Ultra rare Pokemon card sells for record $16 mln

NEW YORK

An extremely rare Pokemon card owned by American YouTuber Logan Paul sold Monday for $16,492,000, smashing the record for the most expensive Pocket Monster trading card sold at an auction.

The supposedly unique PSA 10-graded Pikachu Illustrator was originally bought by Paul in another record-breaking sale in 2021 for $5.28 million.

This time it was purchased by AJ Scaramucci, son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, according to Guinness World Records, who were at the auction held by Goldin.

After the successful bid Paul placed the card, which was attached to what Guinness said was a $75,000 diamond necklace, around Scaramucci's neck.

Guinness World Records certified it as the most expensive Pokemon card, as well as the priciest trading card overall, sold at an auction.

Ranging from Pikachu the mouse to Jigglypuff the balloon to the jackal-headed Lucario, there are now more than 1,000 different Pokemon characters, with new "generations" released every few years.

While they have always been swapped and collected, the cards' value have exploded in recent years, not just among fans of the game but also among investors with little or no past interest.

Factors determining value include the cards' rareness, the character (Mew, Mewtwo, Pikachu and Charizard tend to be more valuable) and the artist, who is indicated on the card.