In brief: These days Jensen Huang is better known for turning Nvidia from a beloved gaming company into a somewhat disliked AI supercorporation. But he used to get a lot of attention for his leather jacket. Now, one of those famed items of clothing is going up for auction, and it's expected to raise $40,000 to $60,000 – for charity, of course.
Sotheby's, which has been behind several iconic tech auctions over the years, will begin accepting bids on the black leather jacket starting on July 7. Titled The Jensen Jacket: Jensen Huang's Tom Ford Leather Jacket, the auction notes that it is associated with some of the most consequential moments in modern technology.
As is mandatory for the age we live in, the description adds that Huang wore the jacket at product launches, developer conferences, and major announcements that helped define the rise of artificial intelligence.
Huang has also signed the jacket, which will no doubt help push that winning bid even higher.
Thanks to Nvidia's hardware powering the AI boom/bubble, Huang has a net worth estimated between $164 billion and $200 billion, so it's safe to assume he's worn more than one of these jackets over the years.
Sotheby's says this particular jacket has been verified by grading company Professional Sports Authenticator, which photo-matched it to Huang's appearance during Hon Hai/Foxconn Tech Day in Taipei on October 18, 2023. His signature was authenticated by James Spence Authentication.
The winning bid expected to land between $40,000 and $60,000, or roughly the price of a high-end Nvidia AI accelerator such as a B200, and not far off some H100 or H200 configurations. Then again, these jackets cost around $9,000 even when they've not been worn by a famous AI-worshipping billionaire.
The sale is being organized by Long Journey Ventures, an early-stage venture fund. The money it raises will go to a charity called The Edge Institute. Sotheby's describes it as a non-profit that convenes people working at the frontiers of tech, science, culture, and society in pop-up villages (Edge Cities) to live together and experiment towards a brighter future.
The jacket joins other iconic tech items Sotheby's has auctioned off over the years. There was the web's original source code that Tim Berners-Lee sold in 2021 as an NFT – it went for $5.4 million. There have also been a pair of ultra-rare Apple sneakers and a pristine Apple I computer.