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Inside Paul Allen’s Former Yacht on Sale for $90 Million

By Katie Schultz

The estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is offering the sale of his 303-foot-long superyacht , Tatoosh , for a cool $90 million, according to Dirt . If you’re thinking those stats aren’t impressive enough for the billionaire and tech magnate , well, you’d be right. Tatoosh , which is currently the 60th largest yacht worldwide, was just Allen’s secondary vessel. His main yacht, Octopus , sold last year for $325 million and stretches 414 feet long, making it the 20th largest yacht in the world.

As for Tatoosh , the recently-listed vessel was custom-built by German shipyard Nobiskrug in 2000 for fellow American tech mogul Craig McCaw before being bought by Allen the following year for an estimated $100 million. The craft was put up for sale shortly after Allen’s death in 2018, but was taken off the market for an extensive refitting that was completed last year.

The dining room aboard the ship. 

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Inside the vessel, 11 staterooms can accommodate up to 19 guests with access to a lengthy list of lavish amenities that includes a heated swimming pool with a hydraulic-powered mosaic floor that can raise and lower, a parquet floor salon complete with a limestone fireplace and a bar, a movie theater adorned in red velvet, a beauty salon, a gym, two helicopter pads, a sunbathing and diving area decked out with a blue-tiled spa, bulletproof windows, a fleet of jet skis, multiple 43-foot tenders, and a crew of 31 to oversee it all. The owner’s quarters include a private deck, two dressing rooms, and an observation lounge with a private galley, all spanning across two of the ship’s five decks, which are all accessible via elevator.

The owner’s stateroom aboard the ship. 

To maintain and staff the superyacht, which will be one of the largest yachts on display during the Monaco Yacht Show later this month, potential new owners will have to be prepared to pay $9 to $10 million per year in addition to the hefty price tag. Tatoosh is being represented by the Monaco-based yachting company Fraser.

By Michelle Duncan

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Secret buyer nabs Microsoft grandee’s superyacht for £200m

For £1m a week you can rent 126-metre ship built for Paul Allen, with two helicopters, two subs and a recording studio

A vast “explorer class” superyacht built for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been sold for almost £200m, and is now available to rent for anyone with about a £1m to drop for a week.

Octopus was the world’s largest yacht when she was built for Allen in 2003 and the 126-metre vessel marked a turning point in superyacht design, capable of being used for deep sea exploration as well as living a life of luxury on the high seas.

On the market since Allen’s death in 2018, the superyacht was originally listed for sale at €295m (£250m) before being reduced to €235m. It is believed to have sold for slightly under the asking price. The Allen family office declined to comment.

The identity of the Scandinavian buyer is unknown, but it is to be made available for charter via Mayfair-based yacht broker Camper & Nicholsons . The broker, which declined to comment, has not yet set a weekly rental price. However, other very large superyachts can cost as much as £1m a week to rent.

In 2019, Kylie Jenner, the Keeping up with the Kardashians reality TV star and cosmetics empire billionaire, spent €1.1m chartering the 91.5m (300ft) yacht Tranquility .

The eight-deck Octopus has 13 guest suites, including a private owner’s deck. There is also a cinema, a gym, a spa, a basketball court, a pool (which converts into a dancefloor) and a pizza oven. It features not one but two helicopters, two submarines and space for seven tenders and a large SUV. The yacht has quarters for up to 63 crew.

Allen, a keen adventurer, asked superyacht designer Espen Øino to create a yacht capable of carrying out expeditions. “It was a very ambitious brief, because none of the tenders, tools, RVs, subs, helicopters could be outside – they should all be concealed,” Øino has said.

The ship was used by the Titanic director, James Cameron, for a dive to the bottom of the 10,925 metres to the Mariana trench, the deepest point in the world.

Allen also used the ship to help to recover the bell from the British battleship HMS Hood, which was sunk by the Bismarck in the North Atlantic.

“When I first stood on the bridge, I felt as though I was on a spaceship,” Allen wrote in his autobiography Idea Man. He said having a pool, basketball court, cinema, and recording studio on the boat meant “all my passions come together in one movable feast”.

“It turns out if you go 1,000 ft down in the ocean, it’s really dark, and the animals are really strange,” Allen said in 2011. “But if you put on some Pink Floyd, it’s fantastic.”

The onboard recording studio has been used by Mick Jagger, Bono, Usher and Joss Stone. Øino has said equipping the recording studio to Allen’s demands had been a particular challenge.

“Mr Allen’s interest in music was enormous and the acoustic quality was nothing less than a shore-based one,” Øino said. “There were 54 tonnes of AV/IT equipment aboard. A very complex boat in many ways. I think he loved it.”

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Mega yacht Octopus of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for sale

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Written by Rachael Steele

Lürssen mega yacht OCTOPUS , which belonged to the late Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, has been put up for sale at an estimated €295,000,000 (approximately $332,000,000 USD).

Paul Allen’s yacht OCTOPUS listed for sale

Allen, who passed away from cancer in 2018, owned a number of vessels but at a length of 126m/413ft M/Y OCTOPUS was his flagship and remains one of the world’s largest motor yachts, currently sitting at no. 22 in the overall rankings.

M/Y OCTOPUS was built in 2003 and from November 2018 to July 2019 she underwent an eight-month refurbishment at the Blohm + Voss facilities, including her 15-year surveys, to prepare her for sale. Her exteriors come from renowned designer Espen Oeino and the interiors from Seattle-based Jonathan Quinn Barnett , who had an impressive interior volume of 9,932 GT to furnish.

Although Paul Allen used the vessel as a recording studio and for private parties with the likes of U2, Sharon Stone and Mick Jagger, he is most well-known for his philanthropic endeavours and M/Y OCTOPUS was used as a research vessel along with several other motor yachts in his fleet, and was critical to the retrieval of the bell from HMS HOOD, which was sunk by the German battleship BISMARCK, as well as discovering the wrecks of the WWII Japanese warship MUSASHI.

