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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey sells first tweet as an NFT for $2.9M

The first ever tweet from 15 years ago fetches a nice haul.

Corinne Reichert headshot
Corinne Reichert
Back when Twitter was just getting started, Jack Dorsey referred to it as "twttr" in his first tweet.
Angela Lang/CNET

Jack Dorsey has sold his first tweet ever as an NFT, a nonfungible token. Raking in $2.9 million for the 15-year-old tweet -- which reads "just setting up my twttr" -- the Twitter CEO immediately handed the proceeds over to GiveDirectly's Africa charity fund Monday in Bitcoin.

Dorsey put the tweet up for sale on March 5, with the bidding quickly jumping into the millions. The final sale price was $2,915,835.47.

NFTs are a cryptographic tokens that are enjoying popularity with artists and musicians. The digital assets are stored on the blockchain, the same technology that's behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The band Kings of LeonĀ is selling its latest album as an NFT, andĀ Christie's just sold off a digital artwork its first NFT auction.