The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex, known as “Gus”, sold for $50.1 million (about €44 million) at Sotheby’s in New York on Tuesday, setting a new record for a dinosaur fossil at auction. The sale was followed by a tense 10-minute bidding war that involved seven bidders and ended with an anonymous buyer.
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.
Fossil ‘Gus’ is one of the largest and most complete fossils ever discovered
It was discovered in 2021 on a South Dakota cattle farm owned by the late Gary “Gus” Licking, after whom the fossil was named.
“Gus is one of the largest and most complete T. rex ever found,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s vice president and global head of science and natural history, said ahead of the auction.
skeleton measures 38 feet (11.6 m) in length and dated to the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 67 million years ago.
Hatton said Gus stands out because of the “completeness, quality, size, preservation” as well as the meticulous work required to excavate and prepare the fossil.
The record highlights the growing market for dinosaur fossils, although some scientists have warned against keeping the specimens in private collections.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Don’t let algorithms hide news. If you rely on our team for reliable reporting, please take a moment Choose us as your favorite source on GoogleThat’s why you’ll always see our verified news first.