The Accidental Zillionaire

The first in-depth look at one of the world's richest-and most
secretive-businessmen

Though his wealth is certainly no secret, the world's fourth
richest man remains an enigma. Paul Allen made his fortune as Bill
Gates's partner in Microsoft, supplemented it with questionable,
though often profitable, venture capital schemes, and has since
invested his wealth in a widely divergent list of interests. He
owns the NBA's Portland Trailblazers and the NFL's Seattle
Seahawks. Among hundreds of smaller ventures, he is a primary
stakeholder in the film production company DreamWorks SKG and
formerly held a large piece of the widely despised Ticketmaster
monopoly. Dubbed the "Accidental Zillionaire" by Wired magazine,
Allen has often appeared to be a bumbler who succeeded primarily
through luck and by coopting the visionary ideas of others. In The
Accidental Zillionaire, Laura Rich, one of the foremost chroniclers
of the Internet economy, unravels the secret Paul Allen, his inner
motivations, his vision, and his personality. She tells Allen's
story from his days as a fledgling computer geek in suburban
Washington state, to his role in founding the world's largest
software company, to his battle with cancer, to his sycophantic
flirtation with Hollywood and its brightest stars. Paul Allen is a
man of various interests and passions, but few if any know him
well. The Accidental Zillionaire for the first time reveals the
inner workings of a towering figure in the worlds of technology,
business, sports, and entertainment.

Laura Rich (Los Angeles, CA) is a former writer for
The Industry Standard, Adweek, and Inside
Media. She currently covers the world of digital entertainment
for Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, and The
Hollywood Reporter. She penned The Standard's popular "Rich
List" report and has reported on Paul Allen for years.