Superyacht Octopus

The accommodation is designed for up to 26 guests over 13 spacious en-suite cabins, and in addition to the Master suite there is a VIP stateroom and a children’s cabin. The experienced crew of 63 is ready to pull off a glamorous party or to navigate to the farthest corners of the world for research purposes.

The private Owner’s deck (also the bridge deck) comes with the aforementioned recording studio with a floor designed with sound dampening properties, a Master suite with a walk-in-wardrobe and an alfresco dining area that has its own bar and whirlpool tub. The other guests are not left wanting as M/Y OCTOPUS is replete with entertainment options such as a cinema, spa with hammam and sauna, gym, basketball court, an observation lounge and a heated freshwater swimming pool with a glass retractable floor to become a flush entertaining space. The selection of water toys is also impressive and created as much for family fun as exploration of the environment, and among the collection is a 10-pax submarine.

Superyacht Octopus with helicopter

In terms of her technical specifications, there are eight MTU 16V 4000 M70 engines that provide a top speed of 19 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots, however most notable is her impressive cruising range of 14,250 nautical miles.

She is built to ICE-Class 1A standards and is equipped with a helipad forward and aft, both of which have access to a hangar for storage.

Luxury yacht OCTOPUS can currently be seen moored at the Antibes marina as she awaits a buyer.

MORE INFO AND IMAGES OF OCTOPUS

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Mega yacht Octopus of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for sale".

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Paul Allen: Microsoft co-founder, philanthropist and superyacht visionary passes away

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By Rebecca Bradbury   16 October 2018

Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with his high school friend Bill Gates, has died aged 65 from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He will be remembered in the yachting industry for owning one of the world’s first go-anywhere expedition yachts: the 126m/300ft  superyacht OCTOPUS .

Allen’s company Vulcan said in a statement that he died on Monday. Earlier this month Allen revealed the cancer he was treated for in 2009, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, had returned.

Allen and Gates founded Microsoft in 1975. He served as the company’s executive vice-president of research and new product development until 1983, when he left for health reasons. He stayed as a major shareholder and member of the board.

His Microsoft co-founder said: “I am heartbroken by the passing of one of my oldest and dearest friends… Personal computing would not have existed without him.”

As well as playing a vital role in developing the PC, the technology pioneer also gave more than $2bn to a wide range of interests, including ocean health, homelessness and advancing scientific research.

He owned the Lurssen superyacht OCTOPUS which, at 126 metres, was the largest yacht in the world at the time of her launch in 2003. Alongside being equipped with every luxury imaginable, she also features state-of-the-art technology for music recording and research expeditions.

Indeed, he was the first superyacht owner to view his vessel as more than just a pleasure palace. He tapped into the opportunities the yacht could bring for ocean research and conservation and, for this, he can be considered as an early pioneer of the expedition yacht, which today is in vogue among new owners.

Highlights of the yacht, which is now the 14th largest in the world, include a swimming pool, a basketball court, and interior styling from award-winning Jonathan Quinn Barnett. While, for research and exploration, two helicopters are stored in the hangar on the main deck, and the tender garage houses a 10-person submarine.

As a research vessel, the motor yacht and her expert crew were involved in the 2015 discovery of the wreck of Japanese ship MUSASHI, one of the biggest warships of the Second World War.

OCTOPUS was also a member of the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) and played an important part in a number of rescue missions.

Equipped with every luxury imaginable, OCTOPUS also features state-of-the-art technology for music recording and research expeditions

In July 2012, Allen loaned the yacht to the Royal Navy free of charge, so they could attempt to retrieve the bell from the wreck of battlecruiser HMS Hood which sunk during World War II in the Denmark Strait.

Four months later, she rescued a sailor who got into difficulties 645 miles south-west of San Diego. Read OCTOPUS recovers bell from HMS Hood and  Paul Allen unearths WW2 Japanese battleship Musashi for more information on these two missions.

The billionaire also hosted a number of parties aboard OCTOPUS at the Cannes Film Festival . The lavish celebrations will be remembered for their themes, such as ‘Bollywood’ and ‘Shakespeare’, as well as their star-studded guest lists.

In May, at the 2018 festival, Gates hosted one of his legendary parties aboard his other yacht, the 92m/303ft superyacht TATOOSH . The theme was ‘An Evening in Casablanca’ and he even took to the stage with his band to entertain the A-list guests in attendance (see Instagram gallery below).  

Built by Nobiskrug in 2000, TATOOSH features elegant interior styling from Terence Disdale alongside a host of cutting-edge entertainment and leisure facilities designed to offer the ultimate in at-sea living.

Back in 2016, the superyacht made headlines when her anchor damaged a coral reef the size of an Olympic swimming pool in the Cayman Islands. But Allen led an emergency restoration plan to help speed the recovery of the injured coral, restoring over 1,592 hard and soft corals and sponges.     

M/Y OCTOPUS and M/Y TATOOSH are not available for charter. But for more information on chartering a large yacht, speak to your preferred charter broker .

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Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen’s 414-Foot Superyacht Just Hit the Market for $325 Million

It's one of the world’s largest vessels measuring a staggering 414 feet., rachel cormack.

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This new 131-foot superyacht concept brings high architecture to the high seas, isa unveils a trio of sleek new superyachts, wider yachts is debuting a 92-foot hybrid catamaran at the venice boat show—here’s a first look.

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Yacht enthusiasts best press CLT+Alt+Delete on work and start gathering cash: The co-founder of Microsoft’s superyacht has just been jointly listed for sale with Burgess and Fraser for a cool $325 million (€295 million).

