The first SMS ever sent sold for €107,000 euros (US$121,000) as an NFT at an auction in Paris on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The message says “Merry Christmas” and was sent on December 3, 1992, by an engineer at UK carrier Vodafone.
Vodafone engineer Neil Papworth sent the SMS from his computer to a manager in the United Kingdom, who received it on his 2-kg (4 lb) “Orbitel” telephone – similar to a desk phone but cordless and with a handle. “They were in the middle of end-of-year events so he sent him the message ‘Merry Christmas’,” said Maximilien Aguttes, head of development for the Aguttes Auction House…The selling of intangible goods is not legal in France and so the auction house has packaged the text message in a digital frame, displaying the code and communication protocol, Aguttes said.
[Image credt: Agutess]
Check It Out: ‘Merry Christmas’ – First SMS Ever Sent Sells for US$121,000