In fact, Microsoft would never have happened without Paul. In December 1974, he and I were both living in the Boston area—he was working, and I was going to college. One day he came and got me, insisting that I rush over to a nearby newsstand with him. When we arrived, he showed me the cover of the January issue of Popular Electronics. It featured a new computer called the Altair 8800, which ran on a powerful new chip. Paul looked at me and said: “This is happening without us!” That moment marked the end of my college career and the beginning of our new company, Microsoft. It happened because of Paul.

https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Remembering-Paul-Allen?utm_source=Benedict%27s+newsletter&utm_campaign=edfcc3766a-Benedict%27s+Newsletter_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4999ca107f-edfcc3766a-70280797