Champion of the
Pacific Northwest

Paul was a hometown boy who felt deeply connected to the culture, land, and community in Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest.

As owner of the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, Paul fostered a sense of civic pride shared by sports fans across the Pacific Northwest. Through his foundation he gave generously to support arts and community institutions and protect the lands and waters of the region.

Seattle Seahawks

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

”I get tremendous satisfaction from giving back to Seattle and the Northwest, because the region has given an awful lot to me.”

Trail
Blazers

A lifelong fan of basketball and the Portland Trail Blazers, Paul purchased the NBA franchise in 1988 and had a heartfelt commitment to the team and the Portland community.

Gardner
House

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation funded the construction of the Gardner House and Allen Family Center, which provides both housing and services for families experiencing homelessness.

Pacific Northwest
Conservation

Many of Paul's philanthropic efforts focused on the conservation and protection of local lands, biodiversity, and waters of the Pacific Northwest.

Seattle
Institutions

Paul grew up appreciating the cultural institutions around Seattle, and went on to support them throughout his lifetime.

Additional
Stories

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.

Creativity

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.

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.

Science

Tech for
Good

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

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.

Champion of thePacific Northwest

Champion of the
Pacific Northwest