The original 1976 contract between the three founders of Apple Computer will be sold by Sotheby’s Dec.13, but more fascinating than the 3-page documents is the letter from the third partner who, 2-weeks after signing, withdrew and sold his 10% interest for $800. That withdrawal letter from Ronald Wayne, will also be on the block. The high estimate for the package is $150,000.
Wayne, now 77, who wrote the first agreement and sketched the original Apple logo, was 20 years older than Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Later, he explained he feared for his personal financial liability if the company went broke, and that he couldn’t keep up with what he called the two intellectual giants and “whirlwinds.” He said he never regretted his decision because he didn’t want to end up “the richest man in the cemetery.” True to his word, Jobs once asked Wayne to return but he refused
