Watch: Apple's Lesser-Known Co-Founder Ronald Wayne to Appear at Event Tonight

[MacRumors]

Following the release of his new book Apple: The First 50 Years, tech columnist David Pogue is hosting an Apple at 50: Five Decades of Thinking Different event at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California tonight.

The event will be live streamed on YouTube for free, starting at 7 p.m. Pacific Time.

"From the early garage days of the 1970s, to the heyday of the Macintosh in the 1980s, to Apple's transformation in the 2000s with the iPhone, the program will explore how Apple repeatedly redefined itself while holding fast to a distinctive vision," the Computer History Museum said, in the YouTube stream's description.

The event will feature speakers from across multiple Apple eras, including:

• John Sculley: Apple's CEO from 1983 to 1993
• Chris Espinosa: Apple's longest-serving employee
• Avie Tevanian: Apple's former Chief Software Technology Officer
• Jon Rubinstein: Apple's former SVP of Hardware Engineering (appearing by video)

Pogue is a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, and he spent many years writing about Apple and technology for The New York Times and Macworld.

In a social media post, Pogue said the event will also feature Ronald Wayne, the lesser-known third co-founder of Apple alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It is unclear if Wayne will be attending the event in person or if he will speak.

Wayne sold his 10% share of Apple back to Jobs and Wozniak just 12 days after the company was established in 1976, to avoid personal financial risk. His share of the company would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars today.

The live stream is below.

Pogue said there will be seven key Apple figures participating in the event, so there should be two others beyond the names listed above. Perhaps it is a surprise.

The Computer History Museum has an Apple at 50 page with a timeline of the company's history, old photos, interviews, rare prototypes, and more.

Pogue's book Apple: The First 50 Years is available in hardcover and digital formats.

In time for Apple's 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026, the 608-page book explores the first five decades of the company's history. Pogue interviewed 150 key people who shaped Apple into what it is today, including Wozniak, Sculley, former design chief Jony Ive, and others.

The book provides "new facts that correct the record":

In time for Apple's 50th anniversary, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue tells the iconic company's entire life story: how it was born, nearly died, was born again under Steve Jobs, and became, under CEO Tim Cook, the most valuable company in the world. The book features full-color photos, new facts that correct the record and illuminate its subversive culture, and fresh interviews with the legendary figures who shaped Apple into what it is today.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us to keep the site running.

Article Link: Watch: Apple's Lesser-Known Co-Founder Ronald Wayne to Appear at Event Tonight

 

[XboxEvolved]

I’ve watched interviews done by all of these guys by the computer history museum before that were incredibly in-depth and interesting. I’m sure they will reiterate some of their previous stories but I’ll still give it a look.

 

[k1121j]

Sculley will be there. No thanks.

 

[sw1tcher]

In a social media post, Pogue said the event will also feature Ronald Wayne, the lesser-known third co-founder of Apple, alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It is unclear if Wayne will be attending the event in person or if he will speak.

The comma (I put in bold in the quote) between Apple and alongside is not needed.

Putting it there implies Ronald Wayne will be featured at the event "alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak."

 

[Joe Rossignol]

The comma (I put in bold in the quote) between Apple and alongside is not needed.

Putting it there implies Ronald Wayne will be at the event "alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak."

Fixed that for ya!

 

[B4U]

The comma (I put in bold in the quote) between Apple and alongside is not needed.

Putting it there implies Ronald Wayne will be featured at the event "alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak."

Darn it, thought I'd get to hear Jobs speak tonight!! Just kidding!

But we can only imagine how different would it be if he is still alive today.

 

[Dj64Mk7]

Wow, hearing thoughts from Scully will be really interesting. I wasn’t alive during that era obviously, but it was a strange time for Apple from what I’ve read and learned.

 

[tomtad]

"Wayne sold his 10% share of Apple back to Jobs and Wozniak just 12 days after the company was established in 1976, to avoid personal financial risk. His share of the company would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars today."

There isn't a day where he regrets doing that is there

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Tim Cook to watch this and be inspired by Scully to sell sugar water for the rest of his life.

 

[maruyama]

"Wayne sold his 10% share of Apple back to Jobs and Wozniak just 12 days after the company was established in 1976, to avoid personal financial risk. His share of the company would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars today."

