Paul Allen
Co-founder of Microsoft; investor and philanthropist
"A technological pioneer driven by an instinct for systemic shifts."
The life of Paul Allen
Who was Paul Allen?
Co-founder of Microsoft, and the one who saw the Altair on a magazine cover and told Bill Gates they were about to miss it. He left the company in 1983 after a cancer diagnosis and spent the rest of his life as an investor, sports owner and collector.
Defining moments
Paul Allen dies
Uranus square Sun 126 days before his death marked a turbulent disruption to his vitality during an intense power window.
The Death in the timeline ↓Saturn sextile Sun exacted 8 days after Windows 1.0 shipped, locking in enduring structural credibility for the breakthrough release during a rare power window.
The Career Milestone in the timeline ↓Gates and Allen found Microsoft
Uranus squared the Sun 109 days before the founding, marking a volatile power window that set the stage for radical reinvention.
The Collaboration Start in the timeline ↓Paul Allen's birth chart
☾ Born Jan 21, 1953 · time unknown · Seattle · The rising sign is not shown because this birth time is not recorded to the minute. · Birth data: X · See sources
1 placement that explains this chart
Paul Allen combined the forward-looking orientation of an Aquarius Sun with an expansive, wide-ranging splay chart formation. His career moved from co-founding Microsoft to broad investments in science, sports, and cultural preservation.
Sun in Aquarius marked his focus on pioneering computing systems and orchestrating massive capital into exploratory scientific research.
How Paul Allen's chart holds together
Twelve systems read the same birth chart twelve different ways. Match your chart to see how yours lines up with Paul Allen's.
Elements and modalities
cardinal-heavy by a slight margin, with no element standing out.
Elements × modalities
| Cardinal | Fixed | Mutable | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🜂 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 🜃 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 🜁 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 🜄 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 |
Elements
Modalities
Quadrant emphasis is not shown because house positions need a birth time recorded to the minute.
Chart patterns that stand out
Angle-based patterns are not shown because this birth time is not recorded to the minute.
Venus & Neptune in mutual reception: each at home in the other's sign
See celebrities with this pattern →Frequencies are measured against the profile corpus, not asserted.
Twelve systems read Paul Allen's chart
the full reading
13 placements in the chart signature →Natal Chart
placidus houses
Full natal readingCollapse
Exact planetary positions
● Sun, Moon or chart ruler · ℞ retrograde
| Body | Position | Motion | Theme | Sabian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moon | ♈︎ Aries 22°55' | - | — | Fruition |
| Jupiter | ♉︎ Taurus 11°26' | - | — | Anticipation |
| Uranus | ♋︎ Cancer 15°52' | ℞ | — | Meditation |
| Pluto | ♌︎ Leo 22°32' | ℞ | — | Daring |
| Lilith | ♍︎ Virgo 3°10' | - | — | Harmony |
| Neptune | ♎︎ Libra 23°53' | - | — | Mutation |
| Saturn | ♎︎ Libra 27°07' | - | — | Illumination |
| Chiron | ♑︎ Capricorn 15°36' | - | — | Activity |
| Mercury | ♑︎ Capricorn 23°09' | - | — | Retreat |
| Sun | ♒︎ Aquarius 1°15' | - | — | Catharsis |
| North node | ♒︎ Aquarius 12°26' | - | — | Sensitivity |
| Mars | ♓︎ Pisces 16°41' | - | — | Renewal |
| Venus | ♓︎ Pisces 17°52' | - | — | Fervor |
| South node | ♌︎ Leo 12°26' | - | — | — |
Full aspects · 23
Chart patterns
House system: placidus · Birth time: estimated · Angles not used
Transits
Lifetime cosmic weather & power windows
Birth time unknown: the transits below are Sun and planet-to-planet only, never Ascendant, Midheaven, house, or Moon placements.
Gates and Allen found Microsoft
Founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the Altair maker they had just sold a BASIC interpreter to.Source ↗
Personal year 8 · Pinnacle 4
Editorial note · Uranus square Sun
Uranus squared the Sun 109 days before the founding, marking a volatile power window that set the stage for radical reinvention.