Commissioned by the late Paul Allen, who died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last year, Octopus is one of the world’s largest vessels measuring a staggering 414 feet. Delivered in 2003, the lofty vessel features eight expansive decks—hence its thalassic title—and can accommodate up to 26 guests in 13 cabins, as well as 60 crew. Lürssen was responsible for constructing the steel cruiser, while naval starchitect Espen Øino —who has more than 40 superyachts to his credit—designed the exterior and Jonathan Quinn Barnett fashioned the interior.

Of course, Octopus is jam-packed with all the luxurious amenities that the former multi-billionaire could get his hands—or tentacles—on. Highlights include helipads and hangar space for two helicopters, a cinema, basketball court, beach club, jacuzzi, expansive pool, library, gym, upscale galley with pizza oven, an onboard recording studio where The Rolling Stone’s frontman Mick Jagger recorded tracks for his new band Superheavy, and a glass-bottomed observation lounge where guests can revel in the aquatic wonders.

Courtesy of Burgess Yachts

If you’d rather see that marine life up-close and personal, there’s a host of equipment in the vessel’s dive center, including scuba gear, jet skis, seven tenders, and even a 10-seat submarine named  Pagoo to help with underwater exploration. Best of all, there’s a hyperbaric chamber to help cure any decompression sickness you get while diving in the deep.

Octopus gets its grunt from a pair of hybrid ABB Industry AG E-Motors: The vessel has an impressive range of 12,500 nautical miles when sailing at 12 knots and can clock 19 knots when cutting through the sea at maximum speed. Allen—who was an avid ocean explorer—capitalized on the vessel’s cruising capabilities and took Octopus to the farthest corners of the globe.

Octopus demands roughly $17 million each year to run, which is a no big deal if you boast a net worth of $20 billion as Allen did. The vessel is currently on its way to the Monaco Yacht Show , where it will be available to view by appointment only.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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A billionaire got Paul Allen’s 414-foot-long Octopus megayacht to the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix and paid $138,000 just to moor it near the tracks and enjoy the race from the $285 million vessel

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The Octopus, a 414-foot superyacht formerly owned by Microsoft's cofounder, can be chartered for $2.2 million — take a look at the vessel

A 414-foot luxury yacht, one of the world's most expensive, can be chartered starting at $2.2 million a week.

The yacht is already seeing bookings and interest for this winter and next summer, Bloomberg reported.

See inside the luxury ship, which can accommodate 12 guests and 42 crew members.

One of the world's largest and most expensive megayachts with a famed past can now be yours to charter for a week to Antarctica …

Source:  Bloomberg

… as long as you have millions of dollars to spend and a lust for ultra luxury travel.

The Octopus, a 414-foot luxury megayacht, can be chartered for trips around Europe, the Americas, and Antarctica starting at $2.2 million a week with yacht firm Camper and Nicholsons.

This multimillion-dollar price tag is definitely heft. But the ship is one of the largest and most expensive explorer yachts ever built, and was previously owned by Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft, Holly Overton reported for Boat International.

Source: Boat International,    Bloomberg

The Octopus' most recent owner acquired the megaboat in 2021, Francesca Webster reported for Superyacht Times. Shortly after, it joined Camper and Nicholsons' fleet for chartering opportunities.

Source: Superyacht Times

And since then, it's seen plenty of interest: The Octopus has already been reserved for three weeks this winter, and its yacht firm is now seeing requests for month-long excursions next summer in the Mediterranean, K Oanh Ha reported for Bloomberg.

The Octopus isn't the only luxury yacht seeing plenty of public interest.

Across the industry, agencies specializing in chartering these expensive yachts have seen plenty of interest. This includes luxury travel agency Fischer Travel Enterprises, which has seen a 20% increase in superyacht bookings this year compared to last year, according to Bloomberg.

But the Octopus isn't like other yachts. Instead, it has helipads, multiple bars, and water toys like seven tenders.

The megayacht can accommodate 12 guests — whether it be friends, family, or researchers — within its 13 cabins across three decks.

These cabins include a primary suite with a private elevator and an observation deck ...

… two "VIP" suites, and seven double and three twin staterooms.

To make sure everything is running smoothly, the eight-deck yacht has room for 42 crew members, a crew to passenger ratio of about one to three-and-a-half.

The Octopus has amenities that can be found on a luxury cruise ship, like a large swimming pool, spa and gym, library, and an observation lounge.

But with a multimillion-dollar price tag, you'd probably expect more than just the typical cruise ship amenities.

Well, you're in luck. The Octopus also has two helipads, an aquarium with a glass bottom, a movie theater …

… a hyperbaric chamber, and a water toy collection that includes seven tenders, electric foils, and its own marina.

The typical cruiseliner and ultra-luxury yacht might have a pool, but they likely don't compare to the exclusivity of the Octopus'.

The ship can accommodate 12 people, but the pool and jacuzzi are surrounded by enough outdoor seating for a large party, a bar, and an extensive dining table ...

... which will be perfect for outdoor lounging during multi-day charters around South and Central America, the Pacific Ocean, and northern Europe, which will run during the summer and winter.

Its ice-class hull also makes the Octopus durable enough to sail in colder climates like Antarctica, which has become a popular choice for travelers this winter.

To take advantage of this, Camper and Nicholsons has seven-day, $2.2 million Antarctica itineraries sailing during the winter to give visitors an in-depth look at the continent.

This includes polar plunges followed by champagne in a hot tub, a look at seals and humpback whales in the wild, and hikes on a nearby island …

Source: Camper and Nicholsons 

… all with the expensive comforts of one of the most luxurious yachts on the high seas.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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Entrepreneur and investor Paul Allen was best known for being one of the co-founders of Microsoft with Bill Gates.

(1953-2018)

Who Was Paul Allen?

Born on January 21, 1953, in Seattle, Washington, Paul Allen met fellow Lakeside School student and computer enthusiast Bill Gates when Allen was 14 and Gates was 12. Less than a decade later, in 1975, college drop-outs Allen and Gates founded Microsoft. Allen resigned after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 1983 and continued to pursue other business, research and philanthropic opportunities.

