Paul Allen’s new book, Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft, will hit book shelves this week. Most of the early buzz has dwelled on Allen’s contentious relationship with Bill Gates, who Allen claims tried to dilute his shares when he had cancer in the early days of Microsoft. Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes asks about the major controversies in the book while touring Allen’s huge estate, including his museum of jet fighters and “tornado” of rare guitars.
Watch the full interview here.
More interview footage from the tour of Allen’s mansion is also available on 60 Minutes Overtime. Did you know that the Microsoft cofounder has a band of professional musicians he calls up to jam with him, including Dan Akroyd? How about a yacht so big that it has a hidden submarine? If you’re wondering what billions can buy you, you’re about to find out. Stahl doesn’t throw softballs. At one point, she tells Allen that his life of solitude inside his sprawling estate could be compared to billionaire Howard Hughes to which he ponders, responding that Hughes was into sports.
Finally, here’s a video from 2007 showing Gates and Allen back in the trenches where Microsoft began.
UPDATE: CBS’s embedded video does not work correctly. We’ve replaced the video with links.
