Logan Paul sells rare Pokémon card for record $16.49m
A rare Pikachu Illustrator card owned by Logan Paul sold on Monday for $16.49 million after weeks of bidding, setting a new world record for a trading card at auction.
The sale means the YouTuber and wrestler is estimated to have made a profit of around $8 million on the card, which he bought five years ago for $5.27 million. The final figure surpassed the previous Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card ever sold.
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Read: Taklamakan Desert carbon projectBidding had stood at $6.88 million just hours before the auction closed, before a surge of late offers pushed the total sharply higher in the final minutes. Paul followed the closing stages live on his YouTube channel.
Logan Paul Pokémon card sale sets record
The Pikachu Illustrator card is one of only 39 produced in the late 1990s and was originally awarded as part of a Japanese illustration contest. Its near-perfect condition, graded at the highest possible level, contributed significantly to its value. It was sold encased in a diamond-encrusted necklace that Paul previously wore during his WWE debut at WrestleMania in 2022.
Interest in rare Pokémon trading cards has grown steadily over the past decade, driven by nostalgia and the rise of online auction platforms. High-grade examples have increasingly been treated as alternative assets, attracting collectors and investors beyond traditional hobbyist circles.
For dealers and collectors in the United Kingdom, including specialist traders in London, the record sale underlines the global reach of the modern collectibles market. Trading cards now move through the same international auction networks as fine art, watches and other high-value items.
Paul described the sale as the end of a personal chapter, adding that he intends to deliver the card to the buyer in person.
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[Image Credit | Getty Images via City Star Games]
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