Pharrell’s hat from the GRAMMYs last January went up for auction on eBay in late February, with an end date of Sunday (March 2) — the day of the Oscars.
Given the article of clothing’s meme status following its GRAMMY appearance, the final bidding price of over $40,000 isn’t too surprising. The buyer? A little more unexpected.
According to a tweet on its official Twitter, restaurant chain Arby’s confirmed it has purchased the hat in the auction, throwing down $44,100 to win the bid.
When the hat originally surfaced on the GRAMMYs red carpet, multiple outlets compared the Vivienne Westwood-designed headwear to the hat that Arby’s has made famous as part of its official logo — even leading to a tweet from the Arby’s account asking Pharrell for its hat back. Now, it looks like it’s succeeded.
.@Pharrell You’re welcome. We’re HAPPY to support a great cause & get our hat back. Good luck at the #Oscars tonight! pic.twitter.com/2oA7qDPX9z
— Arby’s (@Arbys) March 3, 2014
“You’re welcome,” the chain tweeted after Pharrell thanked the eventual buyer, whom he did not mention by name. “We’re HAPPY to support a great cause and get our hat back.”
Proceeds from the auction benefit Pharrell’s From One Hand to Another educational non-profit.
The singer broke out a new version of the hat — black, this time — during his performance of “Happy” at the Oscars Sunday night, just a short time after the auction ended. He also started a new fashion meme with his shorts-tuxedo hybrid on the red carpet.