Paul Allen's tumultuous season |
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Paul Allen's tumultuous season
If the Seattle Seahawks' 2006 Super Bowl run qualified as a high point in Paul Allen's post-Microsoft career, it's tough not to see 2009 as something else. The resignation of GM Tim Ruskell from Allen's struggling Seahawks yesterday was the latest rough patch in a year that, viewed from the outside, has been unusually rocky for Allen.
The difficult milestones included layoffs at his Vulcan Inc. investment company, the bankruptcy of Charter Communications, and the sale of Digeo, the Kirkland-based home entertainment technology company backed by Allen, for many millions less than the company raised in funding over the years.
And then there was the toughest news, Allen's recent diagnosis with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
There have been bright spots, including the successful sale of wireless spectrum to AT&T, a big return in the $500 million sale of the Allen-backed BiPar Sciences in April, the launch of Xiant, and a great inaugural season for Seattle Sounders FC, with Allen as an owner.
Allen's sister, Jody, told Vulcan employees recently that he remains upbeat. Allen is still a multi-billionaire, even though Forbes in March estimated that his fortune had fallen over the previous 12 months by 32 percent, to $10.5 billion, as a result of the difficult economy and investments that weren't paying off.
Through it all, Allen appears to be sticking to his principles.
"I work for a man, Mr. Paul Allen, who has exacting standards," said Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke, explaining Ruskell's departure, as quoted by the Seattle Times. "It's also his opinion that this is a unique and special franchise, and with it comes the expectations."
Looking ahead, the next year promises to start on a positive note for the Microsoft co-founder. His Vulcan Productions Inc. has co-produced a new PBS special, This Emotional Life, which premieres in early January. The three-part series tells the stories of ordinary people and celebrities -- "exploring ways to improve our social relationships, cope with emotional issues, and become more positive, resilient individuals."
Allen himself isn't listed among the subjects of the series, but given everything he has been through, he'd no doubt have lots of insights to share.
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