Muhammad Ali’s letter to Nelson Mandela sold in auction

The letter was typed a personal assistant who spelt the boxing legend’s name incorrectly

BBC – A signed letter from Muhammad Ali to Nelson Mandela offering his condolences on the death of an anti-apartheid leader has sold for £7,200.

The typed letter, signed by the boxing legend on “Muhammad Ali in South Africa” stationery, dates from 1993.

It was sold in an auction in Devizes.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: “It’s fair to say Mohammad Ali was the greatest sportsman of all time and Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest figures of the last century.”

The letter was typed by the personal assistant to the general manager of the Elangeni Hotel in Durban, where former world heavyweight champion Ali was staying at the time.

Henry Aldridge and Son said the letter was sold to a collector in the US. It was expected to fetch between £6,000 and £8,000.

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