A rare collection of the original founding documents for Apple is coming to the auction block at Christie’s, and experts believe they could be worth up to $4 million. The partnership papers of the Apple Computer Company contain all three signatures: those of Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ron Wayne, together as a complete set (which collectors won’t find that often). The proposed sale was reported by South Korea’s Arirang News and underscores the rising demand for blue-chip tech artifacts.
The paperwork sketches out the company’s original ownership structure—45% for Jobs, 45% for Wozniak, and 10% for Wayne—nailing down the precise instant Apple went from garage aspiration to legal entity. Wayne left the company after several days, selling his share for $800 and later receiving another $1,500. Had that 10% stayed in his possession, it would have left a stake worth hundreds of billions at Apple’s current market value—a stark reminder of how rapidly a startup’s paper can become economic history.
What’s Up for Auction in This Christie’s Apple Sale
Christie’s is selling an original partnership agreement bearing the three founders’ signatures. For hardcore collectors, the completeness of this set matters as much as, or more than, whose names appear on the page. As a fully signed founding document, it is separate from subsequent contracts or internal memos in that it captures the legal birth of a household-name company. Provenance and condition specifics usually accompany a lot like that, along with an expert analysis of the ink, paper stock, and drafting technique to establish authenticity.
The scarcity of Wayne’s signature especially enhances desirability. Unlike Jobs and Wozniak, whose autographs are found sprinkled throughout other relics, Wayne’s name is rarely seen and largely confined to the company’s founding mythology. That scarcity is driving up bidding interest from both tech historians and financial collectors.
Why the Estimated Price Is So High for These Papers
Two tides are at play: cultural meaning and a maturing market for technology memorabilia. In cultural terms, it is as close to an Apple creation moment as the document could be—the founding of arguably the most consequential startup in modern history. As for market dynamics, collectors have always paid a premium for museum-quality Apple items. “Owning the founding papers would establish a high-water mark for any future sale of them.” When they were last sold at Sotheby’s after their discovery, $1.6 million was brought in.
Comparable results reinforce the momentum. A prototype Apple I, thought to be one of the first, sold for $815,000. A first-generation iPhone with 4GB storage that was factory-sealed went for $190,000. Even the more ephemeral trappings of the brand’s mythology have received brisk bidding, like a suit worn by Steve Jobs in the 1984 Macintosh ad, which sold for $29,000. Given that context, an original, triple-signed founding agreement with a multimillion-dollar estimate would seem in keeping with the most recent past practice.
The Ron Wayne Factor and His Rare Signature
Wayne’s short stint and hasty departure have become legend in Silicon Valley. He has told interviewers that he does not regret the move, for reasons of risk tolerance and personal well-being. That story—along with the cold calculus of a 10% interest surrendered—brings extra value to each artifact that bears his name. For collectors, Wayne’s signature bookends the founding cast of Apple and renders this document complete and one-of-a-kind.
What Buyers Should Know Before Bidding at Christie’s
Beyond the headline estimate, bidders need to account for additional costs such as the buyer’s premium, taxes, and insurance, which can meaningfully raise the all-in price above the hammer. Serious buyers typically ask the auction house for a condition report on the work and whether third-party opinions from experts in ink or paper forensics were obtained to determine authenticity. Storage and preservation matter, too: early paper needs climate control and expert interaction for value to survive.
Collectors will also consider the piece’s visibility and provenance. Evidence of the kind with a chain of ownership, exhibits, or publications is what increases that interest. This is an active category for museums and institutional archives, so competition can be fierce when a signature corporate artifact comes onto the market.
A Barometer for the Tech Collectibles Market
The sale comes at a time when technology memorabilia is emerging as a new alt-asset class and has other tech enthusiasts dusting down their dated gadgets and scouring auction houses for bargains. Indexes following luxury collectibles have also seen consistent demand, and now tech history can be added to the same list as classic cars, fine art, and rare manuscripts. With Apple’s market value measured in the trillions, early documents from its birth function as both cultural touchstones and investment-grade paper.
Where the gavel falls in that $2 million to $4 million range will indicate how far this market has traveled. Either way, the auction underscores a simple truth: A few scribbles on a few pages—which were long ago little more than startup paperwork—now represent among the most valuable stories in modern business.
