A single rhinestone-studded sock once worn by the late pop icon Michael Jackson has sold for over Ksh.1 million at an auction in France, decades after it was discarded near his dressing room.
The sock, worn by Jackson during his “HIStory World Tour” performance in the southern French city of Nîmes in July 1997, fetched €7,688 (approximately $8,822 or Ksh.1.04 million) at a local auction house, according to auctioneer Aurore Illy.
Discovered by a technician after the concert, the white athletic sock, now off-white and stained with age, was originally valued at €3,000 to €4,000. It featured rhinestones that have since yellowed, but its association with Jackson’s iconic “Billie Jean” performances made it a prized collector’s item.
“It really is an exceptional object, even a cult one for Michael Jackson fans,” said Illy.
Jackson’s memorabilia continues to command high prices at auctions. In 2009, a Macau gaming resort paid $350,000 for the glove he wore during his debut “moonwalk” performance in 1983, and in 2023, a hat he wore just before that historic dance sold for over $80,000 in Paris.
Jackson, who died in 2009 at age 50 from a drug overdose, remains a polarizing figure. Despite longstanding allegations of child molestation, which he and his estate have denied, his legacy as the “King of Pop” endures, with fans around the world preserving his cultural footprint through memorabilia.
Written By Rodney Mbua
