Michael Jackson’s Thriller Jacket Sold for $1.8 Million

At Sunday’s auction at Julien’s Auctions, among celebrities like the Beatles, Madonna, and Elvis Presley—Michael Jackson was the King.

The legendary red-and-black jacket from Michael Jackson’s famous “Thriller” video was sold for $1.8 million at Beverly Hills. The expected price for the jacket was between $200,000 and $400,000.

This was one of the two jackets the King of Pop wore during the filming of the “Thriller” video in 1983. With his signature on the sleeve, Michael gave the jacket to his two costume designers, Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, so they could use it as a template to sew a costume for performing the “Thriller” song on stage.

The buyer, Milton Verret, is a businessman from Austin, Texas. He plans to display the jacket in different countries and raise money for children’s charity.

Alongside this jacket, the black hat Michael wore on the Bad tour sold for $16,250. His handwritten note to Elizabeth Taylor sold for $5,625, and a decorative pillow cover finished at $3,584. A buyer paid $330,000—more than 10 times the estimated price—to purchase one of Michael’s embellished gloves, which he had made in the 1980s.

But Michael’s closest competitors were the Beatles. A signed postcard by them was priced at $5,504, and a bass guitar belonging to Paul McCartney, a member of the group, sold for $14,080.

Source: eMJey.com / CNN / AP