Ariel Fischman Passes 1,000 Spreadsheet Software Items
The collector officially doubled his Guinness World Record-holding library of vintage spreadsheet software programs.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Collecting
Live Poll
Do you find it worthwhile to collect niche or obsolete technology items?
Ariel Fischman has expanded his collection to more than 1,000 unique copies of spreadsheet software. This milestone effectively doubles the size of the repository that first earned him a Guinness World Record in 2018.
Why it matters
The collection preserves the history of a tool that fundamentally changed computing and electronic accounting. It tracks the evolution of software that began with the invention of the electronic spreadsheet in 1978.
Ariel Fischman now owns over 1,000 unique spreadsheet software copies, surpassing his previous Guinness World Record of 506 items from 2018. The electronic spreadsheet technology itself dates back to the invention by Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston in 1978.
The players
Ariel Fischman
Ariel Fischman is a dedicated software collector who holds the world record for the largest repository of spreadsheet programs.
Dan Bricklin
Dan Bricklin is a computer scientist recognized for inventing the first electronic spreadsheet program while at Harvard.
Bob Frankston
Bob Frankston is a software engineer who co-invented the electronic spreadsheet alongside Dan Bricklin.
The details
Fischman began his specialized collection after researching the history of electronic accounting. His archive tracks the technological lineage of software that originated when Dan Bricklin developed the concept while studying at Harvard.
Timeline
1978: The electronic spreadsheet was first invented.
2018: Fischman earned his initial world record with 506 copies.
October 28, 2026: The collection surpasses 1,000 items.
Culture Shift
This achievement follows the 2018 Guinness World Record for largest collection of spreadsheet software. The growth of this private archive tracks a broader interest in preserving the history of legacy software applications.
Collectors may find this expansion encouraging for the ongoing valuation and preservation of obscure digital assets. It highlights the importance of maintaining original media for those tracking the history of business software.
The takeaway
Preserving software requires diligent cataloging of both common and obscure releases to maintain a clear historical record. Collectors looking to replicate this success should focus on documenting the provenance of their acquisitions.
Further reading
Explore more about collecting and the preservation of rare hobbies.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UPI.
Live Poll
Do you find it worthwhile to collect niche or obsolete technology items?
