.com/books?id=I2XUC0mp4wIC|url-status= live}}</ref> According to Allen, Gates said that he "did almost everything on [[Microsoft BASIC|BASIC]]" and the company should be split 60–40 in his favor. Allen agreed to this arrangement, which Gates later renegotiated to 64–36.<ref name=cnet2013>{{cite web |title=Paul Allen: Gates, Ballmer tried to 'rip me off' |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-rip-me-off/ |website=CNET |language=en |date=March 30, 2011 |access-date=October 15, 2018 |archive-date=October 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016032710/https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-rip-me-off/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1983, Gates tried to buy Allen out at $5 per share, but Allen refused and left the company with his shares intact; this made him a billionaire when Microsoft went public.<ref name=cnet2013/><ref>{{Cite book| title= Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft| last= Allen| first= Paul| publisher= Penguin Publishing Group| year= 2012| isbn= 978-1-101-47645-1| pages= 164–169| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=I2XUC0mp4wIC| access-date= March 26, 2018| archive-date= July 28, 2020| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200728053026/https://books.google.com/books?id=I2XUC0mp4wIC| url-status= live}}</ref> Gates later repaired his relationship with Allen, and the two men donated $2.2 million to their childhood school Lakeside in 1986.{{r|leibovich20001231}} They remained friends for the rest of Allen's life.<ref name="Gates Mourns Allen"/>

Allen resigned from his position on the Microsoft board of directors on November 9, 2000, but he remained as a senior strategy advisor to the company's executives.<ref name=CNNMoney>[https://money.cnn.com/2000/09/28/technology/microsoft/ Allen quits Microsoft board] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016035855/https://money.cnn.com/2000/09/28/technology/microsoft/ |date=October 16, 2018 }} CNN Money</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-sep-29-fi-28578-story.html Microsoft Co-Founder Allen Is Stepping Down From the Board]  Los Angeles Times</ref><ref>[https://www.itweb.co.za/content/xnklOvzbyKRv4Ymz Microsoft co-founder Allen to step down from board] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016032821/https://www.itweb.co.za/content/xnklOvzbyKRv4Ymz |date=October 16, 2018 }} ITWeb</ref> In January 2014, he still held 100 million shares of Microsoft.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.seattletimes.com/business/seahawks-beat-microsoft-as-investment-for-billionaire-paul-allen/| title = Seahawks beat Microsoft as investment for billionaire Paul Allen| author = Peter Robison and Brendan Coffey| newspaper = The Seattle Times| date = January 30, 2014| access-date = April 6, 2015| archive-date = December 26, 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181226141521/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/seahawks-beat-microsoft-as-investment-for-billionaire-paul-allen/| url-status = live}}</ref>