In a jaw-dropping moment for collectors and pop culture fans alike, YouTube superstar, podcaster, and WWE wrestler Logan Paul has just cashed in big on one of the rarest treasures in Pokemon history. His ultra-rare 1998 Pikachu Illustrator PSA GEM MT 10 card sold at Goldin Auctions for $16,492,000, setting a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction.
The card, one of only 39 ever produced in 1998 as prizes for winners of a Japanese CoroCoro Comic illustration contest, features iconic artwork by Atsuko Nishida, the original designer of Pikachu. Paul’s copy is the only known example graded a perfect PSA 10, making it the undisputed “Holy Grail” of the Pokemon TCG world. Just 20 Illustrator cards have been graded by PSA at all, and only eight others reached PSA 9.
A Massive Return on Investment
Paul is believed to have cleared more than $8 million in profit after auction fees, more than tripling his original investment in just five years. In an Instagram post bidding farewell to the card over the weekend, he wrote:
“Goodbye, my friend. What a privilege it’s been to be the owner of the greatest collectible in the world.”
Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, called it “the most coveted trading card in the world,” noting that Pokemon cards have outperformed the S&P 500 by 3,000% over the past two decades.
Why This Sale Matters
This isn’t just another big collectibles flip. It cements the Pikachu Illustrator as the undisputed king of trading cards, surpassing every sports card and every other non-sports card ever sold at public auction. It also highlights how celebrity ownership and showmanship (WrestleMania appearance, live streams, personal delivery) can supercharge an already insane market.
For Logan Paul, it’s another chapter in his journey from controversial YouTuber to legitimate heavyweight in the worlds of wrestling, boxing, and high-end collecting. For Pokemon fans, it’s proof that the right card, in the right condition, with the right story, can achieve legendary status.
Whether you think $16.5 million for a Pokemon card is genius or madness, one thing is certain: Logan Paul just turned a childhood dream into one of the biggest paydays in collecting history.
