Michael Jackson's dirty sock sells for over Sh1million in France
Europe
By
AFP
| Jul 30, 2025
A single glittery sock that late pop superstar Michael Jackson wore during a concert in France in the 1990s sold for more than $8,000 on Wednesday, a French auctioneer said.
A technician found the used sock discarded near Jackson's dressing room after the concert in the southern city of Nimes in July 1997, auctioneer Aurore Illy told AFP.
The self-styled "King of Pop" wore white athletic socks adorned with rhinestones during his "HIStory World Tour" in 1997, according to specialist website interencheres.com.
Jackson can be seen wearing them in clips of him performing his hit "Billie Jean".
Decades later, the off-white item of clothing is covered in stains, and the rhinestones adorning it have yellowed with age, in a picture posted on the website.
READ MORE
Would social market economic model take Kenya to Singapore?
Repeated short-term contracts breach employee's right to fair labour practices
High power tariffs keep Kenya manufacturers uncompetitive
From hustlers to highways: Experts, citizens question Ruto's bold vision
Why the built environment is slow to absorb job seekers
Jay Z and Beyonce, Messi hold largest real estate portfolio among celebrities
Locals reap big from housing infrastructure revamp
Kenya Airways redeploys second Embraer plane after repair to meet festive season demand
Coffee farmers earn Sh9.3b in three months
How golf's growing youth appeal is quietly influencing property decisions
"It really is an exceptional object -- even a cult one for Michael Jackson fans," Illy said.
The sock, initially valued at 3,000 to 4,000 euros ($3,400-4,500), sold for 7,688 euros ($8,822) at the Nimes auction house.
A Macau gaming resort in 2009 paid $350,000 for a glittery glove Jackson wore when he performed his first "moonwalk" dance in 1983.
A hat he wore just before that performance sold for more than $80,000 in Paris in 2023.
Jackson died of a fatal overdose in 2009 aged 50.
He still has a huge fan base, despite child molestation accusations against him during his lifetime and after his death, which he and his estate have denied.