Highlights
- Ultra-rare Pokémon card sells for $16.49m (£13.9m), a new trading-card record
- Buyer confirmed as AJ Scaramucci at a Goldin auction
- Certified by Guinness World Records as the most expensive card ever sold
Record-breaking resale
An ultra-rare Pikachu Illustrator card previously owned by Logan Paul has sold for $16,492,000 (£13.9 million), setting a new record for the highest price achieved by a Pokémon trading card and any trading card at auction.
Paul had acquired the card in 2021 for $5.28 million, then a record in itself. The latest sale took place at a Goldin auction, where the winning bid came from AJ Scaramucci, son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
Following the sale, Paul ceremonially placed the card, mounted on a diamond necklace valued at about $75,000, around the buyer’s neck.
Why the card is so valuable
The card holds a PSA 10 grading, the highest standard issued by Professional Sports Authenticator, indicating near-perfect condition with sharp corners, original gloss and flawless print quality.
Collectors prize the Pikachu Illustrator because it was designed by Atsuko Nishida, the original creator of Pikachu. Unlike standard releases, it was never sold commercially; instead, it was awarded to winners of a 1998 illustration contest, making surviving copies exceptionally scarce.
From collectors’ item to pop-culture symbol
Paul famously showcased the card after buying it, wearing it on a chain at a WWE event in Texas. The card was sealed in a protective case and attached to a gold chain, helping cement its status as a crossover artefact between gaming culture and celebrity memorabilia.
The final auction total includes the buyer’s premium, underscoring how demand for high-grade trading cards, particularly iconic Pokémon pieces, continues to surge among both collectors and investors.
