The Accidental Zillionaire: Demystifying Paul Allen

Praise for THE ACCIDENTAL ZILLIONAIRE
"Why is this the first book to be written about Paul Allen, the enigmatic tech wunderkind who has spent much of his adult life high atop the World's Richest Men list? Rich digs deep into Allen's past to offer us a quick-paced, entertaining, and illuminating glimpse into the life of a man who plainly has so much to prove despite his untold riches."
-Gary Rivlin, Author, The Plot to Get Bill Gates
"A disquieting look into high-tech's enigma, Paul Allen. Once Laura Rich's tale begins to unfold we are treated to a roller-coaster inventory of odd and interesting facts, from Allen's love affair with Monica Seles to his makeover by David Geffen. Her depiction at first brings to mind The Great Gatsby but quickly and disturbingly evolves into a dark portrait of a lost soul. A must-read."
-John C. Dvorak, Columnist, PC Magazine

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.