Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist, he loved playing the violin, Mozart and Bach were his touchstones, and he even loved to sail on quaint lakes in a small boat, scribbling ideas in a notebook. The one thing he never had was regret, except one. Hitting the Bonhams auction table is the original typed manuscript signed by Einstein for his one and only biggest regret.
In “On My Participation in the Atom Bomb Project,” Einstein talks about the effects of his science on his conscience: “I was well aware of the dreadful danger for all mankind, if these experiments would succeed. But the probability that the Germans might work on that very problem with good chance of success prompted me to take that step.” The painful letter also stated, “I did not see any other way out, although I always was a convinced pacifist. To kill in wartime, it seems to me, is in no way better than common murder.” The heartfelt letter was in the possession of Herbert Jehle, a physicist and friend of Einstein, and editor of the Society for Social Responsibility in Science newsletter.
Now the historical document is expected to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000 when bidding concludes in June 2025. In the past, several Einstein letters have earned big bucks, like the scientist’s letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt pushing for the atomic bomb’s creation, which was poised to fetch over $4 million. Another letter written in 1950 debunking the biblical creation story was also auctioned. Even Albert Einstein’s God letter was auctioned for approximately $2,900,000.
