Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, will donate 50% of his wealth to charities

With a fortune estimated over $13.5 billion, Paul Allen, who founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, is in 37th position among the world’s richest people according to Forbes magazine.

In a statement issued by his foundation, Paul Allen announced also that he donated 3.9 million dollars to a group of philanthropic organizations in the northwest United States.

“I’ve planned for many years now that the majority of my estate will be left to philanthropy to continue the work of the foundation and to fund non-profit scientific research like the ground-breaking work being done at the Allen Institute for Brain Science,” Allen said in a statement.

Allen has appeared on the Philanthropy 50, the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of the nation’s 50 largest donors, eight times and ranked No. 11 last year, donating $85 million.

Paul Allen, aged 57, was diagnosed last year with a serious form of cancer – non-Hodgkin’s malignant lymphoma.

His announcement comes shortly after Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, the richest American businessmen have launched a public appeal to wealthy Americans to donate at least half of the fortunes to charities.

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