Long before Apple Inc.became a trillion-dollar titan, a third name sat alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on the company’s founding paperwork: Ronald G. Wayne.
Nearly 50 years later, Wayne, now 91, is once again in the spotlight, not for tech, but for teaming up withAnheuser-Buschin a tongue-in-cheek campaign promoting Busch Light Apple beer.The irony isn’t lost on him.
“Let me show you where a man’s wealth really lies,” Wayne quipped in a promo video, gesturing toward a garage stacked with beer. “Yep, still a really good investment.”
Wayne’s place in history stems from Apple’s earliest days in 1976.
At the time, he was working as an engineer at Atari when Jobs recruited him to help convince Wozniak tolaunch a computer company.
Wayne drafted the original partnership agreement and took a 10% stake, while Jobs and Wozniak each held 45%.
But less than two weeks later, just 12 days in, Wayne walked away.
Fearing the financial exposure tied to the venture, he sold his share for $800 and later accepted another $1,500 to relinquish any future claims.
Today, with Apple’s valuation nearing $4 trillion, that slice would theoretically be worth more than $400 billion.
Despite the staggering “what if,” Wayne insists he doesn’t dwell on regret.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