How Did Paul Allen and Bill Gates Meet?

By the time Allen arranged for Microsoft to buy an operating system called Q-DOS for $50,000, the company had already supplied software for emerging companies such as Apple and Commodore. Gates and Allen reinvented Q-DOS as MS-DOS and installed it as the operating system for IBM's PC offering, which dominated the market after its release in 1981.

Microsoft and Vulcan Ventures

As Microsoft grew and its stock steadily rose, Allen's share in the company he co-founded made him a billionaire at just over 30 years of age. In 1983, Allen, known as the "idea man" counterpart to Gates' "man of action," resigned from Microsoft after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. After undergoing several months of radiation treatment, his health was restored.

Post Microsoft, Allen began to concentrate on other projects, hoping to find the next big idea lurking somewhere just out of sight. In 1986, he set up a company called Vulcan Ventures to research possible investments; to that end, he founded a Silicon Valley think tank in 1992 called Interval Research. Through Interval Research and Vulcan Ventures, Allen began to put his long-term dream of a wired world society — in which virtually everyone is online — into practice.

Diverse Investments

His investments were diverse: America Online, SureFind (an online classified ads service), Teluscan (an online financial service), Starwave (an online content provider), hardware, software and wireless communications. From 1994 to 1998, Allen built an infrastructure of well over 30 different companies in pursuit of his "wired world" strategy. With Vulcan's 1998 purchases of Marcus Cable and more than 90 percent of Charter Communications, Allen became the owner of the nation's seventh-largest cable company. In 1999, he invested nearly $2 billion in the RCN corporation, bringing his total holdings in the cable and Internet businesses to over $25 billion.

He also invested a good deal in the production of interactive media and entertainment. In total, Allen had major investments in over 100 "new media" companies. In 1993, he acquired 80 percent of Ticketmaster until he sold over half of his stock to the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in 1997. In late 1999, Allen and Vulcan Ventures agreed to fund POP.com, an Internet entertainment company formed as a partnership between two prominent production companies: Imagine Entertainment, founded by director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer, and DreamWorks SKG, founded by entertainment giants Steven Spielberg , Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen .

Allen, already an investor in DreamWorks, reportedly invested $50 billion in the company, which aims to create and distribute short features exclusively on the Internet. POP.com was set to debut in the spring of 2000, but failed to get off the ground. Allen has also invested in Oxygen Media, a highly-touted company co-founded by Oprah Winfrey and dedicated to producing cable and Internet programming for women.

Other Interests: Seattle Seahawks, Experience Music Project & More

Allen's other personal and philanthropic interests included sports (he owned the NBA's Portland Trailblazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks) and music. On June 23, 2000, his Experience Music Project, a $250 million interactive rock 'n' roll museum designed by the architect Frank O. Gehry , opened in Seattle. Allen co-founded EMP with his sister, Jody Allen Patton, who serves as the museum's president of the board of trustees. In April 2003, he announced he would be spending $20 million to build the Science Fiction Experience, which opened in the summer of 2004. The museum was billed as "entertaining and thought-provoking exhibits and programs." Allen had also established philanthropic foundations for the causes of medical research, visual and performing arts, community service, and forest preservation.

Playing Guitar

A dedicated Jimi Hendrix enthusiast since he first saw Hendrix perform in 1969, Allen played rhythm guitar in a Seattle band called Grown Men; the band released their first CD in the spring of 2000. In 2013, Allen released another album with his band the Underthinkers called Everywhere at Once through Sony.

Later Career

On May 29, 2013, it was announced that Vulcan Productions, Allen's award-winning media company, had signed on as a production partner of Pandora's Promise , the groundbreaking documentary by Academy Award-nominated director Robert Stone. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews, and was scheduled to debut in the United States in November 2013.

According to a press release issued by Vulcan Productions in May 2013, Stone's film tells the "intensely personal stories of environmentalists and energy experts who have converted from being fiercely anti to strongly pro-nuclear energy, risking their careers and reputations in the process." Stone exposes this environmental controversy with stories of defection by Stewart Brand, Richard Rhodes, Gwyneth Cravens, Mark Lynas and Michael Shellenberger, among others.

" Pandora's Promise presents nuclear power as a hopeful solution to climate change, and is opening people’s minds about one of the most critical issues of our time," Allen stated. "This is exactly the type of thought-provoking project we are proud to partner on and support." Acclaimed films and series from Vulcan Productions include Girl Rising (2013); This Emotional Life (2010); Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial (2007); Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge (2005); No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005); Strange Days on Planet Earth (2005); Black Sky: The Race For Space , and Black Sky: Winning the X Prize (2004); Lightning in a Bottle (2004); The Blues (2003); and Evolution (2001).

In 2014, Allen pledged $100 million to combat Ebola in West Africa. That same year, he founded the Allen Institute for Cell Science, which researches cells in order to understand their behavior in how to fight diseases. Allen has also taken interest in space time travel and launched Vulcan Aerospace in 2015.

Allen lived on Lake Washington's Mercer Island, near Seattle.

Paul Allen Yacht

Loaned for rescue missions and scientific explorations, Allen's yacht, the Octopus , is one of the largest in the world at over 400 feet long, equipped with two helicopter pads, a pool and two submarines.

Battle with Cancer and Death

In the fall of 2009, Allen received another blow to his health: he had developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to undergo more radiation treatments. Luckily, Allen beat this cancer diagnosis as well. However, in October 2018, Allen revealed that he started treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He passed away on October 15, 2018, from complications of the disease.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1953
• Birth date: January 21, 1953
• Birth State: Washington
• Birth City: Seattle
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Entrepreneur and investor Paul Allen was best known for being one of the co-founders of Microsoft with Bill Gates.
• Internet/Computing
• Washington State University
• Lakeside School
• Death Year: 2018
• Death date: October 15, 2018
• Death State: Washington
• Death City: Seattle

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Paul Allen Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/paul-allen
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: April 1, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Microsoft co-founder’s megayacht sails onto the market for a cool $330M

The megayacht once owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is on the market.

