10/05/2025
In 1976, a man sold his 10% stake in a tiny tech startup for just $800.
That startup? Apple.
Today, his share is worth over $320 billion, more than countries' GDP.
Now lives quietly on social security in a small US town in Nevada.
This is the story of the forgotten third founder of Apple, the man who walked away from one of the greatest fortunes ever.
April 1, 1976. In a small California garage, three men came together to start a company called Apple:
๐ Steve Jobs โ a broke dreamer
๐ก Steve Wozniak โ a tech genius with no business acumen and
๐ Ron Wayne โ the 41-year-old adult brought in to add stability
Only two would go on to become billionaires.
The third? Heโd be forgotten in history.
When Apple was founded, Ronald Wayne wasnโt just a bystander in Appleโs early days.
He designed the companyโs first logo.
He drafted the original partnership agreement.
And owned 10% of Apple.
But behind closed doors, something was keeping him up at night
And it would cost him billions.
Wayne was 41.
The Steves were in their 20s.
He had a house, savings, and real-life responsibilities.
The two Steves had nothing but big dreams.
Then Wayne noticed Jobs was borrowing money to get Apple off the ground.
Under their partnership agreement, heโd be personally responsible if things went wrong.
If Apple failed, creditors could come after his house.
That fear of losing everything kept him up at night.
And again Jobs big dreams kept him wondering if there dreams were realistic
Just 12 days after Apple was born, Wayne panicked.
He drove to the county office.
Filed paperwork to officially cut ties with the company.
In return, he got $800 for his 10% stake.
Later, Apple paid him another $1,500 to make it final.
He walked away.
What didnโt he know?
His 10% would one day be worth over $200 billion.
Wayne returned to his stable job at Atari.
Later, he opened a little stamp shop.
He never worked in tech again.
He never made millions.
While he lived quietlyโฆ
Apple went on to reshape the world - one iPhone at a time.
The devastating irony?
Just one year later, Apple became a corporation.
That meant limited liability; Wayne wouldnโt have been personally responsible for debts anymore.
If he had held on for just 12 monthsโฆ
Heโd have kept his 10% stake, worth over $250 billion today, with zero personal risk.
As Apple soared, Wayneโs exit became one of historyโs most expensive decisions in Business:
1980: Missed $7.3M at IPO
1995: Missed $113M during Macโs rise
2010: Missed $2.6B in iPhone era
2020: Missed $120B as Apple hit $2T
Today: That 10% stake? Worth over $320 BILLION
All lostโฆ from one fearful decision made in just 12 days.
In a cruel twist, Wayneโs original Apple contract sold at auction for $1.6 million.
Thatโs 695 times more than what he received for his 10% stake.
Even the paperwork of his mistake became more valuable than what he got.
When Wayne was interviewed about his decision, he said he had no regrets.
"I made the best decision with the information I had; I'd have been the richest man in the cemetery."
Today, Wayne never owns an Apple product. He uses a simple Android phone.
He watches from the sidelines as Apple continues to shape the world.
A company he helped create, one he walked away from, went on to redefine society.
So, what can we learn from Wayne's story?
- Fear can cloud your judgment: He walked away from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because of fear of risk, missing out on unimaginable success.
- Timing is everything: A decision made in haste can haunt you forever. Had Wayne waited just 12 more months, his fate would have been completely different.
- Sometimes, itโs not just about the money: Wayne didnโt regret his decision because he acted with the information he had. But hindsight shows how the small decisions can change the course of your entire life.
- Opportunity doesnโt always knock twice: Appleโs meteoric rise was inevitable, but not everyone gets a second shot at greatness.
Wayneโs story serves as a powerful reminder: the decisions we
make today, based on what we know now, can either propel us forward or leave us in the shadow of what could have been.
So go out today, and make the best decision you can with the information you have, but always keep an eye on the future.
