iPod and Nest Creator Tony Fadell May Have Purchased (RED) EarPods and Mac Pro for $1.4 Million [Updated]

Earlier this year, Apple design chief Jony Ive and designer Marc Newson created a number of one-of-a-kind items to be sold at a Sotheby's charity auction to benefit Product (RED). Two items in particular were Apple related, a pair of solid gold Apple EarPods and a new Mac Pro with a special red finish.

According to a pair of tweets by photographer Kevin Abosch, Tony Fadell -- one of the creators of the iPod and the founder of Nest, the company behind the Nest Thermostat and Protect smoke detector -- may have purchased both the Mac Pro and the EarPods at the auction.

The Mac Pro sold for $977,000 while the solid gold EarPods sold for $461,000. Other items sold at the auction included a Steinway & Sons grand piano that sold for $1,925,000 and a magnum of Dom Perignon 1966 with a custom red label that sold for $93,750.

Tony Fadell With Red Mac Pro

The red Mac Pro is one of the few out in the wild at the moment, as Apple has not yet started selling the device to the public. First shipments of the new Mac are expected later this month.

We have reached out to both Kevin Abosch and Tony Fadell for confirmation of the purchase and will update if we hear back.

Image via Kevin Abosch

Update: Fadell has issued a Tweet clarifying that he did not purchase either the Mac Pro or the EarPods.


Update 2: Abosch has now tweeted a picture of himself reflected in what appears to be the surface of the red Mac Pro, perhaps supporting the theory that he is the owner of the machine.

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...

Top Rated Comments

159 months ago
Spends 1.4 million on a computer and earphones yet cant use a decent camera to show it off??
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
159 months ago
Spends 1.4 million on a computer and earphones yet cant use a decent camera to show it off??

They should've bought the Leica.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
159 months ago
wow, seeing that i wish they would do several colors in that amazing color chrome? look. it is really hot! like to see it in a blue too.

The aftermarket is gonna go wild with this. Personally I'd just take a clear shell-- the insides of the new Mac Pro are just beautiful.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WaxedJacket Avatar
159 months ago
Pro has gotta be the coolest PC design in years. I really really want one.

----------

Why are people making an issue with the price?

1) It's for CHARITY. Price should never be a factor in the end if it's for charity.

2) Solid gold ear pods. That would go well with the gold iPhones.

3) Both are one of a kind.

Because I've noticed people on this site are a tad bit mental.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jm001 Avatar
159 months ago
Why are people making an issue with the price?

1) It's for CHARITY. Price should never be a factor in the end if it's for charity.

2) Solid gold ear pods. That would go well with the gold iPhones.

3) Both are one of a kind.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
willmtaylor Avatar
159 months ago
Money well spent for a great cause. Kudos.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)