Five years ago, American YouTuber Logan Paul made headlines when he paid a record $5.275 million for a Pikachu Illustrator card. That price now looks like a bargain. On February 16, 2026, his card sold for over $16 million, making it the most expensive Pokémon card sold at auction. It also broke the overall record for the most expensive trading card sold at auction. That record was previously held by a $12.93 million trading card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

The auction lasted 41 days, with collectors watching every move. In the final hours, bidding soared from about $6 million to $13.3 million. The final price, including auction fees, came to an astounding $16.49 million.

The winning bidder was American investor AJ Scaramucci. He and his brother David have been Pokémon fans since childhood. The card is the first item in his treasure hunt for rare and historic objects. AJ next hopes to acquire a T.rex fossil and an early printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

"This was only the beginning," AJ later said.

As you might have guessed, the Pikachu Illustrator is no ordinary trading card. The artwork, depicting a cheerful Pikachu holding a paintbrush, was drawn by Atsuko Nishida. She is the original designer of Pikachu. The card was awarded to just 39 winners of a 1998 Pokémon illustration contest in Japan. Of those 39, only about 24 are known to remain, making them extremely rare.

Logan’s card is even more valuable because it is the only known Pikachu Illustrator to receive a PSA 10 grade. This means it is in nearly perfect condition. To showcase and protect it, Logan encased the card in a gold case and placed it in a custom gold and diamond necklace. A sparkling diamond Poké Ball pendant hanging above the card completed the $75,000 display.

While the Pikachu Illustrator card was the star of the auction, many other Pokémon items also sold for thousands of dollars. These included a 1999 1st Edition Holo Charizard, one of the most sought-after Pokémon cards, and several sealed Pokémon video games. The auction's success is a testament to Pokémon’s continued popularity more than 30 years after its creation.

Resources: CNN.com, Guinnessworldrecords.com, Smithsonianmag.com