Featuring two helicopter pads, 13 guest rooms, and even a 10-person submarine, it’s no surprise to learn that the 126-meter-long vessel known as Octopus has a price tag of 295 million euros (about $332 million).

Allen, who died from cancer in 2018 at 65, owned a number of yachts, but Octopus, built by German shipbuilder Lurssen, was the biggest of them all.

Listed for sale by Monaco-based Fraser Yachts after having completed a refit that took eight months, Octopus can accommodate up to 26 guests. Amenities include a large cinema and a recording studio with a specially designed floor to damp out the low-frequency noise and vibration, a private observation lounge above the owner’s deck, a beach club, pool, gym, and spa/sauna, as well as “an array of water toys.”

#breakingnews The iconic 126m / 414’ OCTOPUS is now for sale with Fraser. The Lurssen built superyacht sets the benchmark for luxury exploration and global cruising. Learn more: https://t.co/kTgBxHErtU #oneofakind #bestofthebest #luxurylifestyle pic.twitter.com/1bjSttiALt — Fraser Yachts (@FraserYachts) September 6, 2019

Allen used the vessel for occasional celebrity parties whose guests reportedly included Mick Jagger and U2, among others.

But the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist also lent it out for research and scientific expeditions in far-flung places.

In 2015, for example, an Octopus expedition succeeded in locating the Japanese World War II battleship Musashi — considered as one of the mightiest battleships ever constructed — at a depth of more than half a mile in the Sibuyan Sea off the coast of the Philippines.

At the time, Allen described the discovery as “an important milestone in the annals of World War II naval history.”

Octopus is currently anchored in Antibes in the south of France as it waits to see who, if anyone, has pockets deep enough to want to call it their own.

Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975 after the pair started marketing a BASIC programming language interpreter that Allen called Micro-Soft.

The company grew to transform the personal computing space, with Allen’s wealth increasing rapidly as Microsoft expanded its business empire. Like Gates, he became a billionaire in his early 30s, giving him access to life’s luxuries that later included Octopus, a vessel that first took to the water in 2003.

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We're focused specifically on gaming monitors here, which come with higher refresh rates and adaptive sync features like G-Sync and FreeSync. If you're looking for an all-around display, make sure to browse our list of the best monitors.

It's not you; Windows is causing the issues this time. If the VPN on your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer is having a hard time connecting, it is likely because of Microsoft's April security updates for Windows 11 (KB5036893 for) and Windows 10 (KB5036892), which have been reported to be the cause of the problems.

But there's good news. According to Microsoft, a patch is now available to fix the VPN problems users are experiencing.

If you can’t decide between a laptop or a tablet, Lenovo has the laptop deals for you, with a huge discount on the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 2-in-1 laptop. Ordinarily priced at $970, it’s down to $640 at Lenovo, so you’re saving $330. Lenovo's estimated value prices can be a little optimistic, but this is a good value regardless. Whatever the discount, we do know that $640 for this laptop is pretty sweet. Here’s what you need to know about it before you buy.

Why you should buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Lenovo makes some of the best 2-in-1 laptops knowing how to get the most from the concept. This particular model has an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor paired up with 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage so it’s pretty capable of handling a lot of your working needs.

Iceland Mag

The superyacht of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is in Reykjavík harbour

By Staff | Jul 23 2015

The Octopus Paul Allen's superyacht is ranked the ninth largest privately owned yacht in the world. No word whether Paul Allen is on-board or not. Photo/Anton Brink.

Travellers in Reykjavík might have noticed a giant yacht parked in the sound outside the old harbour. The superyacht, named The Octopus, is one of the largest privately owned yachts in the world and belongs to Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Paul Allen. It is not known whether Allen is visiting Iceland along with his yacht. Allen, and his yacht, have previously visited Iceland on several occasions.

The first visit by the Octopus to Iceland was in 2010. Allen and his girlfriend flew to Iceland in a private jet and stayed on-board the yacht to celebrate her 30th birthday. The ship will remain in Iceland until mid-August.

Two helicopters, two submersibles The Octopus ranks as the ninth largest privately owned super-yacht. It is 126 meters (414 feet) long, making it 50-60 meters (164-197 feet) longer than the largest trawlers in the Icelandic fleet. It is equipped with a helipad and two helicopters as well as two submersibles. Allen has used the yacht as a base to pursue his passions, which are the study of marine archaeology and shipwrecks, but especially underwater volcanism and geothermal activity on the seabed.

“The yacht is a dream come true for scientists. It is the best equipped ocean research vessel in the world,“ argues Icelandic volcanologist Haraldur Sigurðsson who has worked closely with Allen in the past. Haraldur has travelled with Paul Allen around the world to study volcanoes, both above ground and those on the seabed. Recently he accompanied Allen to Papua New Guinea and the Salomon Islands to study underwater geothermal vents.

In an interview with the local news service Visir.is Haraldur refuses to say whether or not Allen is on-board the yacht. He also stresses that none of the studies which will be undertaken from aboard the yacht require permits, since the submersibles will not touch or disturb the seabed.

Marine archaeology and the Battle of the Atlantic Haraldur tells Visir.is that the Octopus has not only studied geothermal activity or underwater volcanoes:

“The Octopus has also studied the Battleship Hood, which was the largest battleship of the British Navy in the Second World War. It sank between Iceland and Greenland in the second half of the war, after being attacked by the German Battleship Bismarck. The wreck of Hood has now been found, and the Octopus has participated in studies of the wreck which lies at a depth of 3 km (1.9 miles).“ 

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Microsoft cofounder's yacht allegedly destroyed a coral reef

Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates, owns a super-yacht that allegedly had a disastrous run-in with a coral reef.

