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Record-breaking sale of ultra-rare Pokémon card
YouTuber and wrestler Logan Paul has sold a Pikachu Illustrator trading card for a staggering $16.492 million, including buyer's premium, auction firm Goldin confirmed. The sale sets a new benchmark for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction.
From one record to another
Paul originally purchased the card in 2021 for $5.3 million, a record sum at the time. The Pikachu Illustrator card, issued in 1998 as part of a contest, is one of the rarest Pokémon cards in existence, with only about 40 known to exist. Paul's card stands out as the sole example graded a perfect 10 by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), indicating its pristine condition.
The buyer and his grand plan
The winning bid came from venture capitalist AJ Scaramucci, son of financier and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. Scaramucci described the acquisition as the first step in a "planetary treasure hunt," revealing ambitions to collect other high-value items, including a T-Rex dinosaur fossil and the Declaration of Independence.
"I'm on a quest to buy a T-Rex dinosaur fossil, I'm going to buy the Declaration of Independence, and I'm not stopping there. This was only the beginning."
AJ Scaramucci
A moment of celebration
Paul expressed his astonishment during a live YouTube stream as confetti rained down, calling the auction result "absolutely insane." Guinness World Records adjudicator Sarah Casson later confirmed the sale as the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction. Scaramucci made a surprise appearance to share his plans with Paul, who then placed the diamond necklace he wore during his WWE debut at WrestleMania 38 around Scaramucci's neck as a symbolic gesture.
The driving forces behind the sale
Auction house boss Ken Goldin played a pivotal role in persuading Paul to part with the card, as seen in the latest season of Netflix's King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch. Goldin highlighted the soaring value of Pokémon cards, calling the Pikachu Illustrator "the number one card" dominating the market.
"The Pokémon market is blazing hot. It's dominating the market and that's the number one card."
Ken Goldin, Auction House CEO
Goldin offered Paul a $2.5 million advance and a share of the proceeds from the broader Pokémon and trading card game (TCG) auction, where the Pikachu Illustrator was the centerpiece.
Personal motivations
Paul admitted that the funds would help cover the costs of his "expensive wedding" to Danish model Nina Agdal, which took place in Lake Como, Italy, in August 2025. While emphasizing his identity as a collector rather than a reseller, Paul acknowledged the practical need for liquidity.
"I'm not a reseller. I'm a collector. But, candidly, I could use the liquidity. I'm good at making money. I'm better at spending money."
Logan Paul
