How Much Did Jobs' Signed 'First Apple Check' Fetch at Auction?... "Record High Price"

Apple’s First Bank Check Issued in 1976 Auctioned
A Symbol of Jobs and Wozniak’s First Business Transaction Draws Major Attention

The first Apple bank check signed by Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, during his lifetime, was sold at auction for approximately 3.5 billion won, drawing significant attention.

On January 31 (local time), the New York Post reported that auction house RR Auction hosted the "Steve Jobs and the Computer Revolution: 50 Years of Apple" commemorative auction.

At this auction, the check numbered 1, issued from Apple's very first bank account, was sold for $2,409,886 (about 3.5 billion won). This is known to be the highest price ever recorded for a signed check sold at public auction.

A check signed by Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was sold for a large sum. RR Auction

The check in question is a $500 Wells Fargo Bank check, dated March 16, 1976. It was issued to Howard Cantin, the designer who implemented Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's Apple-1 circuit diagram as an actual printed circuit board (PCB), and was signed by both Jobs and Wozniak. The check was written about two weeks before Apple was legally established, shortly after the two founders opened a bank account under the name Apple, making it highly symbolic.

Bobby Livingston, Executive Vice President of RR Auction, stated, "This check is the most important financial document in Apple's history," adding, "It is a record of Jobs and Wozniak's very first business transaction." He continued, "The winning bid shows that collectors consider this document more meaningful than any other Apple-related artifact that has ever appeared on the market."

Although the identity of the winning bidder was not disclosed, it was reported that the buyer is an enthusiastic collector with a deep understanding of Apple's early history and a strong affection for Jobs.

Many of Jobs's personal belongings were also auctioned at this event. His collection of bow ties, which he actually wore, was sold for about 165 million won, and an Apple Computer poster produced in 1977 fetched about 960 million won.

Meanwhile, in 2024, a business card signed by Jobs in 1983 was sold at auction for over $180,000, setting the record at the time for the highest price ever paid for a signed business card.

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