PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator becomes most expensive trading card ever auctioned
Summary
– Logan Paul’s PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator sold for $16.4 million at auction
– The sale set a Guinness World Record for most expensive trading card ever sold
– AJ Scaramucci revealed as buyer during a live stream bidding war
Logan Paul’s one-of-a-kind PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card has officially become the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction, closing at $16.4 million on February 15, 2026.
The card had been sitting at $12.5 million late in the auction before a surge of last-minute bids pushed the final number significantly higher. Veteran auctioneer Ken Goldin confirmed the milestone on social media, stating that the sale earned official recognition from Guinness World Records.
The winning bidder was revealed live on Paul’s stream as AJ Scaramucci, co-founder of Solari Capital. Scaramucci described the purchase as part of a larger personal mission to acquire historically significant and rare artifacts, signaling that the Pokémon card is only one piece of a broader collection plan.
Paul originally purchased the card for $5.3 million and famously wore it during his WrestleMania 38 entrance at AT&T Stadium in 2022. That moment helped cement the card’s cultural relevance beyond the collector community, elevating it into mainstream conversation.
The dramatic jump from $12.5 million to $16.4 million in the final stretch highlights just how intense demand became as the auction closed. A decade ago, a trading card reaching that figure would have seemed unrealistic. Now, it stands as an official record — and one tied permanently to Logan Paul.
Officially a @GWR for Most Expensive Trading Card EVER sold in an Auction! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Z66fI8apIj
— Ken Goldin (@KenGoldin) February 16, 2026
