Paul G. Allen, founder of billionaire Stratolaunch who pushed for the trip to the private space, dies at age 65

Private tech giant, philanthropist and space flight entrepreneur Paul G. Allen passed away on Monday, October 15 at the age of 65.

Allen – who co-founded Microsoft and Stratolaunch Systems, among many other companies, and has donated several billion dollars to various causes over the years – died in Seattle as a result of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"My brother was a remarkable person at all levels, and while most people knew Paul Allen as a technologist and philanthropist, he was a beloved brother and uncle and a great friend to us," said his sister Jody. in a statement released today by Vulcan Inc., which manages Allen's many organizations and initiatives. [Stratolaunch Images: Paul Allen’s Giant Rocket-Launching Plane]

"Paul's family and friends were fortunate enough to experience his spirit, warmth, generosity and deep concern, and despite all the demands of his schedule, there was always room for time for his family and friends, "the statement added. "In this time of loss and sorrow for us, and for so many others, we are deeply grateful for the care and concern that he has shown every day.

Allen was a man of many interests, ranging from technology to the arts to sports, space flights and the search for extraterrestrial life. For example, Allen provided start-up funds for the Allen Telescope Array (ATA), a network of 42 radio antennas in northern California used by the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) institute to listen to possible pings of AND

Allen ended up donating more than $ 30 million to the ATA project, representatives of the SETI Institute said.

Allen funded the SpaceShipOne project of Burt Rutan, an aerospace engineer, who became in 2004 the first private crewed vehicle to reach space. The basic SpaceShipOne design is now being developed by Virgin Galactic as a SpaceShipTwo suborbital spacecraft.

In December 2011, Allen and Rutan announced the existence of Stratolaunch Systems, which is working to launch satellites in the air from a giant aircraft. It is the largest aircraft ever built, with a wingspan of 117 meters.

Over the years, Allen has made generous donations to arts and education organizations, but his philanthropy was primarily focused on the advancement of scientific research, environmental conservation and public health. For example, it has established institutes to conduct cutting-edge research on artificial intelligence, neuroscience and cell biology, and its money has been used to fund many efforts to combat illegal fishing, overfishing, poaching and trafficking in endangered species.

Allen, who lived in Seattle, also owned the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.

"We all had the honor of working with Paul, we feel an inexpressible loss today.He possessed a remarkable intellect and a passion for solving some of the world's toughest problems, convinced that the thought creative and new approaches could have a profound and lasting impact "Vulcan Inc.'s CEO, Bill Hilf, said in the same statement.

"Millions of people have been touched by his generosity, his persistence in the quest for a better world and his willingness to accomplish whatever he could with the time and resources at his disposal" Hilf added.

Allen was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1982 and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2009.

Mike Wall's book on the search for extraterrestrial life, "Over there"will be published on November 13 by Grand Central Publishing. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. follow us @Spacedotcom or Facebook. Originally published on Space.com.