Logan Paul turned a childhood obsession into an $8 million payday Monday night, when his prized Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sold for a staggering $16.492 million at Goldin Auctions - setting a Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction.
The rare Pikachu Illustrator card - one of just 39 created for a Pokémon illustration competition in the late 1990s - went under the hammer at Goldin Auctions on Monday, closing after hours of extended bidding. The auction had been running for 42 days, with Paul remarking during a YouTube livestream that "we may have tired someone out" before the gavel finally fell. "Oh my gosh, this is crazy," Paul said once the auction closed and confetti rained down. Moments later, a Guinness World Records official appeared onscreen and confirmed Paul had sold the most expensive trading card ever at auction.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Sarah Casson was on hand for the auction's closure and confirmed the price was a record not just for a Pokémon card, but for any trading card sold at auction.
Paul placed the card around the neck of the winning bidder, A.J. Scaramucci - a venture capitalist and son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
The sale represents a massive return on investment. Paul originally acquired the card in a private transaction in Dubai in July 2021, trading a PSA 9 version of the same card valued at $1.275 million plus $4 million in cash, bringing his total acquisition cost to $5.275 million — a transaction that itself earned him a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at a private sale.
It is believed to have earned the WWE star more than $8 million in profit after auction fees.
Paul didn't simply lock the card away. He turned it into an icon, wearing it in a custom diamond-encrusted pendant during his WWE debut at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. The card made another ringside appearance in December 2025 at the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight in Miami. The diamond necklace and custom case were included in the sale.
The previous record had been held by the 2007–08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant Dual Logoman Autograph card, which sold for $12.9 million in 2025.
Pokémon is the world's highest-grossing media franchise, surpassing even Disney and Star Wars. Cards have rocketed in value, outpacing sports cards and beating the S&P 500 by 3,000% over the past 20 years, according to Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin. Paul's card stood above all others: it is the only Pikachu Illustrator to receive a perfect PSA Gem Mint 10 grade, out of 52 others the authentication agency evaluated.
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