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Logan Paul has sold his PSA-10 Pikachu Illustrator card for $16.49 million through auction house Goldin, setting a new world record for the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold, a title confirmed by Guinness World Records.
The blockbuster Pokémon card sale was conducted by Goldin, the high-end auction house known for record-breaking memorabilia deals. Confirmation soon followed from Guinness World Records, which verified that the transaction sets a new global benchmark for any Pokémon card.
For collectors, investors, and pop culture watchers alike, the Pokémon card sale marks a defining moment—not just for Pokémon, but for the broader alternative asset market.
The Pikachu Illustrator card is widely regarded as the “holy grail” of Pokémon collectibles. Originally produced in extremely limited quantities for illustration contest winners in the late 1990s, the card’s rarity and mythology have long fueled speculation. What elevated this particular copy was both its pristine PSA-10 grade and its very public ownership.
During his five-year stewardship, Paul transformed the card into a mainstream spectacle. He famously wore it around his neck at major sporting and entertainment events, introducing millions of new viewers to a piece of Pokémon history. That visibility helped turn the eventual Pokémon card sale into a global headline rather than a niche auction result.
Following the auction, Paul described the night as “epic,” thanking the Pokémon community, his team, and Goldin founder Ken Goldin for helping orchestrate a moment he called historic.
“Although bittersweet, I was proud to be a steward of the greatest collectible in the world,” Paul wrote, congratulating the buyer on what he described as an iconic acquisition after the Pokémon card sale closed.
Guinness World Records confirmed that no previous Pokémon card sale has come close to the $16.49 million figure, eclipsing prior highs by a wide margin. The winning bidder was later revealed as AJ Scaramucci, a venture capitalist and the son of Anthony Scaramucci, the financier and former White House communications director.
The purchase instantly places Scaramucci among an elite class of ultra-high-end collectors, while reinforcing the idea that rare trading cards are now competing with fine art, watches, and classic cars as stores of value.
Industry analysts say the Pokémon card sale underscores how scarcity, narrative, and cultural relevance can converge to create outsized valuations in collectibles markets.
The Pokémon card sale also prompted Paul to clarify lingering questions around the card’s earlier fractional ownership. In 2022, he explored selling up to 51% of the Pikachu Illustrator through Liquid Marketplace, a platform designed to let fans buy fractional stakes in high-value assets.
In the end, only 5.4% of the card was sold, raising roughly $270,000. Paul said he later repurchased that stake in May 2024 at the same valuation, in line with the platform’s terms, and made funds available for fractional holders to withdraw before the Pokémon card sale went through.
When Liquid Marketplace later went offline, Paul said he personally funded efforts to restore access so users could retrieve their balances—an unusual step that he framed as part of his responsibility as the card’s custodian.
By the time the final Pokémon card sale was executed, Paul said he held full ownership, clearing the way for a clean transfer to the new buyer.
The $16.49 million Pokémon card sale lands at a time when the high-end trading card market is recalibrating after years of rapid growth. While prices for more common cards have cooled, ultra-rare, culturally significant pieces continue to command premium valuations.
Experts say the Pikachu Illustrator sale reinforces a two-tier market: one driven by speculation, and another driven by true scarcity and historical importance. In that sense, the Pokémon card sale may become a reference point for future valuations, much like iconic art auctions or record-setting sports memorabilia deals.
For Paul, the transaction represents both an exit and a validation. What began as a passion-driven purchase evolved into one of the most successful collectibles investments of the decade. For Pokémon, the Pokémon card sale cements its status not just as a beloved franchise, but as a serious player in the world of alternative assets.
“May the next Pokémon journey be as delightful as the last,” Paul wrote, signaling closure after a run that reshaped public perception of trading cards.
Whether this Pokémon card sale will ever be surpassed remains an open question. But for now, it stands as the defining moment in Pokémon collectibles history—and a clear signal that the rarest cards have entered a new financial stratosphere.
