Creative
Catalyst

Paul recognized the creative spirit that lives in all of us. He believed within it lies the secret to having an impact large or small.

Paul sought out platforms to encourage outward expression of his innate passion for music and art. That’s why he co-founded Seattle’s MoPOP — a hands-on museum dedicated to celebrating pop culture by offering creative experiences that inspire and connect our communities. It’s also the reason he established Vulcan Productions — to inspire change by creating deeper understanding and lasting impact.

MoPOP

The Museum of Pop Culture opened in 2000 and over the years evolved into a hands-on museum experience celebrating all forms of popular culture and creative expression.

”The definition of the good life is doing creative things, whether making music, trying to figure out how to do a particular piece of code, or putting together investments.”

Art

Paul's appreciation for art began in childhood and blossomed into a passion for collecting and sharing art, making it accessible to more people.

Museums

Museums founded by Paul were places where engines could roar, buttons could be pushed, and guitars could be played.

Music

Paul was a talented guitarist who loved jamming with others and recorded several full-length albums.

Vulcan
Productions

With Vulcan Productions, Paul's vision was to support artistically driven, small-budget, independent films and documentaries that brought meaningful stories and issues to life.

Additional
Stories

Exploration

Space

Paul pursued making space more accessible in ways that would fuel space innovation — including SpaceShipOne, the Allen Telescope Array, and Stratolaunch, the world's largest airplane by wingspan.

Pacific Northwest

Seahawks

Paul purchased the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise in 1997, and since then the team has gone on to make three Super Bowl appearances.

Science

Allen
Institutes

The Allen Institute and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence lead cutting-edge science and making groundbreaking discoveries in bioscience and artificial intelligence research.

Futurist

Microsoft

Paul's name is, of course, synonymous with Microsoft, the company he co-founded with his friend Bill Gates, which changed the trajectory of modern computing.

Science

Tech for
Good

Paul believed technology could be leveraged to protect our planet, wildlife, and resources, and improve the lives of people everywhere.

Exploration

Great Elephant
Census

The Great Elephant Census was a massive undertaking to survey the remaining savanna elephants across the African continent. Results of this survey shocked the world into action.

CreativeCatalyst

Creative
Catalyst