The Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton surpassed its pre-sale estimate and set a new auction record for a dinosaur fossil.
A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton known as "Gus" sold for $50.1 million (roughly €44 million) at Sotheby's in New York on Tuesday, setting a new record for a dinosaur fossil at auction. The sale followed a tense 10-minute bidding battle involving seven bidders and ended with an anonymous purchaser.
Before Tuesday's sale, the record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil was held by Apex, a Stegosaurus skeleton that sold for $44.6 million at Sotheby's in 2024.
It was discovered in 2021 on a South Dakota cattle ranch, owned by the late Gary "Gus" Licking, for whom the fossil was named,
"Gus is one of the biggest and most complete T. rex ever found," Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's vice chairman and global head of science and natural history, said ahead of the auction.
