Microsoft co-founder says Gates was a 'bully'
March 31, 2011 | 08:54
Companies: #microsoft #paul-allen
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has portrayed Bill Gates as a sarcastic bully in his memoirs, which go on sale in April.
An extract of the book, called Idea Man: a Memoir, was just published by Vanity Fair. It paints a less than rosy picture of Gates, saying he tried to 'force his founding partner out of the firm and to cut his share in the company as he was recovering from cancer.'
The two met at high school in 1968, where Allen describes his first impressions of Gates as 'really competitive; he wanted to show you how smart he was. And he was really, really persistent.'
Perhaps the most damning claim was that when Allen returned from sick leave with Hodgkin's lymphoma, he found Gates and current Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer discussing ways of reducing his stake in the company.
According to The Guardian, Forbes magazine estimates Allen's fortune at $13bn, thanks to a deal on leaving the company.
Gates has since responded to Allen's version of events in a statement to the Wall Street Journal, saying: 'While my recollection of many of these events may differ from Paul's, I value his friendship and the important contributions he made to the world of technology and at Microsoft.'
What do you make of the extract? Let us know in the forums.
An extract of the book, called Idea Man: a Memoir, was just published by Vanity Fair. It paints a less than rosy picture of Gates, saying he tried to 'force his founding partner out of the firm and to cut his share in the company as he was recovering from cancer.'
The two met at high school in 1968, where Allen describes his first impressions of Gates as 'really competitive; he wanted to show you how smart he was. And he was really, really persistent.'
Perhaps the most damning claim was that when Allen returned from sick leave with Hodgkin's lymphoma, he found Gates and current Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer discussing ways of reducing his stake in the company.
According to The Guardian, Forbes magazine estimates Allen's fortune at $13bn, thanks to a deal on leaving the company.
Gates has since responded to Allen's version of events in a statement to the Wall Street Journal, saying: 'While my recollection of many of these events may differ from Paul's, I value his friendship and the important contributions he made to the world of technology and at Microsoft.'
What do you make of the extract? Let us know in the forums.
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