By James Gamble
A rare Pokémon card sold by Logan Paul has become the most expensive trading card ever – after being bought for $16.49 million at auction.
The Pikachu Illustrator card was worn by the 30-year-old YouTube star on a custom diamond necklace during his WWE debut in 2022.
The card – one of just 39 ever created – became the highest-selling trading card ever sold after being bought for $16.49m.
Paul had previously achieved the Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card sold in a private sale when he originally bought the Pikachu card for $5.275m (£3.8m) in 2021.
On Monday (February 16), the card was offered again along with its diamond-bordered case and necklace, with Paul promising to hand-deliver it to the buyer.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by AJ Scaramucci (@treasuretrove)
International auctioneers Goldin even pulled forward the trading card sale the card was to be sold in, due to ‘overwhelming global interest’.
Hours before the sale ended, bids for the card were at nearly $7m, before frantic last-minute activity pushed the price to an astonishing $16.492m, including buyer’s premium.
The card was bought by venture capitalist AJ Scaramucci, son of financier and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
Scaramucci said the Pikachu card was his first purchase in a planned “planetary treasure hunt”, in which he also plans to buy a T-Rex fossil and the American Declaration of Independence.
The Pikachu Illustrator PSA 10 – the world’s only example graded PSA 10 – was the highlight of the sale and widely regarded as the Holy Grail of Pokémon trading card game collecting.
The card also features in the third season of Netflix show King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.
“This is an historic night for not only the Pokémon community [and] an historic night for the entire collectable community,” Ken Goldin, Founder and CEO of Goldin, said.
“We just keep showing there are no barriers. These key things that we all love and appreciate keep going up, keep setting records, and keep bringing people together.”
“This is the most coveted card in the world,” Paul, worth an estimated $150m (£109m), said.
“This right here is what makes collecting so special–this hobby is unbelievably fun.
“I love the community aspect of it, getting to meet other collectors and connect over our shared passion.
“It has been amazing working on this with my friend Ken Goldin, who has changed Pokémon forever in such a great way.”
Designed by original Pikachu editor Atsuko Nishida, the card was a winner at the 1998 illustration contest in Japan, using distinct artwork including the iconic pen symbol, denoting artistic contribution.
After acquiring the card in 2021, Paul showcased it on major global stages, including at WrestleMania, propelling it to public fame.
Its unparalleled scarcity, cultural significance and high-profile visibility solidify the Pikachu Illustrator as a landmark artefact in trading cards.
Aside from the Pikachu card were 300 other lots, including a 1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Holo Charizard card, also owned by Paul, which sold for nearly $1m ($954,808/£736,000).
Paul has spoken out in videos on YouTube to claim that Pokémon cards have ‘outperformed’ the stock market by as much as ‘3,000 per cent in the last 20 years’.
The Pikachu card was due to be sold on Pokémon’s 30th anniversary, on February 27 2026, but has been brought forward to February 16.
The anniversary marks 30 years since the Pokémon Red and Green games were released in Japan, marking the birth of the media franchise.
