Paul Allen
The owner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL team and Portland Trailblazers NBA team, and co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen auctioned off a painting that went for $43.8 yesterday. You can take a look at the work at the link. What a deep, rich blue!!!
Paul Allen was the language guru at Microsoft those many years ago. IIRC he coded an 8088 Basic interpreter on paper. It was transcribed to whatever electronic media they had (probably cassette tape), loaded, and worked the first time. Quite an impressive feat. Like solving Rubik's cube blindfolded with both hands tied behind your back using only your toes.
A few years ago Allen, at the time the world's 6th richest man, literally bought an election to get taxpayers to fund a new stadium for the Seattle Seahawks. IIRC he spent about $5 million on the election. He won by 50.8 percent and reaped close to $1 billion of taxpayer dollars, if interest on the debt is included. Interest on the debt was paid by taxpayers, so it seems fair to include. Not a bad return on investment, $5 million for $1 billion.
Since then Allen has gone on to a plethora of rent-seeking schemes. He lobbied heavily for the debacle in Seattle known as the South Lake Union Trolly (****) to serve his real estate development interests.
Allen envisions streetcars serving South Lake Union - seattlepi.com
But on the latest Forbes richest list, he has declined from 6th to 53rd. Good to know that while rent-seeking still pays, it doesn't pay as well as being a language guru for a pathbreaking software company.
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