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What I loved about Paul Allen

gatesnotes.com

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Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#71

Post by pretendscholar »

mynameisvlad wrote: post #43
2_listerine_pls wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As it was, it was nothing more than a conversation that was hurtful to Allen. Or maybe they didn't do it because got caught?

Does it matter? The point is that they didn't do it. Yes, it could've happened, nobody is disputing that, and nobody is disputing that it would've been a shitty thing to do. But at the end of the day, it didn't happen. You're arguing a hypothetical and adding even more hypotheticals on top. Nobody will know why it didn't happen, what the motivating factors might have been, but we all know that the conversation took p…

Yes it matters. It says a lot about someone that they would even entertain the idea of cheating their cancer ridden friend.

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#72

Post by TomVDB »

DenisM wrote: post #69
slededit wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They did have a falling out but it seems they reconciled. Paul Allen claims BillG tried to cut him out of Microsoft when he was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.

Source?

https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-...

> Paul Allen: Gates, Ballmer tried to 'rip me off'

> "One evening in late December 1982, I heard Bill and Steve speaking heatedly in Bill's office and paused outside to listen in," he writes in his memoir. "It was easy to get the gist of the conversation. They were bemoaning my recent lack of production and discussing how they might dilute my Microsoft equity by issuing options to themselves and other shareholders. It was clear that they'd been thinking about this for some time."

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#73

Post by guiambros »

buzzert wrote: post #65
gtycomb wrote: post #14

"... Popular Electronics. It featured a new computer called the Altair 8800, which ran on a powerful new chip. Paul looked at me and said: “This is happening without us!” That moment marked the end of my college career and the beginning of our new company, Microsoft. It happened because of Paul." What a magical moment, those youthful fancies. I know that very spot they stood and it still is the same I guess -- all th…

One of my favorite movies growing up was Pirates of Silicon Valley (excellent movie, even today) and they portrayed that scene exactly the same as Gates recalled it.

Paul himself told that story in his autobiography, "The Idea Man" [1], in colorful details. The first half of the book is full of anecdotes of those early days, the relationship with Bill Gates, and the beginnings of Microsoft. It's a great read.

Really sad he went so soon; RIP.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Idea-Man-Memoir-Cofounder-Microsoft/d...

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#74

Post by nostrademons »

squarefoot wrote: post #55
nabla9 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fanboyism is like a cognitive disease. Gates has himself admitted that he was a bully, yet people feel the need to defend him. Rockefeller ruthlessly destroyed lifes but he was also committed philanthropist that started to give six percent of his earnings to charity at age 16. As he grew richer he gave more.

Some donations can be tax deductible, and even it they aren't they boost the donor public image as soon as it become news. I'm not saying Gates, Allen, Rockefeller or anyone else donated to charities only as a form of personal advertising, yet there's certainly a good incentive to do that which should be taken into account before making an opinion about someone.

Charitable contributions weren't tax-deductible when Rockefeller was 16. Hell, there was no income tax when Rockefeller was 16.

He probably did it to gain favor with God (most of his charity was church-based until he got fabulously wealthy), but of all the things done in the name of God, charity is a pretty good one.

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#75

Post by DenisM »

TomVDB wrote: post #72
DenisM wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Source?

https://www.cnet.com/news/paul-allen-gates-ballmer-tried-to-... > Paul Allen: Gates, Ballmer tried to 'rip me off' > "One evening in late December 1982, I heard Bill and Steve speaking heatedly in Bill's office and paused outside to listen in," he writes in his memoir. "It was easy to get the gist of the conversation. They were bemoaning my recent lack of production and discussing how they might dilute my Microsoft e…

Thanks. Did we ever hear Gates’ side of the story?

I can imagine there could be good reason to dilute someone by issuing more stock to the remaining productive collaborators. That would depend on the scale, and method used to calculate the proportion, and of on obtaining consent from the diluted party.

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#76

Post by partiallypro »

pradn wrote: post #32
ProAm wrote: post #2

The only thing I ever think of when Gates speaks about Allen is how they tried to reduce his equity when he got sick. It's something that has stuck with me for 20+ years.

It's certainly horrible behavior, but we must allow the chance that he has changed for the better.

Gates and the company never went through with it, it was just a conversation...and I'm sure it would be a conversation that any company in that predicament would have had.

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#77

Post by mark-r »

gus_massa wrote: post #20

From the caption of the first photo: > Here we are in school. That’s Paul on the left, our friend Ric Weiland, and me on the right. In case you are wondering https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ric_Weiland

I had to smile at that picture, because I'm in a very similar one in my high school yearbook - 3 of us around a teletype. It's a shame about Ric Weiland. I have no idea what happened to the two other guys in my picture.

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#78

Post by brubrant »

pwang wrote: post #60
nothis wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>“This is happening without us!” That's quite a statement, wow. I wonder if it's moments like this that distinguish really, really successful people from the rest.

It's certainly the same feeling I had back in 2010 when I knew I had to quit my job and start pushing Python for data analysis.

And are you really, really successful or the rest? :)

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#79

Post by uiri »

pastor_elm wrote: post #49
wwarner wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but not fair, to Gates OR to Allen. "After a few years all that passes. Bill and I have always been friends, even through the ups and downs" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/may/02/paul-alle...

If you ever go into business with a friend, you should anticipate the worst. They're only human. You have to be on your toes from the start, and you can only blame yourself if you get beat or blindsided. At that point, its irrelevant to your friendship. It was just business.

The problem with "it's not personal, it's just business" is that business is always personal.

Re: What I loved about Paul Allen

#80

Post by Aeolun »

pastor_elm wrote: post #49
wwarner wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but not fair, to Gates OR to Allen. "After a few years all that passes. Bill and I have always been friends, even through the ups and downs" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/may/02/paul-alle...

If you ever go into business with a friend, you should anticipate the worst. They're only human. You have to be on your toes from the start, and you can only blame yourself if you get beat or blindsided. At that point, its irrelevant to your friendship. It was just business.

I mean, if I’m in a business with my friend and he hasn’t been working on said business for 2 years, even though he has a bunch of equity, I’d also start to think about maybe making that situation a bit more fair.

Probably not without them involved, but you can at least discuss the possibility at some point.

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