A 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex known as Gus has made history after selling for a record-breaking price at auction.
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The towering fossil, which stands more than 12 feet tall, sold for an astonishing $50.1 million during a Sotheby's auction in New York on Tuesday.
The sale set a new world record for the most ever paid for a dinosaur, surpassing the previous benchmark set by a Stegosaurus skeleton in 2024.
That specimen sold for $44.6 million, making Gus the first dinosaur fossil to eclipse the $50 million mark.
Dinosaur Auction Sets New World Record
Sotheby's has not revealed the identity of the winning bidder.
The Tyrannosaurus rex was discovered in 2021 on a remote ranch in South Dakota.
According to Sotheby's, more than 60 percent of the dinosaur's bones were recovered. This makes Gus one of "the most complete" T. rex specimens ever found.
"It's really incredible to see and to have the level of public interest," said Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's worldwide head of science and natural history.
"I think anytime you've got this, it is good for science. In general, more people are going to go to the museums, it adds dinosaurs and natural history into the conversation."
Fossil Took Years to Unearth and Reconstruct
Hatton said the record-breaking price reflects the immense amount of time, expertise, and resources required to excavate and restore the fossil.
Specialists uncovered the remains over three summer excavation seasons between 2021 and 2023, working only when the frozen ground had thawed enough to dig.
Researchers then spent another three years in the laboratory reconstructing the skeleton.
Their work revealed healed rib fractures and bite marks on the skull. This suggests that the dinosaur survived serious injuries during its lifetime.
Experts believe the wounds may have occurred during scavenging or battles with other dinosaurs.
The previous auction record holder, the Stegosaurus skeleton sold in 2024, was purchased by billionaire Kenneth Griffin.
He later loaned the fossil to the American Museum of Natural History for four years.
The identity of Gus' new owner remains unknown, and it is unclear where the record-breaking fossil will ultimately be displayed.
