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Pokémon Card Auctioned for Record US$16.5 Million

American auction house Goldin announced on Monday that Internet personality and professional wrestler Logan Paul sold his rare Pikachu Illustrator card from the Pokémon Trading Card Game at auction for US$16.492 million. According to Goldin, “[Paul] passes the torch of the [Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA)] 10 Pikachu Illustrator to its new owner!” That new owner is A.J. Scaramucci, a venture capitalist and son of former White House Communications Director (for 11 days) Anthony Scaramucci. The younger Scaramucci received the card at an event where Paul placed a necklace bearing it around his neck.

The sale included Paul's custom-made diamond necklace for the card. Paul wore the necklace during his appearance at WWE's premium live event WrestleMania 38 in April 2022.

Following the sale, Guinness World Records reported that the transaction had broken the record for "Most Expensive Pokémon Card Sold at Auction."

Only 39 Pikachu Illustrator cards were printed as a prize for a Pokémon illustration contest held by Japanese publisher Shokakukan's CoroCoro Comic imprint in the late 1990s. A former Pokémon Company employee sold two more copies in 2020. Of the 41 known Pikachu Illustrator cards, United States based sports card and trading card grading company PSA has graded 20.

Paul's Turbulent History With Pikachu Illustrator Cards

American news outlet Polygon reported that hours after the auction concluded, accusations and speculation arose on social media regarding the grade and ownership of the card. According to Polygon, the accusations claimed that Paul acquired a PSA 9 Pikachu Illustrator card in 2021, then had it regraded to a PSA 10.

However, Paul initially bought a PSA 9 graded Pikachu Illustrator card from collector Matt Allen for US$1.275 million in June 2021, setting a Guinness World Record for "Most Expensive Pokémon Trading Card Sold at a Private Sale." One month later, Paul then acquired the PSA 10 card (the one that later went on auction for US$16.492 million) from a collector in Dubai, trading his PSA 9 Pikachu Illustrator card and paying US$4 million.

Questions surrounding Paul's ownership claims for the auctioned card stem from him selling "shares" of the card through his now defunct Ontario-based business, Liquid Marketplace. The company offered a method for collectors to buy and sell shares for rare collectibles. Polygon's article noted Paul offered up to 51% of the Pikachu Illustrator card in July 2022. However, Paul reported in December 2025 that he had reacquired the sold shares in May 2024.

In the interim, Liquid Marketplace users allegedly could not access or withdraw their funds from the site. Logan said on Monday after the auction that he "personally paid to get [Liquid Marketplace] back up" so users could withdraw funds. He added that only 5.4% of shares in the card were sold in summer 2022 for US$270,000.

Liquid Marketplace currently faces a legal dispute with the Ontario Securities Commission. Polygon reported, “Regulators allege the platform distributed 'unregistered securities,' meaning it sold investment-like tokens without formally registering them under securities law or qualifying for an exemption.” Paul is currently not named as a respondent in the proceedings.

Sources: Japan Times, CNN, Guinness World Records (link 2), Goldin's X/Twitter account, Polygon via Hachima Kikō