06:00, 22 May 2026
Words by Abi Scaife, Staff Writer, London
Paul Allen once said; “You look at things you enjoy in your life, but much more important is what you can do to make the world a better place.” For the co-founder of Microsoft, this wasn’t just a throwaway comment, but the ethos on which he built his life.
Born in Seattle, Washington, USA, Allen met Bill Gates at school, where they became fast friends. Their friendship and love of technology and pushing boundaries led to the creation of Microsoft, co founded by the pair, and the base for the fortune that would enable both Allen and Gates to perform incredible philanthropic works.
Paul Allen was also one of a number of wealthy people who signed the Giving Pledge, founded by his childhood friend Bill Gates alongside Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett, promising to give away the majority of his fortune.
Over the course of his life, which sadly came to an end in 2018, Paul Allen donated over $2.65 billion to various different causes. Thanks to his generosity, we have seen epidemics tackled, the ocean floor explored, and our understanding of bioscience immeasurably deepened.
Alongside his sister, Jody, Allen launched the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in 1988 - now known as Allen Family Philanthropies. The idea behind the Foundation was an outlet for Allen’s philanthropic endeavours, something which has continued long after his death, using Allen’s fortune and funding the causes which he felt most important.
The Foundation primarily funds three areas - Arts & Culture, Youth, and Environment. Allen’s legacy has funded some incredible projects, including ‘The Great Elephant Census’, which aimed to take stock of all of Africa’s remaining savannah elephants, in the hopes of protecting the remainder of the species.
Much of Paul Allen’s fortune has gone towards institutes and projects aimed at improving the future those who are innovating, creating and pushing the boundaries of our world, in an effort to make it better.
The Microsoft co-founder notably launched a number of different institutes for research, including the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence and the Allen Institute for Cell Science. These research centres are all designed to tackle some of the biggest scientific questions still existing today - all with the aim of finding answers that can be applied to make lives better, longer, and healthier.
The Paul Allen website quotes Allen as saying "As long as we work together—with both urgency and determination— there are no limits to what we can achieve." - and little shows this to be more true than Allen’s philanthropic endeavours.
In 2018 Paul Allen committed $30 million to build the Gardner House and Allen Family Center, which provides housing for families experiencing homelessness. Allen would sadly die later that year, but even right up until the end, he never lost sight of what he believed was truly important.
Today, Allen Family Philanthropies is continuing the work of Paul Allen almost 8 years after he passed away by funding important, and culturally relevant, work with the goal of improving our world’s future.
In March 2026, Allen Family Philanthropies pledged a $250,000 grant to support the Seattle chapter of the U.S. Chamber of Connection; “a national institution that is addressing the growing epidemic of social disconnection”.
Though Paul Allen died from complications relating to cancer in 2018, because his legacy is so dedicated to making a better future, it has taken on a life of its own. Without Allen’s commitment to philanthropy, and to positive change, our world would surely have suffered - and with his passion, commitment and true belief in what he was doing, he has saved many lives.
If there is anything we can learn from Paul Allen it must be this; anyone can change the world, but the biggest changes we can make come when we work together.
At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.
Allen Family Philanthropies. This private family foundation invests in communities across the Pacific Northwest to strengthen arts and culture, empower youth leaders, and accelerate biodiversity protection. Learn more here.
Allen Institute. This nonprofit research organisation focuses on answering some of the biggest questions in bioscience. Discover their work here.
Allen Institute for AI. This research institute is driven by a singular focus to harness artificial intelligence for the common good. Find out more here.
This positive news article aligns with the UN SDG Life On Land, Partnerships For The Goals.