Paul Allen's chart on when the collaboration began, 1975Collapse
Dec 16Apr 4Jul 22Dec 16, 1974 – Jul 22, 1975 · 218 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Uranus square Sunslow
- Chiron square Mercuryslow
- North Node sextile Sunfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Paul Allen, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
- 10 QUIET YEARS
Windows 1.0 ships
Two years late, and the beginning of the product that carried the company for the next three decades.Source ↗
Personal year 9 · Pinnacle 4
Editorial note · Saturn sextile Sun
Saturn sextile Sun exacted 8 days after Windows 1.0 shipped, locking in enduring structural credibility for the breakthrough release during a rare power window.
Paul Allen's chart on a career milestone, 1985Collapse
Oct 21Nov 20Dec 20Oct 21 – Dec 20, 1985 · 60 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Uranus square Marsslow
- Uranus square Venusslow
- Saturn sextile Sunslow
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Paul Allen, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
- 32 QUIET YEARS
Paul Allen: Paradise Papers
Personal year 5 · Pinnacle 1
Editorial note · Uranus square Mercury
Uranus squared Mercury 59 days after the leak, reflecting how sudden intellectual disruption and media shockwaves rippled through a tense power window.
Paul Allen's chart on a career milestone, 2017Collapse
Jul 21Nov 5Feb 20Jul 21, 2017 – Feb 20, 2018 · 214 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Pluto sextile Venusslow
- Pluto sextile Marsslow
- Chiron sextile Mercuryslow
- Uranus square Mercuryslow
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Paul Allen, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
Paul Allen dies
Personal year 6 · Pinnacle 1
Editorial note · Uranus square Sun
Uranus square Sun 126 days before his death marked a turbulent disruption to his vitality during an intense power window.
Paul Allen's chart on the day of death, 2018Collapse
Jun 11Oct 15Feb 18Jun 11, 2018 – Feb 18, 2019 · 252 days
Birth time estimated · Sun, Mercury, Venus and Mars contacts only
- Uranus square Sunslow
- Pluto sextile Venusslow
- Jupiter sextile Mercuryfast
Moon, Ascendant and Midheaven contacts are not shown for Paul Allen, and no house is named — those depend on a birth time recorded to the minute, and this one is an estimate.
Human Design
Sacral Generator on the Cross of Distraction
A 6/2 Generator design supported his transition from intense corporate building to widespread external ventures.
The Left Angle Cross of Distraction
Full Human Design readingCollapse
Centers · 7 defined / 2 open
| Centre | State | What it governs |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Defined | — |
| Ajna | Defined | — |
| Throat | Defined | — |
| G identity | Defined | — |
| Heart will | Open | — |
| Sacral | Defined | — |
| Solar plexus | Open | — |
| Spleen | Defined | — |
| Root | Defined | — |
Chart properties
Signature
When the strategy is working
—
Not-self theme
When it isn't
—
Personality activations · 13
| Planet | Gate.Line |
|---|---|
| ☉︎ Sun | 60.6 |
| · Earth | 56.6 |
| ☽︎ Moon | 42.3 |
| ☊ North node | 19.6 |
| ☋ South node | 33.6 |
| ☿︎ Mercury | 61.3 |
| ♀︎ Venus | 22.1 |
| ♂︎ Mars | 63.6 |
| ♃︎ Jupiter | 24.5 |
| ♄︎ Saturn | 50.1 |
| ♅︎ Uranus | 53.1 |
| ♆︎ Neptune | 32.4 |
| ♇︎ Pluto | 4.4 |
Design activations · 13
| Planet | Gate.Line |
|---|---|
| ☉︎ Sun | 28.2 |
| · Earth | 27.2 |
| ☽︎ Moon | 19.4 |
| ☊ North node | 13.6 |
| ☋ South node | 7.6 |
| ☿︎ Mercury | 43.4 |
| ♀︎ Venus | 34.6 |
| ♂︎ Mars | 38.2 |
| ♃︎ Jupiter | 2.5 |
| ♄︎ Saturn | 57.6 |
| ♅︎ Uranus | 53.4 |
| ♆︎ Neptune | 32.2 |
| ♇︎ Pluto | 4.5 |
Defined channels · 7
Centres and channels derive from the combined design (88° solar arc pre-birth) and personality (natal) gate set; lines come from planetary longitude.
Gene Keys
Navigating Limitation Toward Realism
Gene Key 60 in his Life's Work points to practical breakthroughs achieved within rigid technical constraints.
