Winner of 'Celebration' Apple-1 Auction Was Prepared to Pay $2 Million for 'Holy Grail of Computers' - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Winner of 'Celebration' Apple-1 Auction Was Prepared to Pay $2 Million for 'Holy Grail of Computers'

by

After placing the winning $815,000 bid on the rare "Celebration" Apple-1 computer last week, Glenn Dellimore spoke with Business Insider about his reasons for purchasing the computer. Dellimore made the decision with his wife, Shannnon, and the two were not only prepared to pay up to $2 million for the piece of Apple history, but both see it only increasing in value over the years.

The Dellimores -- who founded the Hollywood skin care brand Glamglow, now owned by Estée Lauder -- think that in around 10 to 15 years, the Apple-1 sold by CharityBuzz "could be worth as much as a Monet or Picasso." The rarity of this particular Apple-1 is doubled by the fact that it started as a "blank original-run board," that was never meant to be sold to the public and was not from a production run, potentially making it one of the first Apple-1 computers ever made.

Glenn and Shannon Dellimore

Shannon and Glenn Dellimore

"When the auction was taking place, I realized we’d actually be in the air when it ended. Just as our wheels touched down, there were 30 seconds left in the auction and I was actually outbidded with 37 seconds left," Dellimore said. "I think the bid was $270,000 when I looked, and then it went up again, and I kept going bidding with someone else until it was $515,000. I said, 'you know what, I’m just going to put in a large number.'"

He said he might have bidded up to $2 million if he had been outbid again.

"Typically with things that are so valuable and so rare, there will be buyers in the world that are willing to pay whatever it takes," he said.

The current plan for the Apple-1 is for it to be displayed in a museum, and Glenn Dellimore hopes that the computer, which he refers to both as a "piece of history" and the "holy grail of computers," will be used to help educate younger people. Ultimately, Dellimore said that "the possibility of it being the number one, the very first prototype that Steve worked on, and with the way over time Apple has changed the world, this computer is the holy grail of computers, it is the most important computer on the planet, I think."

Top Rated Comments

129 months ago
Apple charging a premium for outdated hardware again. This is getting ridiculous!!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S.B.G Avatar
129 months ago
The current plan for the Apple-1 is for it to be displayed in a museum, and Glenn Dellimore hopes that the computer, which he refers to both as a "piece of history" and the "holy grail of computers," will be used to help educate younger people. Ultimately, Dellimore said that "the possibility of it being the number one, the very first prototype that Steve worked on, and with the way over time Apple has changed the world, this computer is the holy grail of computers, it is the most important computer on the planet, I think."
I bet Woz never would have dreamed the early computers he was hand building back then would ever be so valuable and be sold at auction with ideas of spending up to $2 million for one.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
129 months ago
He outbid me.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
derbladerunner Avatar
129 months ago
"When the auction was taking place, I realized we’d actually be in the air..."
Now here is finally someone who needs (and can pay for) inflight Internet service :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
129 months ago
Would be a shame if it turned out there was one earlier prototype hehe.
Lol yeah. Little do we know that Woz is sitting on a few still in his garage, waiting for the right moment. Funny thing is he'd probably give them away rather than sell them at these prices.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miknos Avatar
129 months ago
That's more than ludicrous. Ludicrous P100D Model S is only $135K.

If I had the money he spent on that computer, I'd probably buy a house twice as large as what I live in now (outright - no mortgage), a P100D for me and my wife, and a vacation home in Hawaii or something.
But the buyers probably already have all that. All the things you mentioned (maybe apart from the house) will lose value. Buyers bought like it was a piece of art (something scarce).

An analogy would be if you bought that Tesla. For $135k I could buy a Corolla, a Harley, a week screwing ladyboys in Thailand, a penis pump and hire a personal trainer for my wife (anniversary sex is too much for me). The rest I could save for retirement.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Get Two New Perks on iOS 27

Thursday July 2, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
If you pay for certain iCloud+ storage plans beyond the 5GB that Apple offers for free, you will receive two more perks on iOS 27 at no additional cost. A summary of the two new iCloud+ perks on iOS 27:Increased daily usage limits for some new Apple Intelligence features, including image generation in the revamped Image Playground app. HomeKit Secure Video cameras receive generated video...
American Express Gold Apple Pay Feature

American Express Announces New Apple Pay Feature

Tuesday June 30, 2026 10:27 am PDT by
American Express today announced that you can now redeem Membership Rewards points when checking out with Apple Pay on the web and in apps on the iPhone and iPad. When checking out with Apple Pay on iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later, tap on your eligible American Express card (Platinum, Gold, Green, and others) and select the Membership Rewards points option. You can use points to cover all or...
series 10 apple watch titanium digital crown

Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System

Tuesday June 30, 2026 8:45 am PDT by
A "major overhaul" of the Apple Watch's design is due to arrive next year with a new system for connecting bands, according to a known Weibo leaker. In a set of recent posts, the leaker known as "Instant Digital" linked the new claim to older rumors about an "Apple Watch X" model, which was said to introduce a fresh design and break compatibility with the existing watch band system. Citing...