Logan Paul has sold his ultra-rare Pikachu Illustrator card for a record-breaking $16.59 million at auction. WWE wrestler and YouTuber Paul bought the card for $5.275 million in 2021, which broke the standing record at the time. He also wore the card with a custom holder and chain for his 2022 Wrestlemania debut.
Paul asked for $1.3 million when the card was put on auction in January. He stated he will hand-deliver the card to the auction winner. The online auction house Goldin facilitated the bidding. Bids quickly rose to $4.5 million during the first week, but leveled out to $5.1 million by January 14. Dozens of bids came in during the last 24 hours the card was on auction, driving up the price to $13.3 million with a 24% buyer’s fee. A Guinness World Record Adjudicator was present to verify that the purchase made it the highest selling trading card ever recorded. The buyer was AJ Scaramucci, a venture capitalist at the firm Solari Capital. Scaramucci attended the final bid and Paul placed the card around his neck after bidding closed.
Congratulations to @LoganPaul and the team at @GoldinCo on a historic night 🥳 pic.twitter.com/0vpWfzYw9s
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) February 16, 2026
The Pikachu Illustrator card was never sold in stores, but was a prize for a 1998 illustration contest. The card’s illustration is by Atsuko Nishida, Pikachu’s original creator. Only 39 cards were printed for the contest’s winner. This particular card is the only one which the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) has graded at a “10,” meaning it is in “gem mint” condition.
Pokemon cards have become a hot commodity, even being the subject of armed robberies.