All articles tagged with #sothebys
A 12.5-foot-tall, 38-foot-long T. rex skeleton named Gus, excavated in Harding County, South Dakota, sold for $50.1 million at Sothebys after a 10-minute, seven-bidder auction, setting a new record for dinosaur fossils and renewing the debate over private versus public museum ownership.
A 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil named Gus sold for $50.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York, a new record for a fossil sale after a ten-minute, seven-bidder auction. Gus is about 61% complete, stands 12.5 feet tall and 38 feet long, and was discovered in Harding County, South Dakota, with excavations conducted from 2021 to 2023.
A near-complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton named Gus sold for $50.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York, setting a new record for a dinosaur fossil and far surpassing expectations. The 67-million-year-old specimen stands about 3.8 meters tall and 38 feet long, with an exceptionally preserved skull and 183 bones, plus evidence of life injuries. The sale has sparked debate among scientists about the impact of private ownership on palaeontological research, as critics warn that fossils bought into private hands may become inaccessible to scholars; the previous dinosaur record was a $44.6 million Stegosaurus sold in 2024.
A 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus sold for £37.4m ($50.1m) at Sotheby’s in New York—the most ever paid for a dinosaur. The nearly 60% complete fossil was discovered in 2021 on a South Dakota ranch and required three summers of digging plus three years in the lab to reassemble, with bite marks and healed ribs indicating a life on the hunt. The buyer remains undisclosed; the sale surpasses the previous record and signals growing ultra-wealthy interest in fossil collecting, with Gus potentially heading to a museum in the future.
A 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed Gus sold for a world-record $50.13 million at Sotheby’s in New York, making Gus one of the most complete T. rex fossils and underscoring the ongoing debate over private ownership versus scientific study.
Sotheby’s New York Space Exploration auction lists nearly two dozen Buzz Aldrin–owned watches, mostly Omegas, including a Jaeger-LeCoultre Shark Deep Sea Chronograph and several Speedmasters; bidding is open online ahead of live sessions on July 15. Notably, Aldrin’s moon-landing Speedmaster won’t be sold since it belongs to the U.S. government, but other Aldrin pieces—plus a box of commemorative watches—illustrate his lifelong passion for exploration, diving, and collecting. The sale reflects ongoing interest in neo-vintage and heritage watches, though the author doubts it will break records, given shifting collector tastes toward different watch categories.
Gus, one of the most complete T. rex fossils ever found in South Dakota, goes to Sotheby’s with a $30 million pre-sale value and a $19 million starting bid, potentially becoming the most expensive dinosaur ever sold. The auction reignites a debate over whether scientifically important fossils should stay in museums or be privately owned, since private specimens are harder for researchers to access and many journals won’t publish work on them. Excavation and recovery spanned years, and while collectors help fund finds, scientists stress public accessibility and rigorous study as essential for understanding dinosaur biology and our past.
Gus, a 63%-complete 38-foot Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton unearthed on a South Dakota ranch, goes to Sotheby’s in New York for auction on July 14 with a $19 million starting bid and an estimated value of $20–$30 million, potentially the highest private dinosaur- fossil price yet. Reconstructed from 183 bones after years of work by Theropoda Expeditions, the fossil’s sale sparks debate over private ownership of priceless relics, even as Sotheby’s says these auctions can help fund paleontology and recover fossils that might otherwise be lost.
A South Dakota rancher’s gut feeling led paleontologists to a 67-million-year-old T. rex skeleton unearthed on his land; now nicknamed Gus, the 38-foot fossil is headed to Sotheby’s with estimates up to $30 million, potentially delivering a multi-million windfall to the landowner’s widow under private-land fossil ownership laws.
Sotheby’s will auction a 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed Gus for a pre-auction estimate of $20–$30 million, the highest ever for a dinosaur fossil. Discovered in 2021 on a South Dakota cattle ranch by Theropoda Expeditions, the nearly complete skeleton goes on sale July 14, highlighting Sotheby’s ongoing bet on fossil sales as a luxury market. Past high-profile dinosaur auctions include Griffin’s Stegosaurus Apex (sold for $44.6 million) and other T. rexes such as Sue and Stan; bidders are typically private collectors who often loan acquisitions to museums.
Christie's and Sotheby's ended 2025 with increased sales, driven by luxury goods, trophy lots, and private deals, with Sotheby’s leading in total revenue and record-breaking sales, reflecting renewed market confidence and growth in private and luxury sales.
A diamond brooch once owned by Napoleon, lost during his retreat from Waterloo, sold for over $4.4 million at Sotheby's in Geneva, vastly exceeding estimates, with the buyer being a private collector. The sale highlights renewed interest in Napoleonic jewels, especially following recent museum heists.
Sotheby's is auctioning Maurizio Cattelan's famous 18-karat gold toilet, 'America', in November, with a starting bid around $10 million based on gold weight, highlighting its commentary on art and commodity value, and continuing its provocative legacy after theft and exhibitions worldwide.
Eddie Van Halen's 1982 Kramer electric guitar, used during his tours and gifted to his friend Rudy Leiren, is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's with an estimated value of $2-3 million, marking a significant event during Sotheby's Grails Week and the first public display in over 40 years.
A former Miami Heat employee and retired Miami police officer, Marcos Thomas Perez, is accused of stealing and selling team memorabilia worth millions, including a LeBron James jersey that sold for $3.7 million at Sotheby's. Perez allegedly accessed secure areas to steal hundreds of items, which he sold across state lines over three years, leading to a federal investigation and his arrest.