MAIL ONLINE: The co-founder of Microsoft last night announced he will give away most of his £8.7billion fortune after his death.
Paul Allen follows in the footsteps of Bill Gates, with whom he started the computer giant, and vowed to commit his money to philanthropy.
Mild-mannered Allen, 57, who is unmarried and has no children, has donated millions to charity in his lifetime and said he wanted that to continue after he died.
Allen co-founded Microsoft in 1975 with Gates and resigned as an executive in 1983 as he overcame a first bout with cancer.
The episode brought him face-to-face with his own mortality and caused a huge change in his approach to life.
The 37th richest person in the world according to Forbes Magazine, he has spent the time since giving away more than £670million in grants and funding, largely through his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
He recently announced he was suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but has made a full recovery.
‘Today I also want to announce that my philanthropic efforts will continue after my lifetime,’ he said in a statement. >>> Daniel Bates | Friday, July 16, 2010
