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The fabulous life of Microsoft's billionaire cofounder Paul Allen, who has died at the age of 65 (MSFT)

Kevin Casey / Getty Images

Everybody knows Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, the second-richest man in the world. 

But Microsoft's other cofounder, Paul Allen, only became famous outside of Seattle once he published his memoirs in 2011.

He too was rich, and his net worth was pegged at $20 billion. With his money, he invested in a lot of tech companies, real estate, and art. But he also led an over-the-top life filled with rock and roll parties, collections, yachts, and sports teams.

Allen died on Monday aged 65 after a battle with cancer. Here is a look back at his fabulous life.

Can you spot Paul Allen from this famous photo of Microsoft's earliest employees?

He's the guy in the bottom right.



Allen met Bill Gates in high school, where they hacked the school computer to try and help Gates meet girls.Reuters

Allen and Gates hacked the computer at Lakeside school to enrol Gates in classes where he was the only boy, Gates told the BBC in a 2016 interview



It was Allen who first came up with the name "Micro-Soft."Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Allen also suggested to Gates that they work together on what would become Microsoft's first product, a BASIC language interpreter for the Altair 8800 microcomputer.



He didn't just party with rock stars, he jammed with them.The Underthinkers

Allen played guitar, and in his own band, "The Underthinkers," who cut an album in 2013. Allen wrote or cowrote every song on it.

According to gossip in the Seattle music scene, he kept several musicians on full-time retainer. They had to be ready to hop on a plane and fly anywhere in the world to jam with Allen and rock star party guests like Eric Clapton.

The album featured guest performers Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Chrissie Hynde, Joe Walsh, Derek Trucks, Doyle Bramhall, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Ivan Neville, and others.



He built a museum devoted to his rock hero.AP

In 2000, Allen opened the Experience Music Project, a rock and roll museum dedicated to his hero Jimi Hendrix and housed in a psychedelic Frank Gehry building that was meant to look like a melted guitar.

EMP has since grown into a full-fledged interactive museum, now known as the Museum of Pop Culture. It has exhibits that cover everything from Nirvana to "The Wizard of Oz" and Marvel.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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