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Everybody knows about Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, two boys in their 20’s who chose to leave promising careers with computer gaming innovator, Atari, to take a risk to start Apple. Few, however, are as familiar with the 40 year old who also left Atari for Apple, to play the role of the maturer and responsible business partner to the innovators.

Within two weeks, however, Ronald cashed in his 10% share in Apple for $800 to return to Atari, forgoing what would turn out to be a $35 billion investment. Interestingly, in his short two weeks, he drew the first Apple logo, wrote the three men’s original partnership agreement and wrote the Apple 1 Manual.

As we all know, hindsight is 20/20, and we can all lament costly decisions, however, not Ronald Wayne. Now Wayne was no stranger to risk and entrepreneurship, as over the years both before and after Apple he did take risks and open some of his own businesses. He even lost money in a slot machine business several years before his adventure with Apple. So why did he back away so soon after taking the first step? The simple answer is that he realized the financial risk, and as the “more mature” partner, had money and assets to lose as an unlimited partner that the two younger partners did not, and Wayne will say this was true. More importantly, in those early days he became increasingly familiar with the whirlwind culture that the two Steve’s were nurturing, and recognized that this was an environment that would not engage him, and so he walked away, forfeiting what turned out to be a fortune.

Wayne does not regret his decision. He made the right decision at the time, under the circumstances to stay true to himself. The important lesson is that we all must make decisions that are true to our personal experience, values and tolerance to risk. Yes, Wayne could have been a billionaire today, had he stayed. Instead, he recognized the environment that would engage him and chose the path for personal satisfaction.