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Apple’s 1976 Founding Contract, With Ron Wayne Exit Papers, Heads to Christie’s in January

Christie’s estimate eclipses the 2011 Sotheby’s result, underscoring rising demand for seminal tech artifacts.

Overview

  • The documents will be offered in New York on January 23, 2026 as part of Christie’s “We the People: America at 250” sale with a pre-auction estimate of $2 million to $4 million.
  • The single lot comprises the original three-page partnership agreement establishing Apple Computer Company and Ron Wayne’s formal withdrawal papers.
  • The 1976 contract set ownership at 45% for Steve Jobs, 45% for Steve Wozniak, and 10% for Ron Wayne, who exited 12 days later for $800 plus a subsequent $1,500 payment.
  • The same set of papers last sold at Sotheby’s in December 2011 for about $1.59 million, providing a prior market benchmark now surpassed by Christie’s guidance.
  • Reports note the oft-cited calculation of what Wayne’s original 10% might be worth today is a rhetorical comparison rather than a realistic equivalence given decades of stock changes.