Full Gene Keys readingCollapse
Hologenetic Profile
Activation Sequence
| Sphere | Key | Shadow → Gift → Siddhi |
|---|---|---|
| Life's Work | Gene Key 60 Conscious Sun | |
| Evolution | Gene Key 56 Conscious Earth | |
| Radiance | Gene Key 28 Unconscious Sun | |
| Purpose | Gene Key 27 Unconscious Earth |
Venus Sequence
| Sphere | Key | Shadow → Gift → Siddhi |
|---|---|---|
| Attraction | Gene Key 19 | |
| IQ | Gene Key 22 | |
| EQ | Gene Key 63 | |
| SQ | Gene Key 34 |
Pearl Sequence
| Sphere | Key | Shadow → Gift → Siddhi |
|---|---|---|
| Vocation | Gene Key 38 | |
| Culture | Gene Key 2 | |
| Pearl | Gene Key 24 |
Rings, codons & partners
Gene Keys derive from the same combined design (88 days pre-birth) and personality (natal) gate set as Human Design, read through the shadow → gift → siddhi spectrum rather than defined/undefined centres.
Vedic Nakshatras
revati Moon nakshatra
Full Vedic readingCollapse
Nakshatra placements · 14
● shown in snapshot · scrolls →
| Body | Nakshatra | Pada | Sidereal | Ruler | Deity | Animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jupiter | Bharani | 2 | Aries 18° | Venus | Yama | Male Elephant |
| Uranus | Punarvasu | 1 | Gemini 22° | Jupiter | Aditi | Female Cat |
| Pluto | Ashlesha | 4 | Cancer 29° | Mercury | Nagas | Male Cat |
| Lilith | Magha | 3 | Leo 9° | Ketu | Pitris | Male Rat |
| Neptune | Chitra | 3 | Libra 0° | Mars | Tvashtar | Female Tiger |
| Saturn | Chitra | 4 | Libra 3° | Mars | Tvashtar | Female Tiger |
| Ascendant | Mula | 3 | Sagittarius 6° | Ketu | Nirrti | Male Dog |
| Chiron | Purva ashadha | 3 | Sagittarius 22° | Venus | Apas | Male Monkey |
| Mercury | Uttara ashadha | 1 | Sagittarius 29° | Sun | Vishvadevas | Female Cow |
| Sun | Uttara ashadha | 4 | Capricorn 8° | Sun | Vishvadevas | Female Cow |
| North node | Shravana | 3 | Capricorn 19° | Moon | Vishnu | Female Monkey |
| Mars | Purva bhadrapada | 2 | Aquarius 23° | Jupiter | Aja Ekapada | Male Lion |
| Venus | Purva bhadrapada | 2 | Aquarius 24° | Jupiter | Aja Ekapada | Male Lion |
| Moon | Revati | 4 | Pisces 29° | Mercury | Pushan | Male Elephant |
Maha Dasha timeline · 9
| Ruler | Span | Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Jan 21, 1953 → Jun 4, 1953 | - |
| Ketu | Jun 4, 1953 → Jun 4, 1960 | - |
| Venus | Jun 4, 1960 → Jun 4, 1980 | - |
| Sun | Jun 4, 1980 → Jun 4, 1986 | - |
| Moon | Jun 4, 1986 → Jun 4, 1996 | - |
| Mars | Jun 4, 1996 → Jun 4, 2003 | - |
| Rahu | Jun 4, 2003 → Jun 4, 2021 | Now |
| Jupiter | Jun 4, 2021 → Jun 4, 2037 | - |
| Saturn | Jun 4, 2037 → Jun 4, 2056 | - |
Antardashas within Rahu
Sub-periods exist only for the running maha dasha; the other eight rows carry none by design, so they show none.
| Ruler | Span |
|---|---|
| Rahu | Jun 4, 2003 → Feb 14, 2006 |
| Jupiter | Feb 14, 2006 → Jul 9, 2008 |
| Saturn | Jul 9, 2008 → May 16, 2011 |
| Mercury | May 16, 2011 → Dec 3, 2013 |
| Ketu | Dec 3, 2013 → Dec 21, 2014 |
| Venus | Dec 21, 2014 → Dec 21, 2017 |
| Sun | Dec 21, 2017 → Nov 15, 2018 |
| Moon | Nov 15, 2018 → May 16, 2020 |
| Mars | May 16, 2020 → Jun 4, 2021 |
Ayanamsa: 23.2014 · Dasha system: Vimshottari
Mayan Tzolkin
Kin 137 · White Mirror · Resonant
Etznab · Resonant tone
Full Mayan Tzolkin readingCollapse
Seal & tone
Oracle relations
Kin from birth date against the 260-day count, Dreamspell correlation · Seal = kin mod 20, tone = kin mod 13
Numerology
Life Path 4 Focus on Systems Architecture
Life Path 4 emphasizes methodical structure, visible in his foundational software engineering work.
