Paul Allen is probably best thought of as the big, bearded guy standing next to Bill Gates in old publicity photos from Microsoft Corp. That"s because even though Allen is the third-richest man in America, owns several major sports franchises, left Microsoft way back in 1983, and shaved the beard years ago, he still lives in the shadow of Bill Gates.
For most people, being the co-founder of Microsoft would be enough achievement for a lifetime, but it has never satisfied Allen, who is often dismissed as an accident of history. Laura Rich"s book "The Accidental Zillionaire: Demystifying Paul Allen" is the first biography to analyze the reclusive Allen and tries to answer the question of whether Paul Allen is himself an industry giant, or just an incredibly lucky guy.