Logan Paul has sold the most expensive trading card ever at auction and made an eye-watering profit in the process.
The YouTuber and WWE superstar got his hands on the 'Pikachu Illustrator' card for $5.275 million back in 2021.
Including a diamond-encrusted necklace, the card is just one of 39 created for a Pokémon illustration competition back in the late 90s.
After 42 days and 97 bids, the ultra-rare Grade 10 card sold for a whopping $16.492 million - which meant more than $8 million in profit.
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“Oh my gosh, this is crazy,” Paul said post-auction closed as confetti fell down.
Just moments later, a Guinness World Records official confirmed that he has sold the most expensive trading card ever.
Pokémon fans were stunned by the amount, with some people saying they would definitely invest if they had millions of dollars lying around. Wouldn't we all?
"Totally worth it, I'd buy it if I could then sell it in 2030 for times two," one person commented.
While another suggested to 'pull an Uno Reverse and rebuy it!'.
"I told y'all Pokémon's going to the moon," someone else penned.
Prior to selling his card, Paul wrote: "Goodbye my friend. What a privilege it’s been to be the owner of the greatest collectible in the world.
"From Guinness World Records to WWE debuts, Netflix to National News, this card and I have been on a generational run.
"This sorta feels like that moment when you beat the Elite Four, get inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the game restarts. As this Grail changes hands, I’m excited to go on my next Pokémon journey."
Who bought Logan Paul's Pokèmon card?
The lucky winner of the card was revealed to be venture capitalist AJ Scaramucci, who is also the son of financier and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
AJ described his win as the start of a planned 'planetary treasure hunt', as he told Paul: "I'm on a quest to buy a T-Rex dinosaur fossil, I'm going to buy the Declaration of Independence, and I'm not stopping there.
"This was only the beginning."
Why is the Pikachu Illustrator card so rare?
The Pikachu Illustrator card was first issued during a contest in 1998, with around 40 known to exist. According to the BBC, Paul's card was the only one to be graded a 10 by a Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), meaning it is 'virtually perfect'.
Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin told CNN that this is 'the most coveted trading card in the world' and is considered the 'holy grail of all Pokémon cards'.
Paul, who is also the founder of Prime, previously claimed to Fox Business that collectables, such as Pokémon cards, have 'outperformed' the stock market over the last 20 years.
"If you have the money, don't be afraid to take a risk, especially if you're young," he said.
"There are ways to spend and invest your money in ways that might mean more to you than the traditional conservative investment like the stock market."
"Being the rarest, most valuable card in the world, there’s only one of them," he went on, adding that people need to focus on getting their hands on 'the best of the best' collectables with limited supply'.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Paul has a net worth of $150 million.
Topics: Logan Paul
Anish Vij