The $500 Check That Kickstarted Apple Just Sold for $2.4 Million. Take a Look

A historic $500 check, notable for helping launch Apple Computer, was auctioned in January for $2.4 million. The check, signed by Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder and former CEO, was sold at an auction marking Apple’s 50th anniversary, according to RR Auction’s announcement. 

The check sold for $2,409,886. 

The 1976 check is one of the earliest transactions that led to Apple’s founding on April 1, 1976. Over the past 50 years, Apple has transformed the landscape of personal technology with iconic products such as the iPhone, MacBook and Apple Watch. This historic check offers a rare glimpse into the company’s early days.

The Wells Fargo check, dated March 16, 1976, is numbered 1, handwritten in the upper-right corner, and made out to Howard Cantin, a circuit board designer. Jobs and co-founder Steve Wozniak both signed the check. Weeks later, they established the partnership agreement for Apple Computer. The check paid Cantin for translating “Wozniak’s Apple-1 schematic into a manufacturable printed circuit board,” according to the release. Cantin signed the back of the check.  

Here’s a look at the check from RR Auction.

A representative from RR Auction said the collector is passionate about Apple’s history and has a personal connection to Steve Jobs’ legacy. 

“He’s carefully curating a museum-quality collection with the intention of making it publicly accessible down the road,” said Bobby Livingston, the executive vice president at RR Auction. “For now, the buyer has requested anonymity.”

Other items were sold at the auction, including the preproduction Apple-1 prototype computer for $2.75 million, and the March 1976 Wells Fargo bank statement for Apple Computer Co. for over $828,500. The auction lasted from Jan. 6 to Jan. 29.