Paul Allen (Co-founder of Microsoft) Speaks His Mind

On 17th Apr 2011, Paul Allen, the more reclusive of the Microsoft's co-founders. gave a wide-ranging interview on "60 Minutes" of CBS.

Allen has penned a book titled "Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft"; the book is scheduled to be released this week. The book focuses on the early years of Microsoft'. It also deals with Allen's efforts as a philanthropist and entrepreneur. "Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft" has, however, been criticized as taking cheap pot shots at co-founder Bill Gates.

"It's not about [revenge]," Allen told correspondent Lesley Stahl in the interview. "I just felt like it's an important piece of technology history and I should tell it like it happened, and I hope people understand and respect that."

Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen

Allen showed Stahl around his estate, including a tour of his airplane collection featuring the first private space rocket, a yacht with its own submarine, and an extensive guitar collection.

The "60 Minutes Overtime" features rare footage of a 2007 interview with Allen and Gates which has them reminiscing on their old teenage stomping grounds, including a look at where they learned the building blocks of computer programming before they founded Microsoft.

Though excerpts of Allen's book have been published by Vanity Fair, the book is expected to provide a ringside view of  the happenings in one of the most historically important corporate houses.