Buyer drops nearly $72m on one of world's most complete T-rex skeletons

Wed 15 Jul 2026 at 11:16am

Wed 15 Jul 2026 at 11:16am

In short:

A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed "Gus" has become the most expensive fossil to be sold at auction.

The skeleton measures 11.6 metres long and is made up of 183 fossilised bones, making it one of the largest and most complete tyrannosaurs discovered.

What's next?

Palaeontologists have raised concerns over the surging market for dinosaur bones putting valuable specimens into private hands.

A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed "Gus" has become the most valuable dinosaur fossil bought at auction.

The fossil, discovered on a South Dakota cattle ranch in 2021, sold for $US50.1 million ($71.8m) after a 10-minute battle between seven bidders at Sotheby's, New York.

"Gus" is one of the world's most complete T-rex skeletons, with 183 fossilised bones.

The giant beast lived some 72 to 66 million years ago, a period characterised by a warm climate, high sea levels and vast floodable coastal plains.

The skeleton measures 11.6 metres long, making it one of the largest discovered.

It is about 63 per cent complete.

Tuesday's purchase by an anonymous buyer highlights a surging market for dinosaur bones — a trend that has drawn criticism from some palaeontologists over the specimens going into private hands.

"The United States is the only country in the world where fossils like this are considered personal property," Cassandra Hatton, head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, told AFP before the auction.

"If you own the land, you own the fossil and you have the right to sell it. So if you want a dinosaur, this is the only place that you can get it,"

she said.

The previous record for a fossil auction was "Apex" the Stegosaurus, bought for $US44.6 million ($64 million) in 2024 by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin.

AFP