Just digging. Allen was big in the local music scene, his money came from Microsoft, Microsoft's money came from IBM, which was facilitated by Bill's mom's connections to people at the top of IBM:

"In 1980, IBM President John Opel had already spent a couple of years on the national board of United Way with Mary. When the head of IBM's fledgling personal-computer project mentioned Microsoft to Opel, his response was, "Oh, that's run by Bill Gates, Mary Gates' son."

Mary was well connected to powerful people. Allen was well connected to commercially successful antiestablishment musicians. Still undercooked, but I hadn't heard of Laurel Canyon before