How did Bill Gates swindle Paul Allen’s fortune?

How did Bill Gates swindle Paul Allen’s fortune? There’s a narrative suggesting Bill Gates mistreated Paul Allen during the early days of Microsoft, but there’s no widely accepted claim that Gates “swindled” Allen out of his fortune. However, their relationship was complicated, and there are some key moments that have raised eyebrows over the years:

Equity Dispute:

When Microsoft was first formed, Gates and Allen had disagreements about how the company should be structured and who should own what percentage. Gates reportedly pushed for a larger share of the equity, citing that he worked harder and put in more effort than Allen. Allen initially owned a larger share, but Gates eventually renegotiated, resulting in a greater portion going to him.

1982 Incident:

In his memoir Idea Man, Paul Allen wrote that during his battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the early 1980s, Gates and Steve Ballmer (Microsoft’s CEO) allegedly plotted to reduce Allen’s share in the company because they believed he wasn’t contributing enough. Allen overheard this conversation and confronted Gates and Ballmer. The plan was ultimately scrapped, but it left a bitter taste in Allen’s mouth.

Early Exit:

Allen left Microsoft in 1983 after his cancer diagnosis, but he retained his shares. Though some reports claim Gates and Ballmer pressured him to sell, Allen kept his stock and later became a billionaire when Microsoft’s value skyrocketed.

Despite these tensions, Allen’s decision to keep his shares ensured that he amassed substantial wealth, and his net worth was estimated at over $20 billion at the time of his death in 2018. Gates has publicly praised Allen in later years, but their relationship was undeniably strained during key periods of Microsoft’s history.

There is no concrete evidence that Gates “swindled” Allen; rather, they had business disagreements that led to hard feelings, but Allen was still able to build a vast fortune.