
Watanabe said he had planned to attend a company marketing meeting in Dallas, Texas, but arrived early after he learned the auction.
Watanabe also bought a mini-collection of Sanders' memorabilia -- including his 1973 Kentucky driver's license -- for $1,912.
KFC, short for Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, which specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second largest restaurant chain after McDonald's.
Sanders, who began selling fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky, during the Great Depression, identified the potential of the restaurant franchising concept and the first KFC franchise opened in Utah in 1952.