<div><p>Billionaire Paul Allen, who founded US software giant Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, has been diagnosed with cancer, technology blogs have reported.</p><p>Allen, 56, one of the wealthiest men in the world, has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, CNET News and other technology news sites said, quoting a letter from Allen's sister, Jody Allen.</p><p>"He received the diagnosis early this month and has begun chemotherapy," Jody Allen said in the letter to employees of her brother's company, Vulcan Inc.</p><p>"Doctors say he has diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a relatively common form of lymphoma," said Jody Allen, the chief executive of Vulcan Inc.</p><p>She recalled that her brother survived another bout with cancer 25 years ago.</p><p>"Paul is feeling OK and remains upbeat. He continues to work and he has no plans to change his role at Vulcan," she said.</p><p>Allen left Microsoft in 1983 and is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc. and the chairman of Charter Communications.</p><p>He owns the National Football League team the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association and is a part owner of the Major League Soccer team the Seattle Sounders.</p><p>Allen is also a leading philanthropist with donations totaling nearly one billion dollars.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=63583211&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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