In April 1976, three guys sat down at a typewriter in Los Gatos, California, and created a partnership agreement for a computer company.
Steve Jobs, 21 years old, gets 45% of the company.
Steve Wozniak, 25 years old, gets 45%.
And Ronald Wayne, the 41-year-old "adult in the room," gets 10% for being the tie-breaker and handling all the documentation.
He was essential to getting Apple Computer off the ground.
Then, 12 days later, he walked away and sold his 10% stake back to Jobs and Wozniak for $800.
Today, that 10% stake would be worth somewhere between $75 billion and $400 billion, depending on how you calculate dilution.
Ronald Wayne (someone you’ve probably never heard of) could have been one of the richest people on Earth.
So what happened? Why did he walk away from what would become the most valuable company in the world?
The answer is simple: fear.
Jobs had just taken out a $15,000 loan to fulfill Apple's first order from a computer store called The Byte Shop, and Wayne was the only founder with real assets.
Under the partnership structure they'd created, if Apple went under and couldn't pay back that loan, the debt would fall personally on Wayne.
Jobs and Wozniak had nothing to lose, but for Wayne the stakes were way higher.
So he made the logical, safe, responsible decision.
He got out.
He took his $800 and walked away.
Later, he accepted another $1,500 to forfeit any future claims to the company, so in total he got $2,300 for a stake that's now worth hundreds of billions.
But here's what's fascinating about Wayne's story: he doesn't regret it.
At least, that's what he says.
In interviews over the years, he's explained his reasoning.
"If I stayed at Apple I would have probably ended up the richest man in the cemetery," he told CNN.
He was 41 working with two kids in their twenties who were absolute whirlwinds of energy and ambition.
He knew he'd end up "standing in the shadow of giants," shuffling papers in the documentation department for 20 years.
He didn't believe in the vision enough to risk his financial security.
And honestly? I get it.
Not everyone is built for that level of risk.
Not everyone can stomach the possibility of losing everything. Wayne had already failed at one business venture, and he didn't want to go through it again.
Especially with a family.
And that’s why I’m telling you about this in the first place.
Different people have different levels of risk tolerance throughout their lives.
The amount of money you can risk in your 20’s when you’re single is RADICALLY different than when you’re married with kids.
So when you think about investing or big purchases, ask yourself.
Are you avoiding investing because you genuinely can't afford to lose the money? Or because you're scared of making a mistake?
Are you staying in a dead-end job because it's actually the best option? Or because change feels terrifying?
The difference matters.
Because every decision you make based on fear is a bet that the future will be worse than today.
Make decisions based on evidence, objectivity, and as much truth as possible.
That's what the Financial Health Quiz is designed to help you figure out.
Not "should you start the next Apple?" but "what smart risks should you be taking right now based on your actual situation?"
Because the biggest risk isn't losing $800. It's living your entire financial life in fear and waking up at 65 realizing you never gave yourself a chance.