Logan Paul has sold an extremely rare Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon trading card at a public auction for $16.492 million, setting a new world record for the most expensive trading card ever sold. The card, one of just 39 originally created as a prize in a late-1990s Pokémon illustration contest and the only one graded “PSA 10”, meaning essentially perfect condition, was auctioned by Goldin Auctions after 42 days and nearly 100 bids. The sale also included a diamond-encrusted necklace that Paul famously wore during his WrestleMania 38 appearance, and after auction fees it’s believed Paul made more than $8 million in profit compared to the roughly $5.3 million he originally invested in the card.
The dramatic auction performance illustrates the skyrocketing value of rare cards over the past decade as a collectible asset. A Guinness World Records representative confirmed the sale’s record-setting status during the event. Paul described the outcome as “absolutely insane” and said future auction proceeds could help fuel his next adventures in collecting.
