YouTube star, influencer and WWE personality Logan Paul has made headlines again — this time by selling one of the world’s most sought-after Pokémon trading cards for a staggering price that has set a new global record.
The Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card owned by Paul fetched US $16.492 million (about NZ$27.3 million) at auction this week, according to multiple reports. The sale, hosted by Goldin Auctions after a multi-week bidding process, now stands as the highest amount ever paid for a trading card at auction.
The buyer was A.J. Scaramucci, son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who outbid a crowded field of collectors and investors in the final rounds of bidding.
A Legendary Collectible
The Pikachu Illustrator card is one of the rarest ever produced — originally given out in the late 1990s as a prize in a Pokémon art contest, with only a few dozen copies known to exist worldwide. Paul’s version was graded PSA 10, the highest possible condition rating for a trading card, making it exceptionally valuable.
This is not the first time Paul has made big money from rare collectibles. He initially acquired the card in 2021 for approximately US $5.275 million, a figure that at the time was already record-breaking for a private sale.
Conversion to NZ Dollars
To provide a local perspective, the roughly US $16.5 million sale price converts to about NZ$27.3 million using current mid-market exchange rates — based on the typical rate of about 1 USD ≈ 1.65 NZD. This conversion highlights just how eye-watering the figure is in New Zealand dollar terms.
Market Reaction
The sale has generated wide reactions across the collecting and pop-culture world, with many pointing to the continued surge in value for ultra-rare trading cards. Critics and fans alike have debated both the cultural significance and the staggering sums involved in high-end collectibles.
For now, the Pikachu Illustrator card holds the title of the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction, a testament to both its rarity and the growing appetite for premium collectibles among wealthy investors.
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