The death of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen brought with it an outpouring of reaction across social media on Monday, from the companies and institutions he created and owned to the people he interacted with during his life as a pioneer in technology, philanthropy, sports, the arts and elsewhere.
NEWS: Paul Allen, 1953-2018: Microsoft co-founder leaves legacy of innovation, philanthropy, bold bets
From Microsoft CEOs past and present to players from the Seattle Seahawks and beyond, Allen was remembered as a visionary leader who gave back to the world across a number of initiatives he cared about.
Tech
The world of personal computing would not have existed were it not for Allen’s contributions, his childhood friend and Microsoft partner Bill Gates said in a statement. In Seattle and beyond, the tech world remembered a pioneer.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of @PaulGAllen, our founder and noted technologist, philanthropist, community builder, conservationist, musician and supporter of the arts. All of us who worked with Paul feel an inexpressible loss today. https://t.co/OMLZ7ivvSD pic.twitter.com/Bfa8kK6Q8e
— Vulcan Inc. (@VulcanInc) October 15, 2018
Statement from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the passing of Paul Allen: pic.twitter.com/1iLDLenLKz
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) October 15, 2018
Paul was a truly wonderful, bright and inspiring person—- and a great friend. I will miss him https://t.co/HYhtgZGo8C
— Steve Ballmer (@Steven_Ballmer) October 15, 2018
I have the honor to work at Microsoft because of the early work of Paul Allen. Paul has had immeasurable impact on the tech industry and the Seattle Community – which has become a great place for sports, arts, and music in no small part because of Paul. He will be deeply missed. https://t.co/yIm177gkRn
— Brad Smith (@BradSmi) October 16, 2018
Very sad to hear of Paul Allen’s passing. His passion for invention and pushing forward inspired so many. He was relentless to the end. My heart goes out to Paul’s family and friends.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) October 15, 2018
Our industry has lost a pioneer and our world has lost a force for good. We send our deepest condolences to Paul’s friends, the Allen family and everyone at Microsoft.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 15, 2018
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen dies https://t.co/7BbUOHcexU // Paul was an original and a dear person who did so much to shape lives with computing and his later work in science, community, and research. I am so deeply saddened by his passing. He will be missed. RIP Paul.
— Steven Sinofsky (@stevesi) October 15, 2018
We lost a great technology pioneer today – thank you Paul Allen for your immense contributions to the world through your work and your philanthropy. Thoughts are with his family and the entire Microsoft community.
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 15, 2018
A Seattle icon is gone with Paul Allen’s passing. He helped create the era of personal computing; spawned the Seattle tech industry; was an AI visionary; and his philanthropy inspired us all. He made the world, and our city, a better place.
— Adam Selipsky (@aselipsky) October 16, 2018
Goodbye to a pioneer that helped put a PC on every desk. https://t.co/GINqdX7kL6
— Mark Russinovich (@markrussinovich) October 15, 2018
Saddened by the passing of Paul Allen a great leader in tech and a man of all seasons who fully enjoyed his life and wealth yet also gave back to the world at scale. I was especially impressed with how he took care of the Oceans. May the one who brings peace bring peace to all.
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) October 15, 2018
It is with great sadness that we extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Allen’s family and the entire Paul G. Allen network after the passing of our founder. Today we mourn his loss, but we will never stop sparking joy with computers. pic.twitter.com/QRaFx8Lalc
— Living Computers (@LivingComputers) October 16, 2018
Politics
Allen reshaped Seattle with his bold moves around real estate, cultural institutions, science and more. From Redmond, Wash., where Microsoft grew into a tech giant, to CenturyLink Field, home to a Seahawks team Allen kept from moving away, to South Lake Union, where Vulcan Inc. continues to play a huge part in Amazon’s development of an urban campus, Allen left his stamp on the look and feel of the Seattle region.
Paul Allen stands as a giant in Washington history for the genius vision that was so important to creating Microsoft with Bill Gates. That he went on to do so much more for our state, nation and the world puts him in rarefied company.
