A venture capital founder just bought Logan Paul's Pokémon card for $16.5 million

Logan Paul sold his record-breaking Pokémon card, seen here on a diamond chain in his WWE promo material, for a record high on Monday. WWE 2026-02-16T22:13:48.779Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Logan Paul's record-setting Pikachu card just set another one. He sold the Pokémon card at auction on Monday for over $16 million, beating a record he set in 2021. The rare card was bought by AJ Scaramucci, a venture capital founder and son of Anthony Scaramucci. Logan Paul just made millions off a Pokémon card. The influencer turned wrestler sold his one-of-one Pikachu Illustrator card — one of 41 ever distributed and the only one graded the highest quality by collectibles company PSA — at auction Monday for a jaw-dropping $16.492 million.The winner? AJ Scaramucci, the founder of venture capital firm Solari Capital and the son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. Scaramucci appeared on Logan Paul's livestream early Monday after auction house Goldin announced him the winning bidder in the auction, which closed at 1:14 am ET."My ambition for the card is just a small story," Scaramucci said at the event. "The real story is that I'm on a planetary treasure hunt. I'm planning to buy a T. rex dinosaur fossil, the Declaration of Independence, and I'm not stopping there. This is only the beginning." Every time Paul publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox! Stay connected to Paul and get more of their work as it publishes. Sign up By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. "You're just starting?" Paul replied. "Bro. Bro, that is so epic."Paul also used the livestream to open packs of Pokémon cards and announce RipIt, a new collectibles business he's launching. This Pikachu illustrator Pokémon card set a record for the most expensive Pokémon card sold privately. Goldin In a statement, Goldin described the Pokémon card, which was originally given to winners of an illustration competition in Japan, as "one of the Holy Grails of the collectibles industry."Paul previously set the world record back in July 2021 when he purchased the same card for $5.275 million, meaning he will make millions in profit. The card also came with a diamond-encrusted chain appraised at $75,000, Goldin said. Paul wore the card during his WWE debut at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.In an Instagram post on Saturday, Paul bid farewell to the card. "Goodbye my friend 😢 What a privilege it's been to be the owner of the greatest collectible in the world," he wrote.The markets for Pokémon cards, along with other collectible card sets like Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh!, have become huge in recent years among collectors — especially Gen Z — with the rarest cards selling for tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. Some people are even forgoing stocks and investing in Pokémon cards instead.