The Tatoosh , Allen's 300-foot yacht, damaged a chunk of protected coral reef with its anchor chain in the Cayman Islands two weeks ago, according to the islands' Department of Environment.

Ironically, Allen now works to "save endangered species," and "improve ocean health" through his charitable foundation and research projects.

Allen was not aboard the yacht during the incident, according to Scott Slaybaugh, the Department of Environment's deputy director.

The Tatoosh had been stationed near two dive sites on the western coast of Grand Cayman, north of the capital George Town. The area is part of the West Bay Replenishment Zone -- a section of protected waters that, unlike a Marine Park, does not limit vessels to a certain size.

An investigation is ongoing, but the initial estimate is that about 11,000 square feet (a quarter of an acre) of underwater terrain was destroyed.

The maximum fine for the damage is about $600,000, excluding civil damages, Slaybaugh said.

The yacht's crew and Allen are fully cooperating with authorities, a spokesman for Vulcan, Allen's company, said.

"Tatoosh was moored in a position explicitly directed by the local Port Authority," Vulcan said in a statement, adding that the crew moved the vessel as soon as it was notified of potential damage. "Vulcan and Paul G. Allen have a long history of responsible exploration and a commitment to ocean conservation."

A photo posted by Tim Sled (@tssled) on Jan 7, 2016 at 5:42pm PST

Allen, 63, is worth about $18 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index and Forbes. Among his latest conservation projects is the Paul G. Allen Ocean Challenge , which funds research that could help reduce environmental and societal effects from ocean acidification .

Allen also owns another super yacht, the Octopus , which is 414-feet long.

Correction: An earlier version of this article reported an incorrect amount for the maximum fine.

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Yacht owned by Microsoft cofounder investigated for damage to Cayman Islands coral reef

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Seattle Seahawks, was under fire Friday morning for damage caused to a coral reef by his 300-foot yacht.

Officials in the Cayman Islands said one of his yachts destroyed 14,000 square feet, or nearly 80 percent, of a protected coral reef.

Local officials said the ship's chain is to blame for the damage, but Allen was not on board at the time.

The incident happened on Jan. 14, according to a statement from Allen's investment firm Vulcan. A diver told the crew of the yacht an anchor chain may have impacted the coral.

The crew then relocated to ensure the reef was not damaged any further. An investigation by authorities was ongoing.

The Cayman Islands Department of Environment was expected to issue its finding next week.

Related Topics

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• U.S. & WORLD
• OCEAN CONSERVATION

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The largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, from Mark Zuckerberg to Jeff Bezos

• Megayachts have become a status symbol for the richest of the rich.
• In recent years, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have splurged on enormous boats.
• These are the biggest yachts owned by tech billionaires.

The average Joe celebrating a personal renaissance after, say, the end of a long-term relationship or when approaching a fresh decade might commemorate it with an ankle tattoo or a sports car. But if you're a billionaire, you may instead spend hundreds of millions on a yacht .

A few years after he and his wife divorced, Jeff Bezos shelled out on a megayacht. Last year, Bezos debuted the 127-meter vessel "Koru," a Māori symbol that signifies a fresh start — perhaps referring to that with his fiancée Lauren Sanchez.

Earlier this year, just before his 40th birthday, Mark Zuckerberg became the rumored owner of a yacht originally built for a Russian oligarch.

Superyachts have increasingly become ultrawealthy status symbols , providing highly secluded leisure and networking sites. They are — even more so than real estate — the single most expensive asset you can own.

"It's a bit of a celebration of your success in life, of wealth," Giovanna Vitelli, the chair of the Azimut Benetti Group, the world's biggest producer of superyachts, told Business Insider.

While many tech billionaires have bought yachts, the richest of the rich, like Bezos, Zuckerberg, and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, have gone bigger. Their boats are virtual palaces at sea, decked with amenities like gyms, spas, pools, nightclubs, and movie theaters.

A look at these megayachts — broadly defined as over 70 meters long, mostly custom-built, and often costing nine figures — offers a glimpse into how the .00001% lives. It's something few others will ever get to experience. Even chartering a yacht of this size for a week typically costs upwards of $1 million.

One major thing that hundreds of millions of dollars can buy is privacy. There are likely yachts that have not been publicly recorded or registered — for example, Evan Spiegel is rumored to own the 94-meter megayacht Bliss. In an industry ruled by discretion , deciphering who owns what is typically an exercise in stringing together many clues.

Here are the largest yachts owned by tech billionaires, listed in order of length.

Jeff Bezos: Koru and Abeona

Amazon founder Bezos' $500 million megayacht, the 127-meter Koru, made a splash last year as she crisscrossed the Mediterranean in her first summer at sea, with her 75-meter support vessel Abeona in tow.

The sailing yacht, which is hard to miss thanks to her massive size and unique design, was host to Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez's famous friends . The couple held an engagement party on board, which reportedly drew guests including Bill Gates, Ari Emanuel, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Just a week later, they were seen on the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, and Usher.

Even before her completion, Koru made headlines. She drew the ire of some Dutch people, who vowed to hurl eggs after she was announced a historic bridge in Rotterdam might be taken apart to allow the Oceanco boat through. Luckily, the shipyard made alternative plans, and an egg crisis was averted.

Among yacht world insiders , Koru is widely praised for her craftsmanship.

"I heard back in 2018 or something that somebody had ordered a classic sailing yacht," one superyacht expert told BI. "You order 125 meters, that's not really going to be classic. But it is. I think it's pretty cool."

Mark Zuckerberg: Launchpad

Earlier this year, the yacht world was rife with rumors that Zuckerberg purchased Launchpad, a 118-meter superyacht originally designed for a sanctioned Russian businessman.

