Full Analysis Summary
Pikachu Illustrator Record Sale
AJ Scaramucci paid a world‑record price for Logan Paul's ultra‑rare Pikachu Illustrator card in a high‑profile Goldin auction.
Multiple outlets reported the sale at roughly $16.5 million, showing contradictory figures — RTE.ie reported $16,492,000, the New York Post reported $16.49 million, player.one and mybigplunge stated $16.5 million, and the South China Morning Post described the hammer as roughly $15.8 million.
Guinness World Records verified the auction as the most expensive trading card sale.
Coverage identifies the buyer as AJ (A.J.) Scaramucci, whom most reports link to Anthony Scaramucci.
The sale drew attention both for its headline price and as a sign of booming demand for rare Pokémon and pop‑culture collectibles.
Coverage Differences
Price reporting
Sources vary slightly on the exact sale price: some give $16.5 million ($16.5M), others give $16.492M/$16.49M, and one rounds to about $15.8M. These are reporting differences rather than contradictory claims about the buyer or record status — Guinness World Records confirmation is consistent across outlets. The variance likely reflects rounding or timing of reporting.
Buyer naming
Most outlets identify the buyer as AJ or A.J. Scaramucci and link him to Anthony Scaramucci; some add his venture/firm roles (venture capitalist/founder/co‑founder of Solari Capital) while others only name him as the buyer. The reporting varies in whether it foregrounds his family connection or his investment role.
Pikachu Illustrator valuation
The card’s rarity and grading were central to the valuation.
Several outlets emphasize that the Pikachu Illustrator was issued in 1998 as a prize in an illustration contest, making it unusually scarce and historically significant, and RTE.ie adds that the card was designed by Atsuko Nishida, Pikachu’s original creator.
Coverage consistently notes a PSA 10 (Gem Mint) grade for Paul’s copy and describes that grade as a major factor in driving the record price.
Coverage Differences
Issuance history
Most sources report the card was awarded as a 1998 contest prize rather than sold commercially — RTE.ie explicitly states this and credits Atsuko Nishida. This context appears consistently across sources and underpins claims about rarity.
Card population count
Reports disagree on the total number of Pikachu Illustrator cards and on whether Paul’s example is the sole PSA 10. Several outlets say 'about 40' copies exist, while SSBCrack states the card is the only one of 53 to carry the PSA Gem Mint 10 grade; mybigplunge and Riviera Radio call it the only PSA 10. This is a factual discrepancy in the coverage.
Buyer identity and intent
Several outlets identify A.J. Scaramucci as the purchaser and note his family tie to Anthony Scaramucci.
Outlets vary in describing his role: SSBCrack and player.one call him founder or co‑founder of Solari Capital, while the New York Post labels him a venture capitalist.
Player.one and Riviera Radio report Scaramucci framed the purchase as the start of a larger 'planetary treasure hunt' or Treasure Trove project, signaling ambition to assemble other high‑profile artifacts rather than treating the card solely as a financial investment.
Coverage Differences
Buyer role
Sources differ in how they describe Scaramucci’s professional role: player.one calls him 'co‑founder of Solari Capital' and SSBCrack says 'founder of Solari Capital', while New York Post describes him as a 'venture capitalist'. These are reporting choices that shift emphasis between entrepreneurial credentials and investor framing.
Motivation framing
Some outlets quote or report Scaramucci’s own framing — player.one and Riviera Radio convey his 'planetary treasure hunt' or 'Treasure Trove' project language — while other outlets focus on the transactional or record‑setting aspects and do not relay his stated vision. This produces different reader impressions of whether the purchase is cultural‑curation or investment‑led.
Logan Paul card coverage
Logan Paul’s stewardship and the card’s public moments featured across reports.
Multiple outlets note Paul bought the card in 2021 for about $5.28 million.
Reporting notes he displayed the card at WrestleMania 38 in a diamond-encrusted necklace.
SSBCrack gives detail on the necklace’s composition and an Oxford Diamonds appraisal.
New York Post and RTE.ie describe Paul placing the card around the winning bidder’s neck after the sale.
Coverage frames Paul’s role variously as seller, showman and custodian of a headline-making collectible.
Coverage Differences
Purchase history
Several outlets agree Paul acquired the card in 2021 for about $5.28M; this is consistent across RTE.ie, South China Morning Post and other reports and is used to underline the resale profit, so there is little dispute on this point.
Showmanship detail
Descriptions of Paul’s display vary in specificity: SSBCrack gives detailed specs and appraisal for the necklace, RTE.ie and New York Post mention the act of putting the card around the buyer’s neck, and mybigplunge and Riviera Radio emphasize the WrestleMania showing—together these paint a picture of spectacle that some outlets foreground more than others.
Auction coverage variations
Details about the auction format and surrounding celebration vary across coverage.
Some outlets describe a single‑day Goldin sale, with SSBCrack saying the auction opened with a $13.3 million starting bid on Feb. 15 and concluded that day and highlighting a confetti‑filled Guinness confirmation.
New York Post refers to a 'tense 42‑day auction' before the final handoff.
Player.one names Guinness adjudicator Sarah Casson as confirming the record amid confetti.
Reports present the event both as a competitive sale and as a media spectacle.
Coverage Differences
Auction duration
Reports differ on auction timing: SSBCrack reports an auction held Feb. 15 that opened with a $13.3M starting bid and concluded the same day, while New York Post reports a 42‑day auction. This is a clear inconsistency in how outlets describe the auction timeline.
Ceremony detail
Coverage of the record confirmation and ceremony varies in color: player.one mentions an adjudicator and confetti, RTE.ie and SCMP report Guinness World Records verification, and Riviera Radio highlights the celebratory handoff of the necklace. Some accounts are more ceremonial; others stick to the facts of sale.