Rare T. rex fossil nicknamed 'Gus' sells for record $50 million at auction

A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, known as 'Gus,' has set a new world record after selling for an impressive $50.1 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Tuesday. The monumental sale surpassed previous records for dinosaur fossils, making Gus the most valuable specimen ever sold at auction. Measuring approximately 12.5 feet tall and 38 feet long, the 67-million-year-old skeleton is considered one of the most complete T. rex discoveries to date, being around 61% complete by bone count.

Discovered between 2021 and 2023 on a ranch in South Dakota, the fossil was named after the late landowner, Gary "Gus" Licking. The winning bid came from an anonymous phone participant, further fueling ongoing debates among paleontologists regarding the accessibility of significant scientific finds when acquired by private collectors.