The answer to the crossword is 'ALLEN', which refers to Paul ALLEN, the co-founder of Microsoft. Paul ALLEN was born in Seattle, Washington in 1953 and attended Washington State University. He co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, and the two went on to become one of the most successful business partnerships in history. ALLEN left Microsoft in 1983, but remained a part of the company's board of directors until 2000. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 65.