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) October 15, 2018
It would be difficult to overstate the influence of Paul Allen on our community, and his impact on our collective history. As a high school kid at Lakeside School, Paul mastered the nascent technology of mainframe computers, and went on to lead a revolution. 1/4 https://t.co/9NS0tWyZ20
— Dow Constantine (@kcexec) October 15, 2018
Beyond saddened by the loss of Paul Allen. His vision, creativity, and kindness will be missed by a world lucky to have known him.
— Rep. Suzan DelBene (@RepDelBene) October 15, 2018
Sports
As the owner of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, Allen was beloved across the world of sports. In 2014, Allen won his first championship with the Seahawks.
Your leadership inspired us.
We thank you.
We love you. pic.twitter.com/3iOYFRIc14
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 16, 2018
We are saddened to share that @Seahawks owner Paul Allen has passed away at age 65: https://t.co/Qcc4onRSZA pic.twitter.com/WXwpwSSTxh
— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2018
Deeply saddened by the passing of @PaulGAllen. I’ll miss him greatly. His gracious leadership and tremendous inspiration will never be forgotten.
The world is a better place because of Paul’s passion, commitment, and selflessness. His legacy will live on forever.
— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) October 15, 2018
Rest In Peace, Paul Allen. pic.twitter.com/l03ZfAZmyh
— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2018
Big dog rest easy as you go home @PaulGAllen prayers for your family??
— Shawn Lynch (@MoneyLynch) October 15, 2018
We miss you.
We thank you.
We love you. pic.twitter.com/rxkn1IjJ0R— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 15, 2018
All of #RipCity mourns today. Paul Allen loved our @trailblazers with every fiber of his being. Oregonians are so grateful for Paul and his extraordinary legacy.
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) October 15, 2018
Rest In Peace Paul Allen. Thank you for everything! You will be missed. My prayers go to the entire Allen family.
— Tyler Lockett (@TDLockett12) October 15, 2018
My statement on one of the greatest persons I have ever had a chance to be around.
RIP, Paul Allen.
Thank you for all you did for my family and my kids. pic.twitter.com/T2wF5pYUh6
— WALTER JONES (@BigWalt71) October 15, 2018
RIP to the man in charge of it all, Mr. Paul Allen. I hope we sent you out with high praises with our victory yesterday in London. You with the most high now, no more pain required.
— Frank Clark (@TheRealFrankC_) October 15, 2018
RIP Paul Allen pic.twitter.com/NYhkACObUk
— IG MikeDavisRB (@MikeDavisRB) October 15, 2018
Rip Mr Paul Allen ?? I sincerely thank you for all your sacrifices and hard work. You changed countless lives and it’s greatly appreciated!
— Bradley McDougald (@BabyLead) October 15, 2018
RIP Paul Allen. Gone way too soon. Thank you so much for your many contributions to society and to the sports world pic.twitter.com/7ITQuHpAMT
— Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76) October 15, 2018
I will be always thankful for @PaulGAllen’s generosity and his kind heart. He was a genius, and genuine person, who cared about humanity all over the world and it was an honor to be able to learn from and be around such a great leader. https://t.co/wJPg5b2xnw
— Michael Bennett (@mosesbread72) October 15, 2018
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) October 15, 2018
RIP @PaulGAllen you will be missed in our community and across the nation. God Bless https://t.co/FC8oO65FSk
— Detlef Schrempf (@Dschrempf) October 15, 2018
Paul Allen saved the Seahawks from relocation in 1997. He helped bring us to 3 Super Bowls, winning 1. Thank you for EVERYTHING, Paul. You are a Seattle icon forever. With tears in my eyes, Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/SsaFFUkA1Q
— ryan leclair (@ryan_leclair) October 15, 2018
RIP Paul Allen??
— Rashaad Penny (@pennyhendrixx) October 15, 2018
Paul Allen's immeasurable impact on Seattle, the Pacific Northwest and the world will not be forgotten.
May he Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/P5AVPDMFy7
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) October 15, 2018
I loved my time in Portland with the @trailblazers and that was in part due to Paul Allen and his leadership. He was an incredibly accomplished and remarkable man who gave so much back to his community. RIP https://t.co/5hSSQdFDmx
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) October 16, 2018
Thank you MR. Paul Allen for what you brought to the world, being a great person, & great philanthropist. RIP ?.
— Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) October 16, 2018
The arts
As a huge fan of music, Allen famously built an ode of sorts to Jimi Hendrix and rock ‘n’ roll with a museum at the base of Seattle’s Space Needle, originally called the Experience Music Project. Since renamed and now the Museum of Pop Culture, Allen’s love of rock and sci-fi and pop culture are combined under one colorful, curvy roof.
RIP Paul Allen. Thank you for your immeasurable contributions to the community and beyond… Rock on. pic.twitter.com/0C33KqA47k
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) October 16, 2018
Paul Allen was of course a brilliant technologist & leaves a huge legacy in business and sports. But his unabashed enthusiasm for Jimi Hendrix, showing how a “tech guy” could deeply love music, left as big an impression on me as anything Microsoft ever did. I’m thankful for that.
— Anil Dash (@anildash) October 15, 2018
Truly saddened to hear the news of Paul's passing…
I had the pleasure of knowing him for several years now, performing with him too…
Thank You for Your Kindness & Your Philanthropic work.
You will be missed… ?? https://t.co/IlRfJ1qboR— Julian Lennon (@JulianLennon) October 15, 2018
RIP to my dear friend (& killer guitar player) Paul Allen. Your genius & generosity has & will forever be felt by mankind.
— Quincy Jones (@QuincyDJones) October 15, 2018
Our founder let us fly with super heroes. He showed us that we could create beautiful music of our own. He inspired us to look to the stars. Today we mourn the passing of @PaulGAllen pic.twitter.com/0hJ9ZlPBh2
— MoPOP Seattle (@MoPOPSeattle) October 16, 2018
Exploration
Allen had a deep commitment to exploration and to the protection of the deep seas and his teams were at the forefront of helping to locate and recover long lost naval vessels. He also worked to protect sea life and the led projects involved in global shark data.
We are deeply saddened about the passing of our founder, Paul G. Allen. He was a visionary who inspired us all to dream big. pic.twitter.com/5S1Dy1FY6P
— Stratolaunch (@Stratolaunch) October 15, 2018
So sad to hear about the passing of Paul Allen. Among many other things he was a pioneer of commercial space travel. We shared a belief that by exploring space in new ways we can improve life on Earth. All our thoughts are with his loved ones.
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) October 15, 2018
#RIP Paul Allen (1953-2018). The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist made significant contributions to naval heritage by funding the expeditions that discovered the wrecks of USS Indianapolis, USS Lexington, USS Juneau and several other historic ships. pic.twitter.com/yWluXGhnE0
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) October 15, 2018
We send our deepest sympathies to the family, friends & colleagues of Space entrepreneur, Paul Allen. His leadership & innovations connected the world in countless ways & his vision to explore even greater heights will continue to make a major difference for generations to come. pic.twitter.com/ICJsSr5M74
— Space Foundation (@SpaceFoundation) October 15, 2018
Science and medicine
Allen’s philanthropic pursuits led to the fight against disease on a number of levels, across the globe. In Seattle, for example, he championed research around the human brain and created the Allen Institute.
One of the coolest parts of Paul Allen’s legacy is that we owe LOTS of what we know about the human brain to his philanthropy. He’s given over 500 million to map the brain & funded countless discoveries that have revolutionized neurological science.
You’ll be missed, Paul. pic.twitter.com/hq2ai3XgGK
— Kaz Weida (@kazweida) October 15, 2018
Damn. His funding of lymphoma research helped save my husband's life. I wanted the same for him.
— Mostly Harmless (@TricyrtisHirta) October 15, 2018
A message on the passing of Paul Allen from our president and director. https://t.co/cOxE9mIApd pic.twitter.com/Zfex5Of1P7
— Fred Hutch (@fredhutch) October 16, 2018
Of the many things Paul Allen did in his remarkable life, I particularly remember his commitment to fighting Ebola, which devastated parts of West Africa. His generosity made a real difference and saved lives. https://t.co/Gg1kodFhkJ
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) October 15, 2018