Rare T. rex fossil sells for record $50.1 million at auction
Wertynews.com – On Tuesday, a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, one of the largest ever auctioned, sold for $50.1 million in New York, surpassing prior records for dinosaur fossils. The fossil, known as Gus, was presented as a fully assembled exhibit, ready for display, and now holds the distinction of being the most valuable dinosaur skeleton ever sold at auction.
Sotheby’s, the auction house behind the historic sale, described Gus as a towering figure, measuring 12.5 feet in height and 38 feet in length. The specimen consists of 183 bones, with additional rare rib fragments that were not included in official counts. This makes it one of the most complete and large T. rex skeletons ever discovered, according to the auction house.
The previous record for a similarly intact dinosaur skeleton was set two years ago when Sotheby’s sold a mounted stegosaurus named Apex for nearly $45 million. That sale had broken the earlier benchmark, which was estimated to be between $4 and $6 million. Gus’s auction, however, outpaced all previous bids, achieving a new milestone in fossil sales.
Sotheby’s had anticipated a sale in the range of $20 to $30 million, as noted on its website. Yet, within a brief 10-minute bidding session, Gus reached its final price. Only seven participants engaged in the auction, which saw the fossil’s value skyrocket beyond expectations.
Auction Success
Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s vice chair, highlighted the significance of the sale, stating it “has been years in the making.” She credited Thomas Heitkamp, the lead excavator, for uncovering the T. rex remains in Harding County, South Dakota, alongside his team.
“For me, the added bonus was knowing that ‘Gus’ was just one of the many pieces of history hidden in the land that Gary and I loved to share,” Dana Licking, wife of the late cattle rancher Gary “Gus” Licking, remarked. “It will be exciting to see how many others will get to enjoy this spectacular discovery.”
The skeleton’s name pays tribute to Gary Licking, who owned the land where the fossils were initially found. Dating back to the late Cretaceous period, approximately 67 million years ago, Gus represents a rare find in South Dakota’s Hell Creek Formation, a globally recognized site for dinosaur fossils.
Since the first T. rex was discovered in southeastern Montana in 1902, only 32 skeletons have been unearthed. Of these, just two were previously at least 60% complete—Sue, displayed at the Chicago Field Museum, and Stan, housed in Abu Dhabi’s Natural History Museum. Gus, with roughly 61% completeness, includes a remarkably well-preserved skull, as noted by Sotheby’s.
