Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card sells for a whopping $16.49 million

The rarest Pokémon card in existence has just changed hands for a frankly staggering sum. Logan Paul’s PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card has sold for a mind-boggling $16.49 million (Rs 149.5 crores) at Goldin Auctions, setting a new record for the most expensive Pokémon card ever sold and, reportedly, the priciest trading card full stop.

The sale closed on February 16 after a 41-day bidding window that saw heavy action in the extended period. The winning bidder was A.J. Scaramucci, son of former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, who confirmed plans to feature the card on a forthcoming collectibles platform called TreasureTrove.

For collectors, this is not just another high-end auction result. The Pikachu Illustrator has long been regarded as the holy grail of Pokémon TCG collecting, and this particular copy is the only one graded PSA Gem Mint 10.

From Dubai deal to record breaker

Paul originally bought the card for $5.2 million (Rs 47 crore) in July 2021, which at the time was enough to earn a Guinness World Record. Since then, it has been part centrepiece, part spectacle. The YouTuber famously wore it to WrestleMania 38, encased in a custom-built display reportedly worth $75,000 (Rs 68 lakh) and adorned with diamonds and a gold Cuban chain.

Fast forward to 2026 and the resale price has more than tripled the original outlay. That alone would be headline material. What pushes it into gaming folklore is the scale of the leap. At $16.49 million, it comfortably eclipses previous trading card records, including the Kobe Bryant card that previously held the top spot.

Why the Pikachu Illustrator matters

The Pikachu Illustrator card was originally awarded to winners of a 1998 illustration contest in Japan. Only a tiny number were ever produced, and even fewer have survived in top condition. PSA 10 grades are notoriously hard to achieve for vintage Pokémon cards, making this copy effectively unique in the eyes of serious collectors.

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Whether this sale fuels another surge in Pokémon TCG prices remains to be seen, but it reinforces one thing. Pokémon cards are no longer just playground currency. At the very top end, they are blue-chip collectibles with auction house gravity.

And somewhere, a binder full of slightly scuffed Base Set holos suddenly feels a little more important.