T. rex skeleton fetched $50.1 million at New York auction, setting new fossil record

A 38-foot Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton discovered in South Dakota was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York for $50,130,000, establishing a new record for fossil sales. The specimen, dubbed Gus after the late rancher Gary “Gus” Licking who owned the land where it was found, is estimated to be about 67 million years old and measures 38 feet in length and 12.5 feet in height. With 183 bone elements, the skeleton is roughly 61 % complete by bone count and 75-80 % complete by mass, including a 54-inch skull, a wishbone, a complete pelvis and both feet.

Gus originates from the Hell Creek Formation, a well-known fossil-bearing region that spans Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas and was the source of the first T. rex specimens discovered in the early 20th century. The auction’s pre-sale estimate had been $20-30 million; the winning bid was placed by phone. The buyer’s identity has not been disclosed.

“Gus is one of the most complete T. rex fossils ever found,” Sotheby’s said in its auction catalogue.

The previous record for a fossil auction was set in 2024 when a stegosaurus named Apex sold for $44.6 million. Earlier T. rex sales include Stan, which fetched $31.8 million in 2020, and Sue, sold in 1997 with about 90 % completeness.

Scientists note that privately owned fossils can be difficult for researchers to study because access is limited. Gus’s sale includes “full rights,” meaning the buyer may produce casts of missing elements, a practice common with other high-profile specimens such as Stan.