Khaberni - A very rare Pokémon card was sold at a public auction on Monday for approximately $16.5 million, setting a record price for these highly sought-after collector's items.
This card, known as "Pikachu Illustrator" and featuring the famous yellow Pikachu character from the Japanese Pokémon series, was previously bought by American YouTuber Logan Paul at another record-breaking auction in 2021 for $5.28 million.
The buyer this time is AJ Scaramucci, the son of former White House media official Anthony Scaramucci, according to the Guinness World Records and Goldin Auctions.
After the auction, Logan Paul placed the card around the neck of its new owner with a diamond necklace valued at $75,000, according to Guinness World Records.
The card has been classified by the Guinness as the most expensive Pokémon card, and also the most expensive collectible card ever sold at a public auction across all categories.
The collection of trading cards that debuted in Japan in 1996 following the success of the video game series featuring "Pocket Monsters" ("Pokémon"), has seen a notable increase in popularity in recent years; this has led to rising prices and some related incidents.
There are currently over one thousand Pokémon cards, with new "generations" of players emerging with each new release.
The factors that determine a card's value include its rarity, the character it embodies (with a special demand for characters like Mew, Mewtwo, Pikachu, and Charizard), and the artist whose name appears on the card.
The card sold on Monday is graded "PSA 10," which means it is in excellent condition.
"Pikachu Illustrator" cards are highly valued among collectors, especially because they were designed by Atsuko Nishida, the creator of Pikachu.
The card was never sold commercially, but was awarded as a prize in a drawing contest in 1998.
The following year after purchasing it, Logan Paul wore the card around his neck during a wrestling event (WWE) in Texas.
The amount paid on Monday, which was $16,492,000, includes the buyer's premium.
