Previous records for an Einstein manuscript were $ 2.8 million (2.4 million euros) in 2018 for a letter on God, and $ 1.56 million (1.39 million euros) in 2017 in Jerusalem for a letter on the secret of happiness.
The document sold on Tuesday was estimated between 2 and 3 million euros.
Unlike those which had been the subject of the two previous records, it is a scientific working document, which makes it rare.
It is an autograph manuscript of 54 pages written in 1913 and 1914, in Zurich (Switzerland), by the German-born physicist and his collaborator and confidant, Michele Besso.
"Einstein's scientific autograph documents from this period, and more generally from before 1919, are extremely rare," Christie's pointed out before the auction, where the auction for the Aguttes company took place.
© 2021 AFP