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Rs.11 crore for a 50-year-old computer! Why is this apple so expensive?
A working Apple-1 computer from 1976 has sold for about Rs.11 crore at auction. Signed by Steve Wozniak and accompanied by a rare letter from Steve Jobs!
50-Year-Old Apple Computer Sells for Rs.11 Crore
A computer made in 1976 has sold for around Rs.11 crore at auction. The rare Apple-1 still works, carries Steve Wozniak’s signature, and comes with a historic letter signed by Steve Jobs.
Why Is This Old Apple Computer So Valuable?
The computer, known as the “Hatfield” Apple-1, sold for Rs.1,148,200, including the buyer’s premium, at an auction on 14 October 2026. Two bidders competed for 28 minutes before one secured the machine. The sale set a record for a commercially released Apple-1 computer.
The auction also took place in the year Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary. The company was founded on 1 April 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne.
Apple’s First Computer
The Apple-1 was Apple’s first computer. Steve Wozniak designed and built it, while Steve Jobs focused on marketing and sales.
Unlike modern computers, the Apple-1 did not come as a complete ready-to-use system. Buyers needed extra equipment, such as a keyboard, power supply and display. Fewer than 75 verified Apple-1 computers are known to survive today, making them highly valuable to collectors.
Signed by Steve Wozniak, With a Letter From Steve Jobs
The Hatfield Apple-1 still works, and its motherboard carries Wozniak’s signature. The auction lot also included its original manual, hardware components, a typed invitation to the Apple I Owners Club, and a rare letter signed by Jobs in 1978.
The letter was addressed to the computer’s original owner, Fred Hatfield. Jobs offered him an upgrade to an Apple II motherboard if he returned his Apple-1 without its memory and paid an additional Rs.400. Hatfield chose to keep his original computer.
From Rs.666.66 to Rs.11 Crore
The Apple-1 originally sold for Rs.666.66 in 1976. Wozniak reportedly liked repeating digits, which explains the unusual price. Nearly 50 years later, the Hatfield machine fetched more than Rs.1.14 million at auction.
However, it was not the most expensive Apple-1-related item ever sold. In January 2026, an early Apple-1 prototype known as the “Celebration” board sold for Rs.2.75 million.
The Hatfield sale set a different record: the highest auction price for a commercially sold Apple-1 computer.