Apple Co-Founder Ronald Wayne Features in Anheuser-Busch's Busch Light Apple Beer Promotion

Ronald G. Wayne, who co-founded Apple in 1976 and sold his stake shortly after, has teamed up with Anheuser-Busch in a campaign promoting Busch Light Apple beer. Wayne sat alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on Apple's founding paperwork in 1976.

Wayne drafted the original partnership agreement and took a 10% stake, while Jobs and Wozniak each held 45%. But less than two weeks later, Wayne walked away. Fearing the financial exposure tied to the venture, he sold his share for $800 and later accepted another $1,500 to relinquish any future claims.

Today, with Apple’s valuation nearing $4 trillion, that slice would theoretically be worth more than $400 billion.

Back in 1976, Jobs had borrowed $15,000 to fulfill Apple’s first order from a Bay Area computer store. Steve Wozniak is the engineering genius who single-handedly designed the Apple I and Apple II hardware. Steve Jobs died in October 2011.

After leaving Apple, Wayne spent decades working as an engineer and living outside the Silicon Valley spotlight. He eventually settled in Nevada, relying largely on Social Security while occasionally selling rare stamps and coins.

In August 2025, President Donald Trump and CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple would increase its US investment to $600 billion over four years, expanding its initial $500 billion pledge by $100 billion, to build new manufacturing facilities and move its supply chain to the United States.

On Sept. 1, Cook will step down as Apple’s CEO to become Executive Chairman, officially handing the role to his successor, John Ternus. Cook will remain as CEO through the summer of 2026 to ensure a smooth handoff before Ternus takes the helm on Sept.

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“My success has never been defined by money,” Wayne told Fortune in an emailed statement. “It’s been defined by acting with clarity, integrity, and sound judgment, given what I actually knew at the time. My perspective has become much clearer over the past year, as I came to understand how far the public narrative has drifted from the facts.”