Once upon a very awkward time in 2012, an Apple Store employee named Sam Sung went viral for the most unfortunate reason imaginable. His name – printed neatly on an Apple business card – matched that of Apple’s biggest rival, Samsung. The internet couldn’t resist the irony, and within hours, “Sam Sung from Apple” became an online legend.
It all started when someone posted a photo of Sung’s business card on Reddit. The post exploded across social media, landing him in headlines and memes worldwide. For most people, it was harmless fun, but for Sung, it quickly became something else entirely. Apple’s corporate team called him shortly after the image spread, asking if he was aware of the post. “I was so scared,” he told Business Insider. “I just wanted to keep my head down and stay employed.”
What followed was a strange chapter of corporate damage control. When a reporter showed up at his store, Apple pulled him from the floor and instructed employees not to identify him to curious customers. His business cards were confiscated, and he found himself pretending to be someone else whenever people came in looking for “Sam Sung.” The viral fame that amused millions made him deeply uncomfortable.
He eventually left Apple in 2013 to move on from retail. A year later, he decided to turn the whole ordeal into something positive. He auctioned off his old Apple uniform, lanyard, and a few of his remaining business cards for charity, raising several thousand dollars. Even so, the name never stopped following him. Every few years, the photo would resurface, and so would the jokes.
After some time, he decided that the only way to move on was to leave “Sam Sung” behind altogether. He legally changed his last name to Struan, which he says is inspired by one of his favorite places in Scotland. The decision wasn’t about embarrassment, he explained, but about reclaiming control over how he was known. “I didn’t want to be known for being an internet joke,” he said.
Looking back now, he admits he wishes he’d taken it all less seriously. “I wish I could tell my younger self to see it as a funny thing,” he said, reflecting on how the incident consumed his early career.
Today, Sam Struan lives a quieter life, far from the days of unexpected viral fame. But somewhere online, the original photo of that Apple business card is still floating around – a reminder that sometimes, the internet’s sense of humor can change a life forever.