The Jacket Michael Jackson Wore Goes Up for Auction... Sold for 400 Million Won

Jacket Worn in 1984 Pepsi Commercial
Final Winning Bid 250,000 Pounds (Approx. 400 Million KRW)
Gifted by Close Friend at the Time, Put Up for Auction

The so-called 'Pepsi commercial jacket' of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was sold at auction for about 400 million KRW.

Michael Jackson appearing in the Pepsi commercial released in 1984. The black and white jacket with an alternating design worn in the commercial was sold for about 400 million KRW at an auction held in Renan, UK.
[Photo by YouTube video capture]

According to foreign media including the UK’s BBC on the 12th (local time), Michael Jackson's jacket was sold for 250,000 pounds (about 400.83 million KRW) at the 'Entertainment Memorabilia Auction' held by the auction house Prop Store Auction in London on the 10th.

This leather jacket, featuring a black and white alternating design, was worn by Jackson in the Pepsi commercial released in March 1984.

The person who put this jacket up for auction is Wendel Thompson, who first met Jackson in December 1980 at a beauty salon run by his father and became friends with him. Jackson frequently visited this salon, building a close relationship with the Thompson family, and they later went to amusement parks and had dinner together, Thompson explained.

A photo of Michael Jackson and his friend Wendel Thompson with their arms around each other's shoulders in the past.
[Photo by Propstore Auction website capture]

In early 1984, before the Pepsi commercial was released, Thompson received the jacket as a gift from Jackson.

On that day, Jackson visited the salon to meet Thompson, had dinner with the salon staff, and then returned to the salon. Thompson tried on Jackson’s jacket once, and when he was about to take it off to return it, Jackson told him to keep it. Jackson also explained that he wore that jacket in the upcoming commercial.

The auction house also released a Polaroid photo taken at the time of Jackson and Thompson together. In the photo, Jackson is wearing a red cardigan, and Thompson is wearing a jacket of the same design as the one auctioned, with their arms around each other’s shoulders.

The auction house initially expected the jacket to sell for 200,000 to 400,000 pounds (about 323.86 million to 647.72 million KRW), but it was actually sold for 250,000 pounds.

The identity of the jacket’s new owner has not been disclosed.

Meanwhile, the black fedora that Michael Jackson threw toward the audience while performing his hit song 'Billie Jean' was sold for 77,640 euros (about 110 million KRW) at an auction in Paris, France, last September.

The fedora sold that day was the hat Jackson wore during the 1983 'Motown' concert stage when he performed 'Billie Jean.' At that time, Jackson took off the hat and showcased his trademark 'Moonwalk.'

A member of the audience picked up the hat that fell, and it later passed through the hands of private collectors before appearing at the Paris auction.

The estimated auction price was initially 60,000 to 100,000 euros (about 85 million to 140 million KRW).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.