Einstein's historic letter to FDR expected to fetch $4M
What's the story
A two-page letter written by Albert Einstein, warning then US President Franklin D Roosevelt about Nazi Germany's potential to develop an atomic bomb, is set for auction at Christie's in September.
The letter, estimated to be worth $4 million (₹33,42,94,800), was drafted by Einstein and fellow scientist Leo Szilard on the north shore of New York's Long Island.
In the letter, Einstein warned that the German government was actively supporting nuclear research and could create "extremely powerful bombs."
Historic impact
Einstein's letter influenced the birth of the Manhattan Project
Einstein's letter led Roosevelt to establish a committee that served as a precursor to the Manhattan Project, headed by J Robert Oppenheimer.
This project resulted in the creation of the bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending World War II and marking the beginning of the nuclear age.
The original letter sent by Einstein is kept at the Roosevelt library and museum in Hyde Park, New York.
Auction details
Paul Allen's estate to auction second version of Einstein's letter
The late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's estate is selling a second, slightly shorter version of the letter, which Allen had purchased from publisher Malcolm Forbes in 2002 for $2.1 million (₹17,55,29,655).
At that time, it was the first 20th-century historical document to exceed $1 million (₹8,35,83,400).
Marc Porter, chairman of Christie's Americas, stated that Allen was aware of its significance as one of the most important documents in 20th-century history and had stored it carefully away from sunlight.
Letter
Einstein's 1939 letter on uranium and nuclear chain reaction
Dated August 2, 1939, the letter begins with "Sir: Recent work in nuclear physics made it probable that uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy."
Einstein further wrote: "It may be possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium ... and this new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs."
Auction prospects
Einstein's regret letter and auction expectations
In 1947, Einstein was quoted expressing regret over the letter's unintended consequence of leading America, at that time, to develop nuclear weapons, saying, "Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I would never have lifted a finger."
While not expected to surpass the $13 million (₹1,08,64,99,050) record set for one of Einstein's few surviving records detailing his theory of general relativity, Christie's anticipates bidders due to its historical significance.