A “Holy Grail” Pokémon card owned by social media sensation and WWE wrestler Logan Paul sold at auction for a whopping $16.49 million. Per NJ.com, Paul worked with Goldin Auctions, based in Camden County, to facilitate the Guinness World Record sale. Paul included a custom diamond necklace he wore at Wrestlemania 38 as part of the transaction. When the auction was finalized, the YouTuber pocketed more than $8 million and delivered the ultra-rare card directly to the winning bidder.
In a YouTube livestream, Paul called the auction “absolutely insane.” When the bidding finally ended, confetti showered down, and Paul exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, this is crazy.” A Guinness World Records official joined the YouTuber live and proclaimed it a record-setting sale.
Paul has long been a collector of rare and expensive Pokémon cards. He first purchased the card in 2021 for $5.27 million, setting a record then as well. The Japanese Promo Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card was created as part of a 1998 contest and is one of only a few dozen in existence. Paul’s card is the only one with the highest-quality rating of PSA 10, meaning it is virtually flawless.
97 bidders took part in the 41-day auction. Until the final hours, the bidding was only at $6.882 million. A last-minute flurry of bids sent the price skyrocketing. The winning bidder was AJ Scaramucci, founder of Solari Capital and son of former White House communications director and Skybridge Capital founder Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci.
Interviewed on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast, the elder Scaramucci said
“I’m an investor with him, obviously. He’s running some of our family’s money. He’s created a company called Treasuretrove.com. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with as he begins this sort of treasure hunt that he’s on.”
Prior to the auction, Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin told CNN, “This is the most coveted trading card in the world.”
Goldin Auctions was founded in 2012. The Runnemede-based auction house specializes in sports memorabilia and collectibles. Goldin regularly holds live and online auctions for trading cards, autographs, sports gear, historic items, and pop-culture collectibles.
In a final farewell on Instagram, Paul said, “Goodbye, my friend. What a privilege it’s been to be the owner of the greatest collectible in the world.”
