Co-founder of Microsoft, champion of several charities, owner of football and NBA teams and a flying enthusiast, Paul G. Allen had a habit of changing hats during the 65 years he lived on this planet (1953-2018). He was also a college dropout. Allen abandoned formal education, along with his childhood friend Bill Gates, to chase a dream — a world in which every home has a computer. “Personal computing would not have existed without him,” a “heartbroken” Gates said in a statement after Allen’s death.

Once he was done with Microsoft, Allen decided to focus on making people’s lives better. “Those fortunate to achieve great wealth should put it to work for the good of humanity,” he had once said. His mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease drove him to start the Allen Institute for Brain Science.

If he gave away much of his wealth to charitable causes, he also collected random things that caught his fancy. A TV show, which coincided with the release of his memoir Idea Man, gave the world a glimpse into his schoolboyish hoard that ranged from the guitar Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock to vintage war planes and a 300-foot yacht with its own submarine. It comes as no surprise that he founded the Museum of Pop Culture in 2000.

Source: AP, Forbes, Business Insider