Apple’s original founding document heads to auction, expected to sell for up to $4 million

Apple

A small stack of papers that changed the world is about to go under the hammer. The original document that officially created Apple in 1976 is being put up for auction, and experts believe it could sell for as much as 4 million dollars.

The three page agreement includes the signatures of Apple’s iconic founders Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and the lesser known third partner Ron Wayne. At the time, the company was called Apple Computer Company. The document also clearly lists how much of the company each founder owned. What makes it even more fascinating is how quickly things changed after it was signed.

Ron Wayne, who owned 10 percent of Apple in 1976, walked away from the company less than two weeks later. He said years later that he wanted stability and did not want to take financial risks. When asked in a 2016 BBC interview whether he regretted leaving before Apple became a tech giant, Wayne insisted he did not. But he did admit to one regret. He once sold his own copy of the founding document for just 500 dollars, a sale he later wished he had not made. Today, that same document could be worth millions.

When Apple later became Apple Computer less than a year after it was founded, Wayne had already surrendered all his rights. He was paid only 1,500 dollars to give up his remaining interest, while his original stake would be worth more than 60 billion dollars today.

The agreement now heading to auction is expected to be sold through Christie’s, the well known British auction house, at its New York saleroom. It will be part of a special event titled “We the People: America at 250.” The auction is scheduled for January 23.

Collectors have always been eager to buy pieces of Apple’s early history. In 2023, for example, an unopened first generation iPhone sold for 190,000 dollars, nearly 300 times its original price. But the founding agreement carries a different weight because it represents the beginning of one of the world’s most influential technology companies.

How high the bids will go is still unknown, but one thing is clear. A simple document signed almost 50 years ago is now one of the most valuable pieces of tech history ever to reach an auction room.