Who is Ronald Wayne, Apple founder forgotten – BBC World

Image caption Ronald Wayne won 10% of the shares of Apple. A few days after its founding, the US sold for $ 1,500.

A one-hour drive from Las Vegas, crossing the Nevada desert in the United States, you get to the end of the world.

just beyond the town of Pahrump you find where Apple co-founder forgotten lives, arguably the most powerful company on the planet.

Ronald Wayne is 81 years old. When I was 41 I worked at Atari where he met Steve Jobs , who asked her advice all the time.

Jobs asked whether to create a company of slot machines. Wayne told not to.

Jobs told him if I should go to India to meet. Wayne advised yes, but be careful.

One day, Jobs asked something that would change history. “Could you help me to reason Steve Wozniak? ” referring to who would be the other founder of Apple.

“Bring him home,” Wayne replied. “We’ll sit down and we’ll talk”

Woz

Image caption Wayne was key to convince Steve Wozniak of Apple join the project.

The charismatic Wozniak also known as Woz- worked with Jobs trying to make computers were smaller companies.

Woz was the best. Your motherboard would be the heart of the Apple I, the first Apple computer in 2015 was auctioned for US $ 365,000.

But Woz did not want to know anything about Apple. Until he came to the apartment of Wayne located in Mountain View, California.

“Jobs thought I was more diplomatic than he” , recalls Wayne.

“I was anxious to Steve Wozniak entered the project. But Wozniak, being moody, just wanted to do things that amused him.”

in 45 minutes Wayne changed everything. “He understood the concept, we sold the idea”

It was then that Steve Jobs said. “. Let’s create a company will be Apple”

<. p> Jobs and Wozniak would have 45% each, and Wayne 10% with the order to be the voice of reason in case of any dispute.

Two nickels

Image caption Jobs at first continually asking for advice on what to do to Wayne.

Just 12 days after purchasing the shares, Wayne sold them for just $ 1,500 . Now would be worth US $ 60,000 million.

He did it for reasons that “still make sense to me,” he says.

“If the company was sinking, had to personally answer the debts “.

” Jobs and Wozniak did not even have two nickels. I had a house, a bank account and a car, could catch me! “

Wayne told them he wanted help where he could, but he could not officially join the company.

His contribution before formally bid farewell to the company was to create the first Apple logo, a drawing showing the scientist Isaac Newton sitting under a Apple tree. Jobs dismissed it later.

Modesto

Image caption He lives in a small town one hour from Las Vegas, crossing the Nevada desert.

Pahrump is located 800 kilometers from Cupertino, where today is the headquarters of Apple.

The house of Wayne is as modest as well maintained. Everywhere there are ornaments reflecting his life curious engineer and great collector.

Near the door there is an old slot of silver, and a radio of the 30s that still works.

I asked if he regretted having sold its stake in Apple.

“it would have finished directing shuffling papers in a corner of the building of the company for the next 20 years of my life. That was not the future I wanted, “he says.

” If money was the only thing he wanted there were many other ways to get it. But for me it was more important to do something that motivated me. “

Brother

Wayne keeps fan mail in a small box in his studio. It is filled with requests for autographs, letters asking for advice and expressing admiration messages.

A letter from a fan named Jason jokes about the idea that Steve Jobs, known for its security and fighting spirit, accept any constructive advice Wayne.

“it was a fascinating man,” recalls Wayne.

“who made Apple to become what it is now? Jobs, no doubt.”

Jobs was good person? In many respects it was not. But that does not matter. “

Wayne the person who provided a considered” adult supervision “to the dream of Jobs.

Image caption Wayne only regret one thing. have sold your copy of the original contract with Apple for US $ 500. Today it costs much more

” Jobs said once: ‘you know, I have doubts about this. There are other things I like to do ‘ “

” And I said.’ Whatever you do, you will find it easier to do with money in his pocket. Go ahead and earn money, and do what you want. Just do not forget what you wanted in the first place. “

” It ended up forgetting that. I think that was involved in the management of Apple to the point that nothing else mattered. “

Life Without Apple

Wayne regret not sell their shares Apple, but having sold the copy of your original contract for US $ 500.

the same document was auctioned for $ 1.6 million five years ago.

home of Wayne is not any Apple product. prefers create and adapt their own technology, that’s much more fun to buy, he says.

in 2011 someone gave him an iPad. Like many other things in his life, Wayne ended up giving it away.