Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair, thesis sell for over $1 million

A motorised wheelchair used by the late British physicist Stephen Hawking sold at auction on Thursday for almost 300,000 pounds ($391,740.00) while a dissertation raised nearly twice that at a sale to raise money for charity.

Auction house Christies' ran the nine-day online auction called "On the Shoulders of Giants" to raise money for the Stephen Hawking Foundation and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

About 22 personal belongings of Hawking were put on sale including a thumbprint-signed copy of his book 'A Brief History of Time' and a script from 'The Simpsons' episode where Hawking lent his voice.

Hawking died in March at the age of 76 after spending most of his life confined to a wheelchair with motor neurone disease.

Hawking's 117-page dissertation "Properties of expanding universes" from 1965 sold for 584,750 pounds, well ahead of the estimate of up to 150,000.

Medals and awards sold for 296,750 pounds, compared with an estimate of 15,000 pounds, while the red motorised wheelchair sold for 296,750 pounds, also compared with an estimate of 15,000 pounds.