The written agreement that formally established Apple Computer Company in 1976 is heading to auction, where it is expected to sell for as much as $4 million USD.

According to Apple Insider, the historic three-page contract will be featured by the British auction house Christie’s, which operates international salerooms including one in New York. The document includes the signatures of Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ron Wayne, along with the original breakdown of ownership stakes in the company that would grow into one of the largest tech firms in the world.

Despite its historical weight, the agreement itself represented a brief moment in Apple’s early story. Less than a year after the company transitioned from Apple Computer Company to Apple Computer, Inc, Ron Wayne had already exited. He walked away from his 10 percent share just days after signing the agreement.

Wayne later explained in a 2016 BBC interview that he did not regret leaving, even though that stake would have been worth around $60 billion at the time. Several months after departing, he accepted a payment of $1,500 to give up all remaining business claims. In a twist of misfortune, Wayne also sold his personal copy of the original contract for $500, a decision he later admitted regretting.

Apple Insider reports that the copy heading to auction this time is valued between $2 million and $4 million USD and will appear in the “We the People: America at 250” sale in New York on January 23. It marks yet another example of Apple memorabilia drawing major interest from collectors. In 2023, an unopened first-generation iPhone sold for $190,000 USD.