Thursday, March 31, 2011

In Idea Man, Paul Allen tells his side of co-founding Microsoft without pulling any punches


In Idea Man, Paul Allen tells his side of co-founding Microsoft without pulling any punches
These days Paul Allen is largely known for his ridiculously oversized yacht, his lawsuits, and his quest for commercial space flight, but of course it was co-founding Microsoft with Bill Gates that gave him the billions necessary to do all that fun stuff in the first place. Now he's looking back, writing a book calledThe Idea Man that, according to him, sets the record straight about the past -- starting with the title. Between the covers he alternately praises Bill Gates, saying he's "everything you'd want from a friend, caring and concerned," and lambasts him for his "mercenary opportunism" and for trying to dilute his share in the company, saying Gates was "out to grab as much of the pie as possible and hold on to it." Seems like Mr. Allen may have just burned a few bridges, but when you're worth about $13 billion that's the sort of thing you can get away with.

1 comment:

Uread said...

According to "Time", Paul Allen is one of the '100 Most Influential People In The World.' "Idea Man" is the story of the fascinating life of a man who has made an unprecedented impact in science, technology, business, sports, music, and philanthropy. His memoir features previously untold stories that offer insight into everything from the true origins of Microsoft to a behind-the-scenes view of the dawn of private space travel. It offers reflections from someone who has led an extraordinary life, learned a lot, and helped improve the world.
Paul Allen