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 the auction house RR Auction held the "Steve Jobs and the Computer Revolution: 50th Anniversary of Apple Founding" auction.

At this auction, check number one, issued from the first bank account opened under the name of Apple, was sold for $2,409,886 (about 3.5 billion won). This is known to be the highest price ever paid for a signed check at a 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 personally signed by both Jobs and Wozniak. This check is considered highly symbolic, as it was written just about two weeks before Apple was legally established, immediately after the two founders opened a bank account under the name "Apple."

Bobby Livingston, Vice President of RR Auction, described the check as "the most important financial document in Apple’s history," adding, "It is a record of the very first business transaction by Jobs and Wozniak." He further stated, "The winning bid shows that collectors regard this document as more significant than any other Apple-related artifact to have appeared on the market so far."

The identity of the winning bidder has not been disclosed, but it is reported that the buyer is an enthusiastic collector with a deep understanding of Apple’s early history and a strong affection for Steve Jobs.

Numerous personal items belonging to Jobs were also auctioned at this event. A collection of bow ties actually worn by Jobs was sold for about 165 million won, and an Apple computer poster produced in 1977 fetched approximately 960 million won.

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