Steve Jobs once received a letter from a fan asking for his autograph in 1983. His reply was classic Steve Jobs

What's the first thing you'd do if you met your favorite celebrity? Most would ask for a picture, in fact, a selfie. However, there was a time, long before smartphones, when fans would do anything for an autograph. In the '80s, when a man approached Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc., asking for his autograph, it was his witty response that became the real story. At first, Steve's letter may seem like a polite rejection, but a closer look reveals a different story. 

Back in 1983, Apple wasn't what it is today, but it had started changing people's ideas about technology. Inspired by Steve's innovative approach, someone named L.N. Varon from Imperial Beach, California, wrote to him, hoping to get an autograph. However, he wasn't aware that the person he was writing to was, in fact, known to decline autograph requests both in person and through the mail. Dated on May 11, 1983, the letter, typed on an original Apple Computer Inc. letterhead, read, "I’m honored that you’d write, but I’m afraid I don’t sign autographs." Now, while Steve politely declined the fan's request, he signed the letter with his famous lowercase signature in black ink, eventually giving Varon what he wanted.

Such souvenirs often gain sentimental significance over time, and that's exactly what happened to Steve's letter. In 2021, the letter was auctioned and was sold for $478,939, according to My Modern Met. Notably, the auction house sold the letter along with other signed items of the late businessman, like an iPad with his autograph, the first computer he helped create, and even a movie ticket signed by him.

Steve hated giving autographs, and it was very much evident. In June 2008, he reluctantly signed a copy of a local newspaper featuring him. The son of the woman who received the autograph said that she noticed Steve outside a frozen yogurt store with his friend. "My mom noticed Steve Jobs sitting outside with a friend. She picked up a newspaper, which had a photo of Steve on the cover talking about the release of the next iPhone, and she walked outside, asking Steve to sign the paper. Steve politely declined several times, stating that everything at Apple was a group effort, so he didn’t like to sign and take credit for everything. My mom was eventually able to convince Steve to sign, but under Steve’s condition that the person sitting with him would have to sign it as well. That friend turned out to be Tony Fadell, known as the Father of the iPod, who was working at Apple during that time and instrumental in the design and development of the first iPod, which later morphed into the iPhone," he recalled. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the post, u/radixmesos commented, "So he did not want to give an autograph, but then continued to sign the letter. Most people might not notice, but that’s basically an autograph right there!" u/px1618 said, "He did a fine job with that reply." Similarly, u/criszpennstate wrote, "They got exactly what they wanted and maybe even a laugh!" u/critical_paper8447 commented, "It'd be funny if the guy who received this letter read it, didn't get it, and was like, 'What an asshole!'" Another person, u/casualphilosopher1, wrote, "He got what he wanted. In fact, better."

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