Steve Job’s iconic ‘middle finger to IBM’ leather jacket up for sale
Steve Jobs "middle finger to IBM" dark brown leather jacket was made by Wilkes Bashford. It has a black shearling collar and white shearling lining.
The clothing items once worn by famous personalities have always fascinated the public. These garments, imbued with a sense of star power, often command a hefty price when put up for sale. A recent list of such items being auctioned includes a Jacket that belonged to Steve Jobs. Is the leather jacket only famous because the Apple co-founder wore it? No, it is more interesting that he once took a picture while wearing it in front of the IBM building. In the famous photo, he also shows his middle finger.

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“Steve Jobs's bomber jacket, worn in the iconic 1983 'middle finger to IBM' photo,” auction house RR Auction wrote as they posted the listing for the item on their website. According to the site, there have been 10 bids for the jacket, and the price went up to $23,000. The next bidding will open on August 22.
About the jacket:
“Steve Jobs's personally-owned and worn dark brown leather bomber jacket, made by Wilkes Bashford of San Francisco, famously seen in an iconic 1983 photograph of Jobs flipping the bird to an IBM sign in New York City. The zip-up jacket features a black shearling collar, white shearling lining, and two snap-down pouch pockets on the front. In fine condition, with general wear from use,” the auction house wrote.
The iconic picture:
The picture surfaced years after it was clicked. It became viral when Andy Hertzfeld, a member of the original Macintosh development team, shared it online in 2011.
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“In December 1983, a few weeks before the Mac launch, we made a quick trip to New York City to meet with Newsweek, who was considering doing a cover story on the Mac. The photo was taken spontaneously as we walked around Manhattan by Jean Pigozzi, a wild French jet setter who was hanging out with us at the time,” Hertzfeld recalled about when the photo was taken.
ABOUT THE AUTHORTrisha SenguptaTrisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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