Brain scan: Microsoft’s other mogul | The Economist

Final paragraphs from a Paul Allen profile

"That’s not to say he isn’t trying. “Bill Gates and I still talk fairly frequently and we both see the importance of nuclear energy,” says Mr Allen. “Different forms of nuclear energy have to be part of the answer.” Mr Gates has invested in a pioneering reactor fuelled by nuclear waste, while Mr Allen has a stake in a firm working on nuclear fusion.
“I’m trying to be a catalyst in all these different areas, looking over the horizon to see where things are going and pushing them through to fruition,” he says. Like a catalyst, Mr Allen’s work in software, space travel and basic science has certainly accelerated the pace of change. But he confesses to having been altered in the process, most notably by his enduring relationship with Bill Gates. “Sometimes you have these partnerships that accomplish more than you or anyone expects,” says Mr Allen. “Although we’ve had our moments of disagreement, it’s been an amazingly productive relationship for both of us.”"

Brain scan: Microsoft’s other mogul | The Economist