Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA, is putting his signature black leather jacket up for auction at Sotheby's, with the proceeds designated for charitable purposes. The jacket was designed by Tom Ford and bears Huang's personal signature.
Sotheby's estimates the jacket's value at between $40,000 and $60,000. The auction is organized by Long Journey Ventures, and the funds will be directed to the Edge Institute, a nonprofit that provides temporary residency programs for researchers and developers working in technological, scientific and cultural fields. The money raised is intended to fund scholarships, grants and research positions.
Authenticity was supported through photo analysis: Huang wore the same jacket at the Hon Hai Tech Day event in Taipei in October 2023. The signature's authenticity was verified by James Spence Authentication. This verification is notable because counterfeit versions of the jacket have circulated online for years, and multiple sellers have offered jackets explicitly referencing Huang's style.
Huang has worn the garment for more than a decade at product launches, developer conferences and major artificial intelligence announcements. The jacket has become a recognizable element of his public appearance, comparable to how Steve Jobs's black turtleneck became associated with the Apple founder.
Huang emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in 1973. Under his leadership, NVIDIA has grown into a major player in chip manufacturing and a central supplier of hardware that has supported the spread of artificial intelligence and played a role in the history of cryptocurrency mining hardware.
Beyond selling an iconic piece of clothing, the auction aims to generate direct funding for early-career researchers and developers who could benefit from the Edge Institute's residency programs and the fellowships and positions the proceeds are intended to support.
