When Bill Gates called his fellow Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen ‘a problem’ who … – The Times of India

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has opened up about the profound and sometimes provocative role of his fellow Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. In his memoir, Source Code: My Beginnings, which was released on February 4, 2025, Gates has credited Allen not only with sparking his passion for computers but also with nudging him into teenage experimentation with drugs and alcohol. Speaking in an interview with Geekwire, Gates joked that Allen was ‘a problem’ who got him drunk and also gave him marijuana. He further added that Allen was the one who got him introduced to LSD and Jimi Hendrix’s music. While Gates’ parents provided discipline and structure, Allen embodied a different influence which constantly dared Gates to push boundaries. “He got me drunk, he gave me pot. This guy was a problem… he made me listen to Jimi Hendrix,” Gates recalled.

Experimentation, Risk, and Regret

In his memoir, Gates admitted that he tried LSD ‘four to five times’ when he was in his teens….