Dr Paul Allen

Image via CrunchBase Few of you have ever heard of Ron Wayne . A lot of you have used the products that stem from his creation. All of you need to know his story because it’s a warning to all of us. Along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak , Ron Wayne cofounded Apple Computer Inc. on April Fools Day , 1976. Yes, there was a third founder of Apple. But few people know that because just twelve days after he signed the agreement he himself drafted that would have given him 10% ownership of the company, he sold back his shares.  For $800.  If he had stuck it out, today he would be worth around  $22 billion. Instead he now sells stamps out of his home. And plays penny slot machines after midnight. A poster child for what could have been. Ron bailed on Jobs and Wozniak because he wasn’t sure about the future. Jobs spent a lot of money that Ron was going to have to pay the tab for initially. Wozniak was non-committal. And the prospect of starting a computer company just seemed too difficult

Image via CrunchBase Few of you have ever heard of Ron Wayne . A lot of you have used the products that stem from his creation. All of you need to know his story because it’s a warning to all of us. Along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak , Ron Wayne cofounded Apple Computer Inc. on April Fools Day , 1976. Yes, there was a third founder of Apple. But few people know that because just twelve days after he signed the agreement he himself drafted that would have given him 10% ownership of the company, he sold back his shares.  For $800.  If he had stuck it out, today he would be worth around  $22 billion. Instead he now sells stamps out of his home. And plays penny slot machines after midnight. A poster child for what could have been. Ron bailed on Jobs and Wozniak because he wasn’t sure about the future. Jobs spent a lot of money that Ron was going to have to pay the tab for initially. Wozniak was non-committal. And the prospect of starting a computer company just seemed too difficult