Three-page document signed by Apple’s co-founders expected to fetch up to $4 million
The original written agreement that formalized the creation of Apple Computer Company in 1976 is heading to auction, where it is expected to sell for as much as $4 million. The three-page document includes the signatures of Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ron Wayne, along with the ownership breakdown that defined Apple’s earliest structure. Christie’s will feature the agreement at an auction in New York in early 2026, according to Apple Insider.
Ron Wayne’s early departure adds historical context
Although historically significant, the agreement reflects a short-lived partnership. Less than a year after Apple Computer Company became Apple Computer, Inc., Wayne had already sold his 10% stake back to Jobs and Wozniak. Wayne left the company within two weeks of its formation and later said in a 2016 BBC interview that he did not regret the decision. A 10% stake in Apple would have been worth about $60 billion at that time. Wayne later sold his own copy of the original contract for $500, which he told the BBC he did regret.
Auction details and pricing history for Apple memorabilia
Christie’s values the agreement at between $2 million and $4 million. It will appear in the “We the People: America at 250” auction in New York on January 23. Important Apple collectibles have commanded high prices in the past; in 2023, an unopened first-generation iPhone sold at auction for $190,000, roughly 300 times its original retail price.
Featured image credits: Junseong Lee via Unsplash
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