Full Numerology readingCollapse
Core numbers
Chinese Zodiac
Water Dragon Ambition and Fluid Resourcefulness
Born in the year of the Water Dragon, his public life married large-scale ambition with diverse intellectual pursuits.
The hour pillar and secret animal need a recorded birth time, so they aren't shown.
Full Chinese Zodiac readingCollapse
| Pillar | Stem | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 壬 | 辰 |
| Month | 癸 | 丑 |
| Day | 壬 | 辰 |
Day master
壬 anchors this Four Pillars reading: the Day pillar's Heavenly Stem, and the one value here that never depends on a recorded birth time.
Inner animals
Year, month and day pillars need only the birth date.
Tarot Birth Cards
The Emperor
Full Tarot readingCollapse
The reduction
| Card | Title | Keywords | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personality & Soul | The Emperor | authority, structure, control, stability | Order imposed through discipline and leadership — the architecture that lets things last. |
Year card for 2026 · turns over 1 Jan 2027
Birth-date reduction against the 22 Major Arcana; year card recomputed for the current calendar year at each rebuild
Arabic Parts
Lots, formulas & sensitive points
Full Arabic Parts readingCollapse
Lots on the wheel
Lots · 8
Houses aren't shown for this chart because the birth time is estimated.
The body and worldly fortune; where material and emotional well-being converge. Reveals how you attract abundance and physical vitality.
The mind and spiritual purpose; the inverse of Fortune. Reveals conscious intent, vocation, and the soul's directional momentum.
Triumph through sustained effort; favorable outcomes earned by aligning ambition with discipline and structure.
Binding obligation and fated constraint; the circumstances that must be endured or worked through rather than chosen.
Reckoning and karmic consequence; the area of life where past choices return to be faced directly.
Desire, passion, and erotic magnetism; where attraction and creative drive merge. Reveals the nature of what you most deeply crave.
Partnership destiny and the nature of committed bonds; reveals the quality and karma of your most significant unions.
Boldness, daring, and the warrior spirit; where you find the nerve to act and the audacity to lead.
Sabian Symbols
Sudden Catalyst for Modern Innovation
Sun at 'An unexpected thunderstorm' highlights a capacity to initiate rapid disruptions in personal computing.
Sun · Aquarius 1°15'
An unexpected thunderstorm
Full Sabian readingCollapse
A pregnant woman in light summer dress
"Fruition"
A young couple window shopping
"Anticipation"
A man studying a mandala in front of him with the help of an ancient book
"Meditation"
In a circus the bareback rider displays her dangerous skill
"Daring"
Black and white children play together happily
"Harmony"
A butterfly with a third wing on its left side
"Mutation"
A man in the midst of brightening influences
"Illumination"
The Pope blessing the faithful
"Benediction"
School grounds filled with boys and girls in gymnasium suits
"Activity"
A woman entering a convent
"Retreat"
An unexpected thunderstorm
"Catharsis"
A barometer
"Sensitivity"
An Easter promenade
"Renewal"
In a huge tent a famous revivalist conducts his meeting with a spectacular performance
"Fervor"
Feng Shui
Kua 2
Favorable: Northeast, West, Northwest, Southwest
Full Feng Shui readingCollapse
Supportive directions
Directions to avoid
Eight Mansions (Ba Zhai) method · Kua number from birth year and gender
The Sage
Ask the Sage about Paul Allen
The Sage reads every placement on this page in context. Ask what Paul Allen's chart means, or bring your own.
Begin your journeyQuestions about Paul Allen's birth chart
What is Paul Allen's zodiac sign?
Paul Allen's Sun sign is Aquarius.
When was Paul Allen born?
Paul Allen was born on Jan 21, 1953.
How reliable is this birth data?
This chart carries a Rodden rating of X: the standard scale astrologers use to grade how well-documented a birth time is. No birth time on record, so houses and the rising sign are not shown.
Also appears in
Pairs
Connected through shared moments
More famous Aquarians
/famous-aquarians →
Sources
Sources & further reading
Birth data
Biography & further reading
Photo: Photo: Miles Harris / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · CC-BY-SA