The collectibles market reached a new high on February 16, 2026, when Logan Paul sold his rare “Pikachu Illustrator” card for $16,492,000. The sale set a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction. Bidding climbed into the millions before AJ Scaramucci won the card.
The card is graded PSA 10, which collectors consider perfect. Only 39 copies exist. Organizers awarded them as prizes in a 1990s Japanese contest. Paul bought the card in 2021 for $5.28 million. After fees, he likely cleared between $8 million and $11 million in profit.
Paul shared news of the sale on X (formerly Twitter). He did not issue a detailed statement about the bidding process.
Insider Trading Claims Cloud The Big Win
The record-breaking price brought both praise and questions. Some blockchain analysts noticed that a new crypto wallet appeared just days before the auction ended. That wallet placed nearly $190,000 in bets on Polymarket, predicting the card would sell for more than $10 million, $12 million, and $15 million.
When the final price reached $16.5 million, the wallet reportedly made more than $300,000 in profit. Critics online quickly questioned whether someone had inside information about the auction.
The sale also reminded people of a problem in 2022. Logan Paul had sold fractional shares of the same card as NFTs on Liquid Marketplace. The platform later shut down, and investors were unable to access their funds. A group of investors filed a lawsuit in Canada. Paul later said he paid to bring the site back online and bought back the shares at their original price to repay users.
Recent bets have drawn more attention to the situation. Regulators are already watching how physical auctions connect with digital betting markets, and this sale has added to that discussion.
At the same time, the numbers are clear. While NFT prices have fallen by about 50 percent in recent months, rare physical collectibles are still selling for record amounts. The “Pikachu Illustrator” card now holds the top spot in the trading card market.
Paul’s sale involves everything: internet fame, traditional collecting, and large amounts of money. Supporters see it as a smart investment, while critics are just curious. Either way, the card is now part of the record books.
