Ronald Wayne
Third co-founder of Apple who sold his stake after 12 days
- Age
- 92 yrs
- Birthday in 192 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Design, Memoir
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Ronald Wayne is an American retired electronics engineer who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on 1 April 1976. He drew the company’s first logo and wrote its partnership agreement, but sold his 10 per cent stake back for $800 just 12 days later.
Biography
Atari
Wayne trained as a draughtsman in New York and worked in electronics in California. At Atari he met the young Steve Jobs.
Apple’s third founder
When Jobs and Wozniak formed Apple, Jobs asked Wayne, then about 41, to join as a tie-breaker and adult supervisor. He held 10 per cent, wrote the partnership agreement and drew the first logo, showing Isaac Newton under an apple tree.
Selling out
Worried that he would be personally liable for the company’s debts, Wayne withdrew after 12 days and sold his share for $800, later receiving a further $1,500. A 10 per cent stake would later have been worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Later life
Wayne worked in engineering and ran a stamp and coin shop. He has said he does not regret his decision. In 2011 he sold the original partnership contract at auction.
Timeline
-
1934
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States
-
1976
Co-founds Apple and leaves 12 days later
-
2010
Publishes Adventures of an Apple Founder
-
2011
Sells the founding contract at auction
Notable works
-
1976
Apple’s original logo Design
-
2010
Adventures of an Apple Founder Memoir
Did you know?
-
1
The founding contract sold for about $1.6 million in 2011.
-
2
He was more than 20 years older than Jobs and Wozniak.
-
3
He later said he would have been “the richest man in the cemetery”.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Ronald Wayne?
Ronald Wayne is an American retired electronics engineer who co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on 1 April 1976. He drew the company’s first logo and wrote its partnership agreement, but sold his 10 per cent stake back for $800 just 12 days later.
How old is Ronald Wayne?
Ronald Wayne is 92 years old, born on 17 May 1934 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
Where is Ronald Wayne from?
Ronald Wayne was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
What is Ronald Wayne known for?
Ronald Wayne is best known for Co-founding Apple (1976); drawing Apple’s first logo; writing its partnership agreement.
References
- Ronald Wayne — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ronald Wayne — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ronald Wayne — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. www.ronaldgwayne.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Ronald Wayne (Q332591) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Ronald Wayne”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Ronald Wayne.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/ronald-wayne
Discussion 0
Sign in or create an account to join the discussion.
No comments yet — be the first.
More in Technology
Technology
Sachin Bansal
Co-founder of Flipkart and founder of Navi
Born 1981
Technology
Satya Nadella
Chairman and CEO of Microsoft
Born 1967
Technology
Nandan Nilekani
Infosys co-founder and architect of Aadhaar
Born 1955
Technology
Ritesh Agarwal
Founder of the hotel chain OYO
Technology
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Founder of the digital payments company Paytm
Born 1978
Technology
Shantanu Narayen
Chairman and CEO of Adobe