A letter penned by Albert Einstein warning then-US President Franklin D. Roosevelt of Nazi Germany’s potential ability to develop a nuclear weapon has been auctioned off for nearly $4 million by Christie’s auction house. The physicist’s caution is widely believed to have spurred the US into launching the Manhattan Project, aimed at researching and developing nuclear weapons. These efforts culminated in the historic use of atomic bombs against Japan in 1945.
Einstein’s two-page warning was addressed to Roosevelt and drafted shortly before the beginning of World War II in 1939. The renowned scientist discussed Nazi Germany’s work on its nuclear program, speculating that it could lead to the creation of “extremely powerful bombs.” He called for “quick action,” urging Washington to stockpile uranium ore and commence research on its own atomic weapons.
Following Einstein’s initial letter, his student Leo Szilard, along with a group of fellow scientists, expanded upon his message and delivered it by hand to the White House. The document now forms part of the permanent collection at the FDR Presidential Library & Museum in New York City.
The recently auctioned letter is the original draft composed and signed by Einstein himself. It was preserved by Szilard and later came into the possession of collectors. This historic piece of correspondence was one among many items in an auction featuring artifacts from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 65.
Einstein reportedly expressed regret over his letter, stating that if he had known the Nazis would fail to develop atomic bombs, he never would have intervened. His remorse was documented in a quote from 1947: “Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I would never have lifted a finger.