Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's iconic black leather jacket sold for ₹9.24 crore. Here's the story behind it

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s black leather jacket fetched $960,000 (approx. ₹9.4 million) at the Sotheby’s auction, with proceeds going to support a philanthropic initiative aimed at helping young innovators in technology and science.

The jacket, which had a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000, sold for nearly 16 times its expected value, making it one of the most talked-about pieces at the auction.

According to Fortune, proceeds from the initiative organized by San Francisco-based venture capital firm Long Journey Ventures will benefit the Edge Institute, a non-profit organization that brings together people working across technology, science, culture and society to collaborate on new ideas.

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The organization is part of the growing “pop-up village” movement, where founders, researchers and entrepreneurs live and work together for weeks to develop new projects. Its flagship meeting, Edge Esmeralda, attracted more than 1,300 participants last year in Healdsburg, California. According to Sotheby’s, proceeds from the auction will fund scholarships, grants and residency programs.

It remains unclear what Mr. Huang’s involvement is in the initiative or whether he personally proposed the auction.

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A jacket that has become a technical symbol

Over the years, Jensen Huang’s black leather jacket has become as recognizable as the Nvidia boss himself.

Similar to Steve Jobs’ signature black turtleneck or Mark Zuckerberg’s T-shirts and hoodies, Mr. Huang has built a public image around his preference for luxury leather jackets, which he often wears during Nvidia’s biggest product launches, developer conferences and keynote presentations.

“You may know me better as ‘the guy in the leather jacket who repeats things three times,'” Mr. Huang wrote during a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session in 2016.

The look has since become synonymous with the AI pioneer and was even featured when he appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 2021 as one of its “Men of the Year”.

The jacket sold at Sotheby’s has been identified as a black leather Tom Ford jacket worn by Mr Huang during the Hon Hai Tech Day in Taipei on October 18, 2023. Sotheby’s authentication said the item matched a photo of the event, while Mr Huang’s signature was verified by James Spence Authentication.

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Describing the piece, Sotheby’s said: “This is not just a jacket. It is the uniform of an ‘early believer’; a symbol of his leadership style embodying authenticity, resourcefulness, perseverance, courage and joy.”

Longtime fan of Tom Ford

Mr. Huang’s preference for Tom Ford jackets has become something of a signature in Silicon Valley.

According to Fortune, fashion experts have estimated that many of the Nvidia boss’ jackets cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to more than $10,000 apiece.

During the 2024 keynote speech, Mr. Huang appeared to be wearing a lizard-embossed Tom Ford jacket said to cost nearly $9,000.

“It’s not his first rodeo. He wears a lot of Tom Ford. They’re all expensive,” Reginald Ferguson, founder of New York menswear consultancy Fashion Geek, told Fortune in 2025.

“He’s found his lane and he’s sticking to it. I doubt he’s got a motorbike out. Black jackets match his gray hair,” he added.

Despite the attention his wardrobe has received, Mr Huang said the style choices are not entirely his own.

“I’m happy that my wife and my daughter dress me,” he said in a 2024 interview with HP.

A spokesman for Mr. Huang also previously told The New York Times that the Nvidia CEO has been wearing black leather jackets for “at least 20 years.”

Philanthropy beyond the auction

The Sotheby’s sale marks a different kind of charitable contribution for Mr. Huang and his family.

He and his wife, Lori Huang, who met while studying at Oregon State University, run the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation, which, according to one estimate cited by Fortune, has assets in excess of $10 billion.

The foundation primarily focused on higher education and artificial intelligence research. Her major gifts include a $50 million gift to Oregon State University for the research complex that now bears the couple’s names, contributions to Stanford University, and a $22.5 million gift to the California College of the Arts.

While Mr. Huang’s black leather jacket has long been associated with Nvidia’s rise as one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies, its latest chapter has turned a personal style statement into a philanthropic contribution aimed at supporting a new generation of innovators.