Apple cofounder who missed out on $400B fortune becomes poster boy for booze ad campaign — as he reveals his regrets

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.

“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 to launch 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.

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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.

“My success has never been defined by money,” Wayne told Fortune in an emailed statement. “It’s been defined by acting with clarity, integrity, and sound judgment, given what I actually knew at the time. My perspective has become much clearer over the past year, as I came to understand how far the public narrative has drifted from the facts.”

Back in 1976, the gamble looked far riskier than it does now.

Jobs had borrowed $15,000 to fulfill Apple’s first order from a Bay Area computer store, one Wayne believed had a questionable track record of paying its bills.

Unlike his younger partners, Wayne had personal assets, including a home and a car, that he feared could be seized if the business collapsed.

After leaving Apple, Wayne spent decades working as an engineer and living outside the Silicon Valley spotlight.

He eventually settled in Nevada, relying largely on Social Security while occasionally selling rare stamps and coins.

In August 2025, President Donald Trump and CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple would increase its US investment to $600 billion over four years, expanding its initial $500 billion pledge by $100 billion, to build new manufacturing facilities and move its supply chain to the United States.

On Sept. 1, Cook will step down as Apple’s CEO to become Executive Chairman, officially handing the role to his successor, John Ternus.