Ticker: Hat worn by Napoleon fetches $1.6M; Golden Globes find new home at CBS

A faded and cracked felt hat worn by Napoléon Bonaparte fetched $1.6 million at an auction Sunday of the French emperor’s belongings

Yes, $1.6 million.

The signature broad, black hat — one of a handful still in existence that Napoléon wore when he ruled 19th century France and waged war in Europe — was initially valued at $650,000-870,000. It was the centerpiece of Sunday’s auction in Fontainebleau of memorabilia collected by a French industrialist who died last year.

But the bidding quickly jumped higher and higher until Jean Pierre Osenat, president of the Osenat auction house, designated the winner.

”We are at 1.5 million (euros) for Napoleon’s hat … for this major symbol of the Napoleonic epoch,” he said. The name of the winning bidder was not released.

Golden Globes find new home at CBS

The Golden Globes have found a new broadcast home at CBS after the troubled awards show lost its longtime home at NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was dissolved after years of scandal.

The 81st Golden Globes will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, Jan. 7, CBS and the Globes announced Friday. The show will also be available on the CBS app.

The network declined to comment on the terms of the deal, including how long the agreement runs for.

NBC broadcast the 2023 Globes on a one-year basis after the 2022 edition was essentially canceled. After a 2021 report revealed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had no Black members, stars and studios boycotted the Globes before returning for this year’s awards.

After the 2023 broadcast, held on a Tuesday evening, NBC opted not to renew its contract. A near-record low of 6.3 million viewers tuned in, according to Nielsen.