T-rex skeleton ‘Gus’ sells for record $50.1 million at Sotheby’s

AKIPRESS.COM – A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton named Gus has been sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York for an unprecedented $50.1 million, far exceeding its initial estimate of $20 million to $30 million.

This sale establishes a new auction record for any dinosaur fossil, overtaking the previous record set in 2024 when a Stegosaurus skeleton sold at Sotheby’s for $44.6 million.

The 67-million-year-old specimen was discovered in 2021 on a private ranch in South Dakota. It took the private paleontological firm Theropoda Expeditions two years to carefully excavate the remains, which were named in honor of the ranch’s owner, Gus Licking.

Measuring 11.5 meters long and 3.8 meters tall, the skeleton contains 183 bones, making it one of the largest and most complete T-rex specimens ever found, complete with a remarkably preserved skull displaying six full rows of teeth.

Gus was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder, sparking renewed debate among experts. Many in the scientific community express concern that such multi-million dollar private sales hinder academic research by keeping rare fossil specimens out of public museums and research institutions.