The ship made her maiden voyage in March, going from Gibraltar to St. Maarten and mooring in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Little is known about her interior, but photos show a large swimming pool and helipad. Her price, too, has been kept under wraps but is said to be nine figures.

Eric Schmidt: Whisper

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt made waves last year when he agreed to buy the Alfa Nero , the yacht of a sanctioned Russian oligarch, for $67 million in an auction conducted by Antigua and Barbuda. But he backed out of the deal following legal issues over her true owner. He quietly purchased Kismet instead. The 95-meter-long Lürssen-built boat was formerly owned by the Jacksonville Jaguar's billionaire owner Shahid Khan . Schmidt renamed her Whisper.

The ship can fit 12 guests and a crew of 28, according to Moran Yacht & Ship, which oversaw her construction. She features a master deck with a private jacuzzi, full-service spa, lap pool, movie theater, and outdoor fireplace.

While her final sale price was not public, she was listed for 149 million euros (about $161 million at current exchange rates), and at a charity auction in January, one week aboard the ship went for $2.4 million, according to industry outlet Yacht Charter Fleet.

Barry Diller: Eos

Barry Diller , the chairman of digital media company IAC, co-owns the megayacht Eos with his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg , who is immortalized by a figurehead sculpture by Anh Duong.

One of the largest private sailing yachts in the world, the three-masted Lürssen schooner measures 93 meters long. She took three years to be built before being delivered to Diller in 2009, and since then, little has come to light about her interior and features.

The power couple has hosted many celebrities on the Eos, which spends her summers crisscrossing the Mediterranean and New Year ' s Eve in St. Barts . Over the years, guests have included Oprah Winfrey, Emma Thompson, Anderson Cooper, and Bezos, leading some to believe she provided inspiration for his Koru.

Jim Clark: Athena

Netscape founder Jim Clark purchased the 90-meter sailing yacht Athena in 2004.

"I could easily have built a 50- or 60-meter motor yacht that would have had the same space as Athena, but I was never really interested in building a motor yacht," he told Boat International in 2016. "To my eye, she's one of the most gorgeous large sailing yachts, maybe the most gorgeous large sailing yacht in the world."

Athena has room for 10 guests and 21 crewmembers, and the only change Clark says he'd make in her design is adding more space for his kids.

"If I was forced to change something, I would convert the office on the lower deck into a children's room," he said.

The former Stanford professor tried to sell her at various points — listing her for $95 million in 2012 , $69 million in 2016, and $59 million in 2017 — but she has yet to change hands.

Larry Ellison: Musashi

Oracle founder Larry Ellison has owned several superyachts over the years, including the Katana, the Ronin, and the Rising Sun — which he sold to fellow billionaire David Geffen .

He purchased his current boat, Musashi, in 2011 for a reported $160 million from custom-yacht giant Feadship.

Named after a famous samurai warrior, the 88-meter-long yacht has both Japanese and Art Deco-inspired design elements. She also boasts amenities including an elevator, swimming pool, beauty salon, gym, and basketball court.

Ellison is known for his extravagant spending — private islands, jets, a tennis tournament — and yachting is among his favorite and most expensive hobbies. He took up racing them in the 1990s and financed the America's Cup-winning BMW Oracle Racing team .

Laurene Powell Jobs: Venus

Steve Jobs' wife, investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, inherited a nearly finished 78-meter yacht named Venus when the Apple cofounder died in 2011.

After spending years vacationing on Ellison's yachts, Jobs wanted one for himself. He designed Venus with French starchitect and decorator Philippe Starck , and she was worth $130 million at completion.

"Venus comes from the philosophy of minimum," Starck said of her design. "The elegance of the minimum, approaching dematerialization."

Jobs and Starck began working together in 2007, the designer told Vanity Fair , and held monthly meetings over four years. Venus was delivered in 2012 to Jobs' specification: six identical cabins, a design to ensure spaces of absolute silence, and the most up-to-date technology.

"There will never again be a boat of that quality again. Because never again will two madmen come together to accomplish such a task," Starck told the magazine. "It was not a yacht that Steve and I were constructing, we were embarked on a philosophical action, implemented according to a quasi-religious process. We formed a single brain with four lobes."

Charles Simonyi: Norn

Early Microsoft employee Charles Simonyi has purchased two megayachts from the German shipyard Lürssen: the 90-meter Norn and 71-meter Skat.

Delivered in 2023, Norn is full of luxe features, including an outdoor cinema and a pool floor that lifts to become a light-up dancefloor. She shares a militaristic style with Skat , which Simonyi sold in 2021.

Skats's name is derived from the Danish word for treasure, and she had a listing price of 56.5 million euros and was launched in 2002.

"The yacht is to be home away from my home in Seattle, and its style should match the style of the house, adapted for the practicalities of the sea," Simonyi once said .

Sergey Brin: Dragonfly

Google cofounder Sergey Brin has built a flotilla of yachts, boats, and toys known as the "Fly Fleet."

Named after a once-secret Google product , the largest of Brin's armada is the sleek Dragonfly , which boasts a movie theater and a helipad. The 73-meter-long vessel was built by the Australian shipyard Silver Yachts and can fit up to 18 guests and 16 crew members, according to SuperYacht Times.

Also in his fleet is the superyacht Butterfly, a mere 38 meters long. Often moored in the Bay Area, her crewmembers spend their downtime kitesurfing and giving swimming lessons to local kids.

The rest of his marine lineup includes a smaller boat called Firefly, as well as Jet Skis, foilboards, dinghies, and kiteboards. She takes a team of 50 full-time employees to manage, steer, and maintain the entire operation.

Sindhu Sundar contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Correction: May 6, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Giovanna Vitelli's title. She is the chair of the Azimut Benetti Group, not a vice president.

