The fate of the first ten Apple employees
Unlike many other companies, Apple is closely associated with only one person - Steve Jobs. Of course, it was Jobs who turned Apple into the most valuable technology company in the world. But he didn't do it alone. This review collects information about the first ten employees of Apple: their contribution to the company and the current situation.
The review was written by Michael Scott, Apple's first CEO, and Steve Wozniak, who helped restore the roster of Apple's first employees. Another early employee wished to remain anonymous.
The company's employees are not listed by the year they started working, but by Michael Scott's list, compiled once for the accounting department.
(Total 11 photos)
10. Gary Martin, chief accountant. (Martin's photo not found)
Martin thought that Apple would go bust, but he started working there anyway. He was an employee of Apple until 1983, after which he moved to Starstruck (space travel company). After that, he became the financial director of various companies. Since December 2013, he has been the CFO of the LeoNovus cloud service. He is also a private investor.
9. Sherri Livingston, assistant to the first CEO of Apple. (First Apple business papers)
Livingston was the first secretary at Apple and did a lot for the company. Michael Scott says she ran all the little errands. Recently she became a grandmother, if she works, it is not known where.
8. Chris Espinoza, worked at Apple while in high school. (Photo from Chris' blog)
Chris started working at Apple when he was 14. He seems to be working there to this day. On his personal blog, he writes that when Michael Scott compiled the list of workers, he was still at school and received his “wrong” number 8 due to being late.
7. Michael "Scotty" Scott, Executive Director.
Michael says that he gave himself the number 7 in honor of James Bond, agent 007. Scotty hired all the employees and organized the company. He was invited to Apple by Mike Markkula, who invested $250,000 in the company.
6. Randy Wigginton, programmer. (Dan Kottke, Randy Wiggiton and Chris Espinoza)
Randy's job was to write the Basic dialect for the Apple II. After Apple, he worked at eBay, Google and Chegg. He now works at startup Square.
5. Rod Holt, one of the main developers of the Apple II. (Photo from Apple Museum)
Holt was a respected designer and had doubts about Apple's prospects. As he wrote in his memoirs, Steve Jobs “conned” him when hiring. Holt took part in the development of the power supply for the Apple II. According to him, after six years with the company, he was "pushed out" by the new management.
4. Bill Fernandez, hired right after the two Steves. (Photo courtesy of All About Steve Jobs)
Bill first met Jobs in high school in Cupertino, where Steve was a freshman. Fernandez was a friend and neighbor of Steve Wozniak. He remained at Apple until 1993, when he moved to work for Ingres, a database support company. He now runs the startup Omnibotics.
3. Mike Markkula, the first major investor. (Steve Jobs and Mike Markkula)
Mike invested $ 250 thousand in Apple, which allowed the company to develop. In exchange for the investment, he received a 30% stake in the company. He helped run the company, developed the business plan, hired the first CEO, and insisted on joining the team with Steve Wozniak (Steve was about to join HP at the time).
Mike was one of the first employees of Intel and became a millionaire after the listing of the company. He worked with Apple until 1997. After Jobs returned, he left. Markkula has invested in several startups and donated some of his money to Santa Clara University, which opened the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.
2. Steve Jobs, employee #2. (Photo by Stephan de Luca)
Steve was not the first, but the second on the list. Michael Scott says he did it so he wouldn't get conceited. Steve headed Apple twice, and also led the Pixar studio. He died in October 2011.
1. Steve Wozniak, technical expert.
Steve almost left to work at HP, but chose Apple. He still holds a formal position in the company.
0. Bonus: Ronald Wayne sold his stake in Apple for $1,700. (Ronald Wayne, frame from a 2010 CNN broadcast)
He originally partnered with Jobs and Wozniak, but decided it wasn't for him. In 1977, Mike Markkula bought his share.