What should exist? To me, that’s the most exciting question imaginable. What do we need that we don’t have? How can we realize our potential?

In the computer industry, you’ve got an interdisciplinary team of people who can come together, attack the problem, and work in a collaborative style. You knock down one problem after another, cobble things together, and...

That would be such a life-changing thing, for us all to know that there are other beings out there who we could potentially communicate with, or maybe we are listening to a signal that they...

In the first eight or so years at Microsoft, we were always chained to our terminals, and after I got sick the first time, I decided that I was going to be more adventurous and...

As a species, we’ve always been discoverers and adventurers, and space and the deep ocean are some of the last frontiers.

The best museums and museum exhibits about science or technology give you the feeling that, hey, this is interesting, but maybe I could do something here, too.

I’m a very private person that prefers a low profile.

I enjoy creating new ideas, working on new creative projects.

For the most part, the best opportunities now lie where your competitors have yet to establish themselves, not where they’re already entrenched. Microsoft is struggling to adapt to that new reality.

When it comes to helping out, I don’t believe in doing it for the media attention. My goal is to support the organizations that need help.

The possible is constantly being redefined, and I care deeply about helping humanity move forward.

In a company where tech decisions were still ultracentralized, the repercussions of a distracted CEO had to be damaging.

I am very excited to be supporting one of the world’s most visionary efforts to seek basic answers to some of the fundamental question about our universe and what other civilisations may exist elsewhere.

In global warming, I think everyone is scratching their heads – are there technological things that can be brought to bear that can make a difference?

What is Required by Paul Allen (fragment)1All elsewhere being World, how many times have I stoodin the bright shadows of a wood,no track or trail leading in, out-as though ground coverrenewed as I went through?I...

I grew up around books. When I first held the book and it was a substantive, tangible thing, and I thought of all the work that went into it, not just my work but everybody...

Once you become an owner of a team, you get so much more into the sport and you can’t help it. So I really love NFL football now to the degree of following it much...

We’ve had some tough times, but we’ve hung in there.

Traditionally, Seattle has been a great sports town and great football town. What the Huskies have achieved over the years has been pretty amazing. That’s how I got my first taste of football – when...

With documentary-film projects, you hope you highlight an area of concern people haven’t thought about before. A lot of times, I’m asking myself – ‘This seems to be a significant problem. What can be done...

In my own work, I’ve tried to anticipate what’s coming over the horizon, to hasten its arrival, and to apply it to people’s lives in a meaningful way.

You’ve got to enjoy time with your family and friends, and if you’re involved in sports franchises, those peak moments in playoff games. You have to enjoy life.

While I sign off on trades or free agents, I’ve rarely overruled my basketball people’s decisions. But I’m not shy about steering the discussion or pushing deeper if something doesn’t make sense to me.

You look at things you enjoy in your life, but much more important is what you can do to make the world a better place.

Technology is notorious for engrossing people so much that they don’t always focus on balance and enjoy life at the same time.

If you think about making a difference in the community, my family has always had a strong interest in the arts. I’m always interested in finding ways to innovate… It’s a blend; it’s not a...