Stephen Hawking's Wheelchair sells 20 times pre-auction estimate

The wheelchair Stephen Hawking, used by the last theoretical physicist in the 1980s and 1990s, exceeded the expectations of the sale at an online auction held Thursday.

The value of the chair had already been estimated at $ 19,500 (£ 15,000), but it was finally sold for $ 387,480 (£ 296,750), CNN reported. The amount is almost 20 times higher than its pre-sale estimate.

He also sold for more than the amount recovered by the manuscripts of other renowned scientists.

Hawking used the wheelchair after being paralyzed by a degenerative nerve disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

"Hawking initially resisted the idea of ​​using a wheelchair in the late 1960s; in the late 1970s, he used motorized models, as in this case, and was even known to be a rather wild driver, "auctioneer Christie's said in a statement before the auction.

"By the end of the 1980s, he was at the height of his glory and, given his many travels for public lectures and events, as well as the extent of his intellectual explorations of the world. Space-time is probably the most traveled wheelchair in history. "

Proceeds from the sale of the chair will go to two charities, the Motor Neuron Disease Association and the Stephen Hawking Foundation.

The sale titled "On the Shoulders of the Giant" also included a set of Hawking medals and awards, as well as a copy of Hawking's doctoral program. thesis.

The thesis was to cost up to $ 195,800 (£ 150,000), but a buyer offered $ 763,300 (£ 584,750) to secure it.

Hawking's work was more valuable than that of scientists Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein. Darwin sold a letter of $ 64,700 (£ 50,000) and one of Newton's manuscripts a price of $ 129,400 (£ 100,000). A bidder also agreed to pay $ 42,054 (£ 32,500) for one of Einstein's manuscripts.

Hawking was only 21 years old when he was diagnosed with ALS. He was told that he had only a few years to live because of his illness.

Hawking, however, manages to live for several more decades during which he deepens scientific thinking about black holes and the universe. He has lectured and written books, including 1988 A brief history of time, which has become one of the best-selling scientific books of all time.

On March 14, Hawking died at home in Cambridge. He was 76 years old.

Lucy, Hawking's daughter, said the sale offered a chance for her father's admirers to gain a memory of the scientist's extraordinary life.