THE CRUNCH
A 3D artist hunting for a graphics card for work stumbled upon a rare find on the secondhand market: an unopened Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 White OC. The artist, who expected a signature from an Asus executive celebrating the company’s 30th anniversary, was surprised to find Nvidia founder Jensen Huang’s autograph on the box. The card is now listed with Bonhams auction house, with an estimated value between $10,000 and
$15,000. The artist has decided not to use the card, which is expected to fetch a premium due to the signature of Nvidia’s chief. Auction records suggest this is not an isolated case of 'Jensanity' driving up prices, with an Asus ROG Matrix RTX 4090 selling for $16,000 in 2023 and another Jensen-signed card fetching $24,200 last year.
The high value of such items is partly attributed to Huang’s approachable public persona and his status as a symbol of Taiwanese pride. This popularity has translated into a market where fans are willing to pay thousands for autographed tech artifacts, as seen with other items like a Tom Ford jacket that sold for nearly $1 million.