Ron Wayne was one of the co-founders of Apple Inc., the multinational technology company known for its iconic products such as the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. Ron Wayne, along with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, founded Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) in 1976. Wayne contributed to the original partnership agreement and the first Apple logo design, but he left the company after just 12 days, selling his 10% stake for $800. In the annals of business history, there are stories of visionaries who made groundbreaking decisions that changed the course of their lives and, sometimes, the world. Then there are those who, for one reason or another, passed up an opportunity of a lifetime, forever changing their destinies. Ron Wayne belongs to the latter category, the man who sold a 10% stake for a meager $800 in 1976 in a company that would go on to become one of the most valuable entities on the planet: Apple Inc.

Back in the mid-1970s, Ron Wayne, along with two young entrepreneurs named Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, co-founded Apple Computer, Inc. It was a modest venture operating out of a garage, where the trio set out to revolutionize the world of personal computing. Wayne's role in the company was to provide technical documentation and handle administrative tasks. He also designed the original Apple logo and drafted the partnership agreement that would later become the center of the story.

However, Wayne's apprehensions about the partnership led him to make a life-altering decision. Concerned about the potential financial risks and his personal assets, he sold his 10% stake in Apple for a mere $800 just 12 days after the company was founded. The value of Wayne's share at the time was approximately $2,300, which would be worth a mind-boggling amount today, well into the billions.

Little did Ron Wayne know that the company he co-founded would go on to change the world. Apple Inc. would become a global tech giant, synonymous with innovation, and responsible for game-changing products like the iPhone, iPad, and Macintosh computers. Today, it stands as one of the most valuable corporations, with a market capitalization that exceeds $2 trillion.

While Ron Wayne's name may not be synonymous with tech stardom, his story serves as a cautionary tale and a lesson in the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship. His decision to part ways with Apple was driven by a desire for financial security, not knowing that he was letting go of a potential billion-dollar fortune. It's a reminder that, in the world of business, foresight can be as valuable as innovation.

Despite his missed opportunity, Ron Wayne's story continues to be an integral part of Apple's history, a reminder of the company's humble beginnings, and the incredible journey it undertook to become the tech behemoth we know today. Ron Wayne, the man who walked away from a billion-dollar fortune, remains an intriguing figure in the world of entrepreneurship, serving as a symbol of the road not taken in the pursuit of greatness.