OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked a wave of memes after reportedly commissioning seven ultra‑rare custom watches from Swiss luxury maker Vanguart.
According to the Wall Street Journal, one watch was made for Altman himself, while six others were gifted to senior OpenAI staff. Modeled on Vanguart’s titanium Orb, which starts at $180,000, the pieces quickly became a talking point online.
Vanguart Titanium Orb Model Chosen for Sam Altman’s Collection
On X, watch enthusiasts and meme creators drew parallels to Tolkien’s “Rings of Power,” joking that Altman’s collection echoed Silicon Valley’s obsession with exclusivity.
Posts reimagined Tolkien’s verse for the tech world, assigning watches to AI researchers, venture capitalists, and SaaS founders, with Altman cast as the one “on his dark throne in Silicon Valley where the shadows lie.”
Altman’s fascination with rare timepieces is not new. In 2023, he was spotted wearing a Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1, valued at $480,000, with only 33 ever produced.
More broadly, luxury watches have become status symbols among tech elites, with companies like OpenAI, Uber, and Palantir distributing branded Tudor watches to staff. OpenAI’s Boris Power even showcased a limited edition engraved with “Good Research Takes Time.” Altman’s seven‑piece commission, however, remains the rarest of them all.
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