Logan Paul has revealed how he became the owner of the world's most expensive Pokémon card after he first displayed it around his neck at WrestleMania.
The YouTuber-turned-wrestler made headlines earlier this year when he arrived for his tag-team wrestling event wearing a black and yellow outfit, sunglasses, and a Pokémon card secured in a diamond encrusted case around his neck.
At the time the card was determined the world's most valuable Pokémon card; a Japanese Pikachu Illustrator card designed by the creator of Pikachu herself, which had been originally handed out in 1998 to 39 winners of an art contest.
In a new video released today (7 July), Paul explained he came across the card while doing some research and that today 'nobody knows how many copies are left'. A total of 20 have been graded, but of those 20 only one was determined to be in perfect condition. Unsurprisingly, that's the one Paul wanted to get his hands on.
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The YouTuber acknowledged that the Illustrator cards are expensive, with a card rated 9/10 having just sold for $4 million online, but when presented with the opportunity to get his hands on the perfect card Paul couldn't resist learning more.
This opportunity came in February 2021, when he received a message on Instagram saying the owner was looking to sell. He pursued the sale and learned the seller wanted a staggering $6m in exchange for the card, or $4m and a card rated 9/10.
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While most people would have given up by this point, Paul flew to Italy to get his hands on the 9/10 card, forking out $1.25m for the almost-perfect creation before travelling to Dubai to finally come face to face with the most valuable Pokémon card out there.
The seller had a collection worth around $15 million, but agreed to sell the card to Paul in a transaction confirmed by an official adjudicator who announced 'the most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at a private sale is a PSA grade 10 Pikachu illustrator card', for which Paul bought for the equivalent of $5,275,000 in July 2021.
The YouTuber was awarded a Guinness World Record for the sale, but in his video he announced he would be listing the card his platform Liquid Marketplace, which allows members of the public to co-own 'top tier assets', like the card.
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"Instead of one person, me, owning this card, we as a collective can co-own it together," Paul said.
The YouTuber will be selling 51% ownership of the card, meaning it will be kept in a vault and future usage will be determined collectively by its owners.
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Topics: Logan Paul, Pokemon, YouTube, Sport
