The sale of the 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton broke the record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold.
Gus, a mounted Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, one of the largest T. rex ever found, is pictured during a press preview at the Sotheby's Breuer building in New York, on Jul 1, 2026. (Photo: AFP/Timothy A. Clary)
15 Jul 2026 05:40AM
NEW YORK: A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed Gus sold Tuesday (Jul 14) for US$50.1 million at Sotheby's in New York, making it the most valuable dinosaur fossil bought at auction after a 10-minute battle between seven bidders. Gus is one of the world's most complete T. rex skeletons - with 183 fossilised bones - and was discovered on a cattle ranch in South Dakota in 2021. The giant beast lived some 72 to 66 million years ago - a period characterized by a warm climate, high sea levels and vast floodable coastal plains. The skeleton measures 38 feet (11.6 meters) in body length, making it one of the largest T. rexes ever discovered. It is roughly 63 per cent complete.
The head of Gus, part of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, one of the largest T. rex ever found, is pictured during a press preview at the Sotheby's Breuer building in New York, on Jul 1, 2026. (Photo: Timothy A. Clary)
