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Oct 4, 2026 · Industry Insights

How a $500K Patent Built a $3B Empire — And Why It Collapsed

An Wang sold his magnetic core memory patent to IBM for $500,000, founded Wang Laboratories, grew it to $3 billion with word processors and minicomputers, but lost it all due to dual-class stock, heavy debt, an incompatible PC, and a failed succession — not simply because he missed the PC revolution.