NEW YORK — The price of a trading card at auction has set a new world record for Logan Paul.
After 41 days of bidding, the "Holy Grail" for collectors, a rare Pickachu Illustrator Pokémon card owned by a wrestling and social media sensation, sold for $16.5 million at Goldin Auctions on Monday. In 2021, Paul bought the card for $5.275 million, which was a Guinness World Record at the time for a Pokémon card. He wore the card to WrestleMania 38 in 2022 with a diamond necklace and a special case.
Sarah Casson, an assessor for Guinness World Records, was there on Monday to see the bidding end live on YouTube. She confirmed that the amount was a record for not only a Pokémon card, but for any trade card sold at auction.
Paul remarked, "Oh my gosh, this is crazy," as he put the card around the neck of the winning bidder, A.J. Scaramucci, who is a venture investor and the son of Anthony Scaramucci, who used to be the White House communications director.
Atsuko Nishida made the card for a contest in 1998. There are just a few dozen of them, and Paul's card is said to be the only one with a quality rating of 10.
