"Didn't Want To Be An Internet Joke": How A Reddit Post Made Ex Apple Employee 'Sam Sung' Change His Name

Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral due to his name's striking similarity to Samsung, one of Apple's biggest competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he shared his experiences during that time, how Apple reacted, and the reasons behind his decision to change his name. Today, 36-year-old Sam Struan leads a quiet life in Glasgow, Scotland, working as a consultant and resume writer. 

Born Sam Sung, he remembers his early years filled with playful jokes about his name, but nothing prepared him for what happened next. In his early 20s, while working at an Apple Store in Vancouver, Canada, someone posted a photo of his Apple business card on Reddit, which quickly went viral within hours.

"I'll never forget the moment I went viral. I was working at my other part-time job, and my phone started ringing like crazy. I thought a family member had died. I peeked and saw a text from someone saying I'd gone viral on Reddit, and they sent me a link,'' he told Business Insider.

He initially had no idea what Reddit was and thought the situation might be some kind of scam. However, as calls from customers, journalists, and even Apple began pouring in, he realised things had quickly gotten out of hand.

"A few hours later, I received several missed calls from the Apple store. Someone had posted a picture of my Apple business card online, and it actually went viral. I was terrified," he added. 

After a reporter approached him at work, Apple removed him from the store floor and instructed employees not to identify him if customers asked. His business cards were also taken away. To avoid attention, Struan pretended to be someone else when customers inquired about him, and eventually, the incident faded away.

Struan left Apple in 2013 to move on from retail. In 2014, he auctioned his old business cards and parts of his former uniform to raise money for charity. Although he didn't change his name while at Apple, his viral experience later led him to do so, as he didn't want to be remembered as an internet joke.

He eventually chose to change his last name to Struan, inspired by one of his favorite places in Scotland. While he doesn't regret the change, he wishes he could tell his younger self to view the situation with humour and not worry so much about his job.

"I'm glad I adopted a new professional name, and I'm not sure if I would have if the viral moment hadn't happened, but I wish I could tell my younger self to see it as a funny thing...I wish I'd just chilled out a bit about it and been less worried about job security and potential work opportunities, and enjoyed it for what it was," Struan said.