A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world’s largest and most complete specimens was sold for a record US$50.1 million on Tuesday to a mystery bidder. Sotheby’s said the 67-million-year-old fossil, nicknamed “Gus,” is the most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever auctioned off, besting the almost US$45 million price tag for a nearly complete stegosaurus sold by the same New York auction house in 2024. The previous record holder had been a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed “Stan” that sold for nearly US$32 million in 2020. “Gus is not only an exceptional find, but a specimen that’s been excavated, documented, prepared and cared for with real excellence,” Sotheby’s vice chair Cassandra Hatton said after the sale was completed.
A videographer documents “Gus,” a mounted Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, during a press preview at the Sotheby’s Breuer Building in New York on July 1.
Standing upright with its tail extended and right foot slightly raised, “Gus” is an adult dinosaur specimen measuring about 3.8m tall and 11.5m long. He is about 61 percent complete, with what Sotheby’s describes as an “exceptionally preserved” skull, including a gaping jaw of powerful teeth, two “well represented” feet and a number of rarely found bones, including a furcula, or wishbone.
