Jensen Huang's signature leather jacket heads to Sotheby's, expected to fetch up to $60,000

The black leather jacket that has become Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's signature look is heading to auction.

Sotheby's announced Thursday that it will auction a Tom Ford leather jacket bearing Huang's autograph from July 7 through July 17.

Huang personally donated the jacket, which he wore at Hon Hai Technology Day (HHTD) in Taipei, Taiwan, on Oct. 18, 2023.

HHTD is an annual event hosted by Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Taiwanese company widely known by its English trade name Foxconn.

Sports memorabilia authentication firm PSA verified through photo analysis that the jacket is the same one Huang wore at the event, and authentication specialist JSA confirmed the signature as genuine.

The estimated hammer price is $40,000 to $60,000, a range comparable to the price of Nvidia's latest AI chip, the Blackwell.

Given that a new Tom Ford leather jacket retails for around $10,000, the auction estimate represents a several-fold increase in value.

Sotheby's described the "Jensen Jacket" as "a relic of the belief that those who venture bravely into the unknown before anyone else are the ones who shape the future," adding that it has become "a symbol of vision at the forefront of the AI revolution."

Huang has worn the leather jacket consistently — not only at major announcements such as product launches and developer conferences, but also in everyday public settings like eating street food.

In the technology industry, Huang's leather jacket is widely regarded as an iconic garment in the same vein as the black turtleneck sweater that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs wore throughout his life.

All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Edge Institute, a nonprofit that operates Edge City — an experimental village where innovators, researchers, philosophers and artists temporarily live and work together — as part of a charitable initiative organized by venture fund Long Journey Ventures.