Record-Breaking T. rex Fossil Sells for $50.1 Million

Sotheby’s in New York auctioned the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed “Gus” for $50.1 million, including fees, after a roughly ten-minute bidding war among seven parties. The buyer and the buyer’s location were not disclosed. Gus measures about 38 feet long, 12½ feet tall and is roughly 63 % complete by bone count, comprising 183 fossil elements. The specimen was excavated from private land in Harding County, South Dakota, over three summers from 2021 to 2023, on a ranch owned by Gary “Gus” Licking, who died during the dig.

T-Rex Fossil Sells for $50M at Auction, Sparking Concern

The sale set a new record for dinosaur fossils, surpassing the $44.6 million price paid for the stegosaur “Apex” in 2024 and the $31.8 million sale of the T. rex “Stan” two years earlier. A juvenile Ceratosaurus fetched $30.5 million in 2025, far above its original $4-6 million estimate. Industry observers note a steady climb in auction prices for prehistoric specimens, a trend that has pleased commercial fossil hunters while raising concerns among museum professionals.

T-Rex Fossil Sells for $50M at Auction, Sparking Concern New York TimesMeet Gus, the legendary T. rex that was sold for over 50 MILLION dollars

Auctioneer Phyllis Kao highlighted the spectacle, urging bidders “Try a bigger bite,” emphasizing the iconic status of the T. rex.

New York Times

Paleontologists argue that private ownership threatens scientific access. Dr. Thomas Carr of Carthage College warned that a privately held fossil can be withdrawn from public view at any time, undermining the principles of availability and replicability essential for research. Richard Butler, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Birmingham, called the auction of dinosaur fossils “very concerning,” noting that specimens outside recognized museum collections are effectively lost to scientific study and become status symbols rather than research resources.

T-Rex Fossil Sells for $50M at Auction, Sparking Concern New York TimesMeet Gus, the legendary T. rex that was sold for over 50 MILLION dollars

• “Gus is the culmination of years of rigorous excavation and preparation under some of the most challenging field conditions imaginable, and years of exacting study, documentation, and research,” — Sotheby’s Vice-Chairman

T-Rex Fossil Sells for $50M at Auction, Sparking Concern

• “Fossils need to be available to test previous observations and to make new insights; the fossils are the data so they must always be available for study.” — Additionally

T-Rex Fossil Sells for $50M at Auction, Sparking Concern