People are already starting to debate Paul Allen’s legacy. Some admire him, some disliked him (mostly because of his wealth) and some don’t care at all. I can honestly say his generosity had a major impact on my life as well as countless other people in this region. He used his wealth to try and make this city a better place. Supported practically every arts and cultural organization in the city and kept his money where he lived. There are things like the Human Genome Project that will be creating positive results globally for years to come. When it’s all said and done I probably only had a direct conversation with Paul a few times in the years I worked for EMP but spent quite a bit more time around him in both work and social settings. My real takeaway is that if he hadn’t hit the jackpot with Microsoft, he would have still pursued his interests in music, science fiction, art, literature and anything else that stoked his curiosity. He’d basically be that friend we all have that’s incredibly smart, a little socially awkward and endlessly curious. The person you could have a two-hour conversation over beers about Jimi Hendrix, Star Trek or collecting first edition comic books. He was truly a Seattle archetype. He will be missed. Tonight I think we should all put on some Hendrix and pour out a little diet coke in his memory.
– Ben London