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Warren Buffett cares deeply about who will succeed him to run Berkshire Hathaway . But what about the single organization destined to receive much of his stock? Buffett has bequeathed a vast sum to the philanthropic foundation set up by Melinda Gates and her ex-husband, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Melinda’s recent exit from the foundation might consolidate that control in the hands of Bill.

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Video appears to show Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016

FILE - Sean “Diddy” Combs appears at the premiere of “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story” on June 21, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016, the latest in a months-long series of public allegations and revelations of physical and sexual violence from the hip-hop mogul.

The video aired Friday appears to show Combs, wearing only a white towel, punching and kicking the R&B singer who was his protege and longtime girlfriend at the time. The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging Cassie, and throwing a vase in her direction.

The security camera video, dated March 5, 2016, closely resembles the description of an incident at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles described in a November lawsuit filed by Cassie , whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, that alleged years of sexual abuse and other violence from Combs.

The lawsuit alleges Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video. CNN did not say how it obtained the video but noted it verified the location it was shot by comparing the footage to publicly available images of the InterContinental Hotel.

Cassie’s lawsuit was settled the day after it was filed, but spurred intense scrutiny of Combs, with several more lawsuits filed in the following months, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to raid Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.

Representatives for Combs did not immediately comment on the video, but he has previously denied the allegations in the lawsuits, and his lawyers have said he denies any wrongdoing and will fight to prove his innocence.

“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” said Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Cassie who has filed other lawsuits against Combs. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Ventura has.

According to the lawsuit, Combs earlier in the evening became “extremely intoxicated” and punched Ventura, giving her a black eye. After he fell asleep she tried to leave, the suit says. This is apparently where the video begins. Ventura can be seen heading to a bank of elevators with a packed bag.

Then Combs awoke and began screaming at her, following her down the hall, the suit said.

He violently grabs her and yanks her to the ground, kicks her, and throws vases in her direction in the video.

The lawsuit says she managed to get away, but later returned out of fear that she would face greater abuse if she didn’t. As she returned, hotel staff urged her to go back to her apartment, the suit says. She would flee and hide out with a friend in Florida.

The lawsuit alleges Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video.

It is unlikely Combs could be criminally charged in the attack. The statutes of limitations for assault or battery in California run from one to three years depending on whether they’re charged as misdemeanors or felonies.

The video’s release comes as Combs and his legal team had begun to push back against the allegations that had come in a steady stream since November. They recently filed motions to dismiss parts of a lawsuit alleging he sexually assaulted a woman in 1991 , and to dismiss all of a lawsuit alleging he and two other men raped a 17-year-old girl in 2003 . The court filings called both sets of allegations false.

On March 25, Homeland Security Investigations served search warrants on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in a sex-trafficking investigation. His lawyer called it “a gross use of military-level force.” The investigation is continuing. Combs has not been charged.

Combs, a three-time Grammy winner and the founder of Bad Boy Records, is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. He turned his hip-hop success into a broader business empire that includes private-label spirits , fashion, and a TV network . He has had to step aside from some of his business roles since the allegations began emerging.

He and Ventura began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade.

She became known for the hit single “Me & U,” which secured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart in 2006. The song was the lead single of her self-titled and only studio album.

As an actor, she has appeared in several television shows and films, including Fox’s “Empire,” “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “Spenser Confidential.”

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum, Jr. contributed to this report.

Melinda Gates resigning from Gates Foundation, to get $12.5B to launch her own charity

M elinda French Gates, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, announced Monday she is leaving the charity the pair created more than two decades ago to start her own philanthropic endeavor —  and it will be funded with a $12.5 billion payout as part of her exit.

She made the stunning announcement to step down from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s biggest private charitable foundations, in a post on X.

The billionaire benefactors parted ways in 2021 after 27 years of marriage but had pledged to continue their philanthropic work together.

Their final divorce order filed in a Seattle court had no details on an agreement reached between the two on how to divide their marital assets.

“Under the terms of my agreement with Bill, in leaving the foundation, I will have an additional $12.5 billion to commit to my work on behalf of women and families,” Melinda Gates wrote on social media platform.

She did not disclose more details about her plans.

Gates — the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of $153 billion, according to Bloomberg — released a statement that coincided with that of his former spouse, thanking her for “her critical contributions to the Foundation from its very beginning.”

“I am sorry to see Melinda leave, but I am sure she will have a huge impact in her future philanthropic work,” Microsoft MSFT.O co-founder Bill Gates said in a post on X.

Her last day at the foundation will be June 7.

“After careful thought and reflection, I have decided to resign from my role as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,” Gates said in a statement.

“This is not a decision I came to lightly.”

With her departure as co-chair, the foundation will change its name to Gates Foundation and Bill Gates will be its sole chairperson, said CEO Mark Suzman.

“After a difficult few years watching women’s rights rolled back in the U.S. and around the world, she wants to use this next chapter to focus specifically on altering that trajectory,” Suzman said.

The foundation is one of the most powerful and influential forces in global public health, having spent more than $75 billion since its inception to bring a business approach to combating poverty and disease.

From 1994 through 2018, Bill and Melinda gifted about $59.5 billion to the Seattle-based foundation, its website said.

Bill Gates said he is “fully committed to the Foundation’s work across all our strategies, and to realizing the opportunities we have to continue improving the lives of millions around the world.”

Melinda Gates, who has a net worth of $11.3 billion according to Forbes, manages some of her investments and charitable work through her Pivotal Ventures. The investment company, founded in 2015, focuses on women and families.

Gates met Melinda French shortly after she started working at Microsoft as a production manager in 1987.

They got engaged six years late and were married on Jan. 1, 1994. They share two children.

 In April, Page Six reported that Melinda Gates was “no longer dating Jon Du Pre,”  a former Fox News correspondent whom she started seeing in 2022. The update came after Melinda  sparked engagement rumors  by  wearing a massive diamond ring .

Bill Gates has reportedly been dating Paula Hurd, the widow of former Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.