A Pokémon card has been auctioned for nearly $16.5 million, setting a new record. American influencer and professional wrestler Logan Paul put his “Pikachu Illustrator” card up for sale, having originally acquired it in 2021 for a then-record amount of nearly $5.3 million.
The auction, hosted by Goldin Auctions, concluded Monday with a final price of $16,492,000 (13.9 million euros).
Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card shattered auction records, selling for $16,492,000 on Monday, according to Goldin Auctions. The sale price marks a significant premium over the $5.275 million Paul initially paid for the card in July 2021, a figure that previously held the Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold.
The auction, which lasted 41 days, saw the majority of bids placed during an extended bidding period after the initial closing. The final hammer price reached $13.3 million, with a 24% buyer’s premium bringing the total to $16,492,000. This transaction underscores the growing market for collectible trading cards and the increasing interest from high-profile investors.
Paul originally purchased the card, widely considered the “Holy Grail” of Pokémon collecting, and subsequently spent $70,000 on a custom case and necklace to house it, even wearing the card as part of his WrestleMania 38 costume. Bidding opened on January 5, after being moved up from January 12 due to “overwhelming global interest,” as stated by Goldin Auctions.
Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin, commented that “This is the biggest Pokémon and trading card game auction ever held, and the unbelievable amount of interest we’ve already received led us to open early.” Paul himself described the card as “the most coveted card in the world,” and had planned to personally deliver it to the winning bidder.
The auction experienced rapid escalation in the first week, with bids climbing from $500,000 to $4.3 million. While the price plateaued at $5.1 million on January 14, the sale ultimately far exceeded that level. The auction was briefly impacted by a claim from OnlyFans content creator Emmie Bunni, who posted a photo of herself wearing the card and alleged a rejected private bid of $10.2 million. Paul refuted the claim, stating the image was AI-generated and that the false bid negatively affected the auction. Bunni later confirmed the image was fake but reiterated her interest in the card.
As CNN reported, the sale represents a record for a Pokémon card and highlights the continued strength of the collectibles market. The transaction also demonstrates the potential for significant returns on investment in rare trading cards, attracting attention from both collectors and investors.