There isn't a day where he regrets doing that is there

You know he's been regretting it for at least 40 years; imagine even in 1984, seeing the Superbowl ad and thinking yeah, maybe I should have stuck it out with Woz and Jobs in the garage.

 

[Slix]

I'm curious if Gil Amelio was interviewed for the book too. I read his 500 Days at Apple book he wrote just after leaving Apple in 1997 and it was a really interesting insight into Apple during those couple years. I think Steve Jobs ended up taking more of the credit for where Apple was going after he returned than he should have, considering what Gil said was happening and what he was helping do during those 500 days. Either way, I'm excited to see the video too and see what everyone has to say and hopefully eventually read the book too.

 

[dumastudetto]

This promises to be an unforgettable event with such a stellar lineup of guests. I was going out for drinks tonite but I think I'll stay home and watch this live. Thanks for sharing.

 

[clementique]

Avie is a gem

 

[Momento_Mori]

John Sculley has no relevance to Apple as we know it. 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

 

[ImAlwaysRight]

Who? 😂

They opt to put "lesser-known co-founder" in the title instead of just saying his name, Ronald Wayne. Then you go on to read he sold his 10% just before Apple went public to avoid personal risk. OUCH!

 

[Billy_Bob]

You know he's been regretting it for at least 40 years

Actually, he hasn't. He's spoken about this on many occasions. To this day, Wayne says he is at peace with having made the right decision for the circumstances at the time of sale, considering the business risk to which the partnership exposed him.

What Wayne has said that he DOES regret is that he had one of the original copies of Apple's founding contract, but sold it for $500 back in the 1990s... it later sold at auction for more than $1 million. He owns up to that as a very bad business/investment decision.

Each of the original founders was a quirky eccentric in his own way. I believe Wayne is sincere when he says that if he hadn't sold out early, he would have become "the richest man in the cemetery" because of the stress it would have caused. And when you look at Apple's business trajectory apart from its tech trajectory, I can absolutely empathize with Wayne about that.

 

[Populus]

I wonder what will Wayne say in case he gets to speak… although I guess he’s already had decades to make peace with the fact he sold his 10% few days after Apple’s founding.

Will Woz be there? Hopefully!

It’s a bit sad Jobs isn’t there to see what Apple has become (regardless of Cook’s decisions we don’t agree with).

Oh! I’d also love to see Johnny Ive there, cornerstone of today’s Apple design. And Scott Forstall, a key engineering piece on iOS history.

 

[routine_analyst]

The event will feature speakers from across multiple Apple eras, including:

• John Sculley: Apple's CEO from 1983 to 1993
• Chris Espinosa: Apple's longest-serving employee
• Avie Tevanian: Apple's former Chief Software Technology Officer
• Jon Rubinstein: Apple's former SVP of Hardware Engineering (appearing by video)

Oh wow. The guy that fired the founder that specialized in sugar water. A guy who worked at apple the longest. And two dudes who both left at the same time in 2006 after getting hammered to a pulp building the iPod and macOS - one of which who became CEO of the super successful company named Palm and the other who decided to work for Theranos. LOL.

 

[hjw903r]

Was the heyday of the Macintosh really in the 1980s? I seem to remember late 1980s and even more the early 1990s.

 

[subjonas]

What the, a third co-founder alongside Jobs and Woz?? I've been reading Macrumors for well over a decade and I've never heard of him. I feel like I'm getting gas-lit. Was there also a 5th Ninja Turtle?

 

[Tim Jobs the 2nd]

What the, a third co-founder alongside Jobs and Woz?? I've been reading Macrumors for well over a decade and I've never heard of him. I feel like I'm getting gas-lit. Was there also a 5th Ninja Turtle?

Famous story. I felt so bad for him when I read it, but he seems ok or at least he presents himself as ok.

 

[svish]

Will be interesting to see it. Might watch it on a later date. Waiting to hear if Apple will publicly celebrate the 50th anniversary.

 

[bigglow]

Can anyone time stamp Wayne's part of the the video? Thanks!

 

[Fraud Goblin]

Can anyone time stamp Wayne's part of the the video? Thanks!

Time stamped it for you here

If it doesn't work, his bit starts at 24 minutes into the video.

 

[Quicksilver867]

I love the CHM. Went there during a San Jose work trip and will certainly go again!