BlockBeats report: On February 16, the Pikachu Illustrator PSA 10 gem-grade card, owned by American influencer Logan Paul and regarded as the "Holy Grail" of Pokémon collectibles, was officially sold at auction by Goldin today at dawn, with a final sale price of $16,492,000, setting multiple historical records.
The card ultimately sold for $13.3 million, reaching $16.492 million including a 24% buyer’s premium—more than triple the $5.275 million Logan Paul paid for it in 2021—and set a new Guinness World Record as the most expensive single trading card ever sold at auction, surpassing the previous record in the sports card category.
This card was awarded in a Pokémon illustration contest held by the Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic in 1998, with only approximately 39–41 cards ever issued and never sold publicly. Hand-drawn by Atsuko Nishida, the original designer of Pikachu, and featuring the exclusive "Illustrator" designation. The card held by Logan Paul is the only known specimen in the world with a PSA 10 Gem Mint rating (Pop 1), widely regarded as the "Mona Lisa of Pokémon."
The auction lasted 41 days, featuring multiple dramatic bidding wars, and culminated in intense bidding during the extended bidding phase, with a total of 97 bids placed. Logan Paul himself attended in person, delivering the card along with the diamond-encrusted necklace he wore at WrestleMania 38 to the new buyer, and live-streamed the unboxing of other vintage cards for entertainment. The new buyer is reportedly AJ Scaramucci, founder of the venture capital fund Solari Capital (son of former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci).