Mr Estavi, who is the chief executive of Bridge Oracle, described the tweet as “like the Mona Lisa painting.”

Jack Dorsey, chief executive of Twitter, sold the tweet and will donate the money to a charity fighting coronavirus in Africa. The winning 

The tweet, which reads “just setting up my twttr” was posted at 8.50pm on March 21, 2006.

After the bid was secured, Mr Estavi wrote on Twitter: “This is not just a tweet! I think years later people will realize the true value of this tweet, like the Mona Lisa painting.”

He added that he was “glad this money is being donated to charity”.

The money has been sent to GiveDirectly’s Africa Response, which provides Covid relief, The Times reports. 

The tweet will remain publicly available, even now the auction has finished, and could still in theory be deleted by Mr Dorsey.