Apple's Original Corporate Papers Heading to Auction, Could Fetch $150,000

apple computer contract signatures
Bloomberg reports that Sotheby's is preparing to auction off the original three-page document that served as the contract among Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ron Wayne to establish Apple Computer on April 1st, 1976. The auction, set for December 13th, is predicted to see the document fetch $100,000 to $150,000.

“This is a foundation document in terms of financial history, social history and technological history,” said Richard Austin, the head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s in New York.

Additional papers documenting Ron Wayne's withdrawal as a partner just 12 days after the company was formed are also included in the auction package. Wayne initially received $800 for his 10% share of the company, and later received an additional $1,500 payment.

apple computer contract papers
According to Sotheby's, Wayne sold the documents to a manuscript dealer at some point before another party acquired them in the mid-1990s as Apple appeared close to bankruptcy before Jobs returned to the company. That party has now decided to sell the documents given the recent publicity about Jobs following his death and the release of his authorized biography.

The Sotheby's auction of "fine books and manuscripts" includes over 350 separate lots, with the $100,000-$150,000 estimate for the Apple documents ranking in a tie for third with a 1733 map of America. The most valuable lot is predicted to be a 1789 letter from George Washington, which is estimated to sell for $300,000-$500,000.

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
amazon black friday

Amazon Kicks Off Black Friday Sale With Major Discounts on Apple Accessories, TVs, and More

Sunday November 23, 2025 7:12 am PST by
Black Friday deals have begun, and Amazon is one of the best places you can find steep discounts on numerous products this week. We've already collected all of the best Apple-related deals you'll find at Amazon (and other retailers) in our Apple Black Friday Deals post, so below you'll find other discounts on devices like Anker accessories, Beats headphones, video games, TVs, and more. Note:...

Top Rated Comments

yomibro Avatar
183 months ago
Apple should purchase the documents, frame them and make it as a permanent display in their new spaceship HQ.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tonynz Avatar
183 months ago
Pawn Stars will buy it for $50
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chenks Avatar
183 months ago
Pawn Stars will buy it for $50

only after they've brought in a buddy expert to take a look at them first of course.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThunderSkunk Avatar
183 months ago
Saw a recent interview with Wayne. He was nothing but realistic about his having given away his share of Apple. It made sense at the time, so he did it, felt no regrets, and is quite genuinely happy to see the boys become as successful as they did. Good-natured guy, a rarity among bazillionares.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miles01110 Avatar
183 months ago
Could Fetch $150,000

It could fetch $150,000,000 if there's a dumb enough buyer.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FakeWozniak Avatar
183 months ago
Ron Wayne, April 12th, 1976, "Cool!, $800!"
Ron Wayne, November 28th, 2011, "Doh!"
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)