"Apple's little-known third cofounder, Ronald Wayne, was originally given a 10% stake in the now $4 trillion computer company. He cashed out just 12 days after Apple's inception for $800, and said at the time he had no regrets. As Apple celebrates 50 years since its IPO, Wayne may not be celebrating as his stake today would be worth billions."
"But less than two weeks after the ink had dried, Wayne had removed himself from the contract-a decision that might be one of the biggest missed financial opportunities in history. While Wayne sold his stake for $800 at the time and later received $1,500 to forfeit any claim to the company, his 10% share could now be worth between $75 billion and $360 billion, thanks to the company's now nearly $4 trillion market cap-five decades in the making."
"Wayne's decision to cash out may look foolish in hindsight, but in the moment, the then41-year-old believed he was looking out for his own financial wellbeing. In the company's first days, Jobs borrowed $15,000 to complete a purchase order of "50 or 100 computers" from the Byte Shop, a retail outlet that had a history of not paying its bills, Wayne recalled to Business Insider in 2017."
Ronald G. Wayne signed Apple's founding agreement and received a 10% stake while Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak took 45% each. The founding document later sold for $2 million at Christie's. Wayne sold his stake less than two weeks later for $800 and later accepted $1,500 to relinquish any claim. His 10% share would now be worth roughly $75 billion to $360 billion given Apple's nearly $4 trillion market capitalization. Ownership stakes for Jobs and Wozniak diluted over time as new investors joined and the company went public in 1980. Wayne cited concern about repaying Jobs's $15,000 loan tied to an uncertain Byte Shop order.
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