A foundational artifact of Silicon Valley history is set to test the limits of the memorabilia market as the original founding agreement of Apple Computer Company heads to auction, according to Apple Insider. Christie’s has announced that the three-page contract, signed in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and lesser-known co-founder Ron Wayne, will be a centerpiece of its “We the People: America at 250” sale in New York on January 23, 2026. Pre-auction estimates value the document between $2 million and $4 million, reflecting its status as the “birth certificate” of what would become the world’s most valuable technology firm.
The document formalizes the creation of the partnership that preceded Apple’s incorporation, outlining the equity stakes of the three founders. While the signatures of Jobs and Wozniak are legendary, the document serves as a stark reminder of Ron Wayne’s abbreviated tenure. Wayne, who held a 10% stake in the nascent company, exited the partnership less than two weeks after its formation. He sold his share back to his co-founders and was subsequently paid just $1,500 to relinquish all future claims to the business—a decision that cost him a holding that would have been valued at over $60 billion by 2016 metrics, and significantly more in today’s market.
While Wayne has maintained in interviews, including a 2016 discussion with the BBC, that he does not regret leaving the volatility of the startup world, he did admit to one specific financial misstep regarding this very contract. Wayne previously owned a copy of this founding agreement but sold it years ago for a mere $500. That specific transaction stands in sharp contrast to the millions the document is expected to command in 2026. The sale continues a trend of escalating valuations for Apple history; for context, a factory-sealed first-generation iPhone sold for $190,000 at auction in 2023, roughly 300 times its original retail price.
