Apple

Ronald Wayne

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Ronald Gerald Wayne (born 1934) is often referred to as the "third founder" of Apple Computer (in addition to Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak). He drew the first Apple logo and wrote the Apple I manual. While at Apple, he also wrote their partnership agreement.

Wayne worked with Jobs at Atari before co-founding Apple Computer on April 1, 1976. He was given a 10% stake in Apple, but relinquished his stock for $800 only two weeks later because legally all members of a partnership are personally responsible for any debts incurred by any of the other partners. Unlike twenty-year-olds Jobs and Wozniak, the older Wayne had personal assets that could be seized by potential creditors.

Later that same year, venture capitalist Mike Markkula helped develop a business plan and convert the partnership to a corporation. In its first year of operations (1976), Apple's sales reached US$174,000. In 1977 sales rose to US$2.7 million, in 1978 to US$7.8 million and in 1980 to US$117 million. By 1982 Apple had a billion dollars in annual sales; Wayne's stake could have been worth as much as US$1.5 billion. He claimed that he didn't regret selling the stock as he had made "the best decision available at that time."

According to CNET, as of 1997 Wayne was working as an engineer for a defense contractor in Salinas, California.

References

External links

• The Forgotten Founder, an excerpt from "Apple Confidential: The Real Story of Apple Computer Inc.," by Owen W. Linzmayer
• Ron Wayne interview by OMT
• Wozniak discussing Ron Wayne, "a third partner"

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