December 12, 1980: Apple goes public, floating 4.6 million shares on the stock market at $22 per share. The Apple IPO is the biggest tech public offering of its day, and more than 40 out of 1,000 Apple employees become instant millionaires.
As Apple’s biggest shareholder, 25-year-old Steve Jobs ends the day with a net worth of $217 million. However, the big payday triggers internal tensions as it highlights Cupertino’s class divide.