This personal tribute, authored by close colleagues and friends, is an homage to Paul Crutzen's profound and multifaceted impact in the field of atmospheric chemistry and physics. The article summarizes not only the exceptional breadth of research ranging from tropospheric ozone formation to stratospheric ozone loss, and coining the term ‘anthropocene’ but it also describes Paul Crutzen’s instrumental role in shaping the next generations of atmospheric scientists, many of whom now are leaders in the field. Furthermore, Crutzen’s legacy is manifested by his contributions to the creation of the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), that laid the foundation for EGU's pioneering open-access publication model, fostering public peer review and interactive scientific discourse.