It’s a question that has bamboozled men for centuries. What do you get the woman in your life who has everything?

But even the world’s richest man, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, seems to have been defeated in getting his new-wife Lauren Sanchez her heart’s desire – as he was reportedly outbid on acquiring the original Birkin bag which was sold at auction this week.

Designed in 1984 for actress Jane Birkin, the original Hermes Birkin Bag, sold in Paris on Friday for a record €8.6 million, making it officially the most expensive handbag ever sold.

The original Birkin bag has sold at auction. Pic: Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

The sale happened during Sotheby’s Fashion Icons auction, with the iconic auction house dubbing the arm candy the ‘Mona Lisa’ of handbags.

The coveted luxury item was being eyed by none other than the newly married Lauren Sánchez Bezos, and Kris Jenner, the minted matriarch of the Kardashian dynasty, who herself has a dedicated Hermes closet reputed to be worth half-a-million dollars. Mrs Jenner was believed to be phone bidding for the holy grail of handbags.

But, alas, despite being two of the richest women on the planet, Sanchez and Jenner were outbid in the ‘battle of the bags’.

The bag was sold for millions at auction for €7million — but the winner had to pay a further €1.6million in taxes. Pic: Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

According to the Instagram account @stylenotcom, the bag went to an enthusiastic Japanese collector who emerged winner after a 13-minute battle of the bag.

While it sold for €7 million, the buyer had to pay no less than the final price of the black Birkin which totted up to a whopping $10 million, including taxes.

What makes Jane Birkin’s very own handbag so special is that Hermès built a one-off in black Box calf, branded “J.B.” under the lock.

The bag sold for the insane amount earlier this week. Pic: Julien Hekimian/Getty Images

Jane Birkin was the epitome of Parisian chic, and in her time she was regarded as one of the most stylish women of all time.

Birkin’s look of ‘French girl chic’– white shirts, boyfriend jeans and ballet pumps – is as influential now as it ever was.

And as for her original Birkin, it was as stylsih as Jane herself and she used her Birkin in a rather carefree fashion, often festooning her bag with stickers and other funky accessories.