T-Rex fossil sets auction record with $50.1M price tag

One of the largest fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found sold for a record $50.1 million, including fees, at Sotheby’s in New York on Tuesday.

Nicknamed “Gus” after the owner of the land where it was found in the Hell Creek Formation in Harding County, South Dakota, the fossil measures approximately 38 feet (11.5 meters) in body length, has a 54 inch (137 centimeter) skull and a 50.39 inch (128 centimeter) femur, and stands 12 1/2 feet (3.8 meters) tall, according to Sotheby’s auction lot description.

Gus has 183 fossil bone elements and is approximately 61% complete by bone count, with the bones representing 75-80% of the animal’s bone mass, making it one of the most complete T. rex skeletons ever found.

Excavated between 2021-2023, the fossil is believed to be 67 million years old.

The skeleton sold well above its pre-sale estimate of $20 to $30 million, breaking the previous record held by a stegosaurus called Apex, which sold for $44.6 million at Sotheby’s in 2024.