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Ex-Apple Worker Once Known as 'Sam Sung' Explains Why He Changed His Name

His new first-person account says the viral disruption at work drove a later name change to protect his career.

Overview

  • Sam Struan, formerly Sam Sung, recounts how a 2012 Reddit post of his Apple Store business card made him an instant meme while he worked in Vancouver.
  • He says Apple pulled him from the shop floor, told staff not to identify him to curious customers, and took away his business cards until the frenzy passed.
  • He left Apple in 2013 and in 2014 auctioned a business card and parts of his uniform for Children’s Wish, raising more than $2,500.
  • He later adopted the surname Struan, chosen from a village on the Isle of Skye, citing a desire not to be an internet joke, difficulty securing online handles, and concerns about how names affect hiring.
  • Now a 36-year-old consultant and résumé writer in Scotland, he says he doesn’t regret the change but wishes he had enjoyed the moment more instead of retreating from attention.