As Apple approaches its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026, an upcoming event promises to shed light on the company’s rich history-and feature an unexpected guest. Ronald Wayne, the often-forgotten third co-founder of Apple, is slated to appear at the ”Apple at 50: Five Decades of Thinking Different” gathering hosted by tech columnist David Pogue. The event takes place tonight at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, and will also be live streamed on YouTube beginning at 7 p.m. Pacific Time.
Wayne’s early exit from Apple’s story is well known-he sold his 10% stake just 12 days after the company formed in 1976 to shield himself from financial risk. That decision cost him a fortune that would now be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet, his contributions as an original co-founder are often overlooked in the mainstream Apple narrative dominated by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.
The program aims to trace Apple’s evolution from its garage roots in the 1970s, through its landmark Macintosh era in the 1980s, and into the 21st century, where the iPhone reshaped global technology. The event line-up includes influential Apple veterans, including John Sculley (CEO 1983-1993), Chris Espinosa (the company’s longest-serving employee), Avie Tevanian (former Chief Software Technology Officer), and Jon Rubinstein (former SVP of Hardware Engineering, appearing via video).
David Pogue, renowned for his decades covering Apple for outlets like The New York Times and Macworld and now a CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, also recently published Apple: The First 50 Years. The 608-page book, timed for the anniversary, features rare interviews with 150 key figures including Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, and Jony Ive, delivering fresh insights and correcting historical inaccuracies in Apple’s storied past.
The Computer History Museum’s initiative highlights the complex layers of Apple’s journey, spotlighting not just its blockbuster products but also the personalities and decision-making that fueled its growth-both celebrated and sidelined. The presence of Wayne, whether in person or via video, is a rare opportunity to hear from a founding figure who stepped away before Apple’s rise to tech dominance.
With two additional speakers yet to be disclosed and a free live stream available, the event is shaping up to be a compelling deep dive into half a century of Apple innovation. It also reminds us that behind every tech giant’s success is a cast of complex characters, some of whom exit early only to remain a footnote until anniversaries like this bring them back into the light.