[From stackexchange.com]

Q: Was Chaosium's founder first to buy a copy of D&D?

TLDR: Yes

Is this true (allowing for the difficulties that interviews with Californian Arkati Shaman-Publishers present to seekers of truth)? Did Stafford's friend acquire a copy of D&D directly from Gygax? Did he pay for it? (How much?)

Were other copies sold beforehand?

The tale as told by Greg himself.