The Pikachu Illustrator trading card sold for $16,492,000 at auction, setting a new record for any trading card sale. The auction house Goldin confirmed the result after bidding stretched into early Monday morning. The company said Guinness World Records certified the price as the highest ever achieved at auction for a trading card.
The card came from the personal collection of Logan Paul and featured in Season 3 of King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch on Netflix. It carried a PSA 10 grade from Professional Sports Authenticator, which indicates a virtually perfect condition. Pikachu Illustrator cards originated from a 1998 contest, and roughly 40 examples exist.
“This is an historic night for not only the Pokémon community, it is an historic night for the entire collectible community,” said Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin. “We just keep showing there are no barriers. These key things that we all love and appreciate keep going up, keep setting records, and keep bringing people together.”
Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator sells for $16,492,000. https://t.co/2YzhfuQtSK pic.twitter.com/zvJti9hlIz
— HodlFM (@Hodl_fm) February 16, 2026
Buyer revealed at auction headquarters
The winning bidder was AJ Scaramucci of Solari Capital. He attended the event in person, which allowed the transfer to conclude immediately after the hammer fell. He is the son of Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital and a long-time advocate for digital assets.
Solari Capital invests in blockchain, crypto, and fintech ventures such as American Bitcoin. AJ Scaramucci described the purchase as part of a broader ambition to acquire culturally significant artifacts.
"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," he said. "This was only the beginning."
Event blended spectacle and competitive bidding
Ahead of the auction close, Paul and Goldin hosted a livestream box break on Paul’s YouTube channel. A Guinness representative and prior auction winners attended. Rare Mewtwo, Chansey, and Blastoise cards appeared during the broadcast, which added energy to the final hours of bidding.
The sale included more than 300 lots, from graded cards to sealed booster boxes, original artwork, and vintage video games. Competitive bidding appeared across multiple price tiers. A 1999 Pokémon Base Set 1st Edition Holo Charizard graded PSA 10 sold for $954,808. A 1996 Japanese Base Set holo uncut sheet reached $613,801. A factory-sealed 1st Edition booster box sold for $496,000.
Paul reacted during the livestream as confetti fell after the sale. He called the result "absolutely insane."
“This right here is what makes collecting so special–this hobby is unbelievably fun,” Paul said. “I love the community aspect of it, getting to meet other collectors and connect over our shared passion. It has been amazing working on this with my friend Ken Goldin, who has changed Pokémon forever in such a great way.”
What an epic night. I’m truly grateful for the Pokémon community, Ken Goldin, and my team for making last night a historic moment for the hobby.
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) February 16, 2026
To address concerns regarding the ownership history of the card, now for the facts:
I had originally offered to sell up to 51% of the…
Previous ownership, profit, and controversy
Paul bought the Pikachu Illustrator card in 2021 for $5.3 million. The new price represents a major gain after fees. The sale revived debate about the card’s earlier tokenization attempt on Liquid Marketplace. The platform allowed fractional ownership before it went offline, which triggered legal scrutiny in Canada.
The Ontario Securities Commission filed a case connected to the platform in 2024. A hearing is scheduled for June. Paul stated that only 5.4% of the card entered fractional ownership and that he later restored access so users could withdraw funds.
Criticism also came from crypto legal circles. Gabriel Shapiro of Delphi Labs described the tokenization attempt as a flawed structure and urged investors to review terms before committing capital.
the logan paul pikachu NFT fractionalization fiasco is a classic case of "slop tokenization"--the token is basically just 'juxtaposed' with property but has no rights to it
— _gabrielShapir0 (@lex_node) February 16, 2026
maybe read the ToS, listen to my warnings, & stop FOMOing into "legal scams" pic.twitter.com/pOfchXX8d3
Paul faced earlier backlash from the CryptoZoo NFT project and other digital assets that lost value. He later launched a buyback program and compensated participants after disputes.
Physical collectibles rise as NFTs struggle
The record contrasts with recent declines in the digital collectibles sector. Data from CoinGecko shows the NFT market cap fell from $3.2 billion to $1.57 billion in recent months. Marketplace closures added pressure. Rodeo and Nifty Gateway announced shutdowns in late January.
At the same time, physical trading cards gained renewed attention. Goldin plans a Pokémon 151 auction tied to the franchise’s 30th anniversary and a Winter Vintage Elite Auction that features a newly discovered Honus Wagner card.
The Pikachu Illustrator result highlights how rarity and cultural narrative can push physical collectibles to prices that rival fine art. The sale also reflects how personalities from digital media, venture capital, and entertainment now shape the high-end market for trading cards.
Alex Shepel
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