In 2012, a simple Apple Store business card turned Sam Sung into an online sensation. At the time, he worked at Apple’s Glasgow store. His name — identical to Apple’s rival Samsung — caught attention online and quickly went viral on Reddit and social media.
The moment began when a Reddit user shared a photo of his business card with jokes about Apple’s “new hire.” Within hours, the post spread worldwide. Calls poured into the store as people asked to speak to “Sam Sung.”
Apple stepped in immediately. The company pulled him off the sales floor and took back his business cards to contain the situation. “I was so scared, and I just wanted to keep my head down and stay employed,” Sung said in an interview with Business Insider.
Life After the Meme
In 2013, Sung left Apple to start a new career in recruitment. A year later, he auctioned off his old business card and part of his uniform for charity, raising over $2,500 for the Children’s Wish Foundation.
But viral fame came with problems. “I didn’t want to be known as an internet joke,” he said. Every username he tried to create was already taken. He also worried that his unusual name might hurt his professional image.
A Fresh Start as Sam Struan
After some reflection, he decided to change his name. He chose Struan, the name of a small village on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, as his new surname. The change helped him move forward while keeping a connection to his roots.
Today, Sam Struan works as a consultant and résumé writer in Glasgow. Looking back, he admits he wishes he had relaxed more during his brief fame. “I wish I could tell my younger self to chill out and see it as something funny,” he said.
The story of “Sam Sung from Apple” remains a reminder that even a harmless internet joke can reshape a person’s life in unexpected ways.
