Longtime Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen has died from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his family announced Monday. He was 65.
“My brother was a remarkable individual on every level,” Allen’s sister Jody Allen said via press release. “While most knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, for us he was a much loved brother and uncle, and an exceptional friend.
“Paul’s family and friends were blessed to experience his wit, warmth, his generosity and deep concern. For all the demands on his schedule, there was always time for family and friends. At this time of loss and grief for us – and so many others – we are profoundly grateful for the care and concern he demonstrated every day.”
Allen was successfully treated for Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1982, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2009. He announced on Oct. 1 that he had begun treatment for a second bout of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in the early 1970s, laying the foundation for a personal fortune that would eventually rank him among the world’s richest men at more than $20 billion.
An enthusiastic sports fan, Allen spent $70 million of that fortune to buy the Trail Blazers in 1988 from California real estate magnate Larry Weinberg. The Blazers held a 56.2 win percentage under Allen’s stewardship, reaching the playoffs 19 times and The Finals twice (1990, 1992).
Allen also owned the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, and a share of Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC.
