Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for record $16.5M at auction

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NEW YORK (AP) — Logan Paul has set a new world's record — for the auction price of a trading card.

The wrestling and social media star's rare Pickachu Illustrator Pokémon card, a “Holy Grail” for collectors, sold for $16.5 million Monday at Goldin Auctions after 41 days of bidding. Paul had purchased the card in 2021 for $5.275 million, a Guinness record at the time for a Pokémon card. He had added a diamond necklace and custom case and wore the card at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Sarah Casson was on hand Monday for the auction's closure, which was livestreamed on YouTube, and confirmed the price was a record not just for a Pokémon card, but for any trading card sold at auction.

“Oh my gosh, this is crazy,” said Paul, who placed the card around the neck of winning bidder A.J. Scaramucci, a venture capitalist and son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

The card was designed by Atsuko Nishida for a 1998 contest. Only a few dozen are believed to exist, and Paul's card is believed the only with a quality rating of 10.