A T-Rex skeleton nicknamed “Gus” sold for $50.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Tuesday, becoming the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold.
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This imposing fossil is one of the most complete T-Rex skeletons in the world, with 183 fossilized bones. It was discovered in 2021 on a ranch in South Dakota.
“Gus” lived during the Maastrichtian, between 72 and 66 million years ago, a period characterized by a warm climate, high sea levels and vast, regularly flooded coastal plains.
The skeleton is 11.6 meters long, making it one of the largest ever discovered. It is approximately 63% complete.
This purchase, made by a buyer who remained anonymous, illustrates the growth of the market for dinosaur fossils, a trend criticized by certain paleontologists, who deplore the fact that these specimens are joining private collections.
“Gus,” a mounted Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, one of the largest T. rexes ever discovered, is photographed during a press preview at the Sotheby’s Breuer building in New York, July 1, 2026.
AFP
“The United States is the only country in the world where fossils of this type are considered private property,” Cassandra Hatton, head of the science and natural history departments at Sotheby’s, told AFP before the sale.
“If you own the land, you own the fossil and you have the right to sell it. So if you want a dinosaur, this is the only place you can get one,” she explained.
The previous record for a fossil sold at auction was held by “Apex”, a Stegosaurus, purchased for $44.6 million in 2024 by billionaire and hedge fund manager Ken Griffin.
It is currently on display to the public at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
