Tyrannosaurus Rex Gus Sold at Auction

A Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus has set a new record at auction, fetching the highest price ever for a dinosaur.

Regarded as one of the most complete T. rex specimens found, its sale at Sotheby’s New York is anticipated to reach between $20 million and $30 million.

The fossil was unearthed by Thomas Heitkamp and his crew on land once owned by Gary “Gus” Licking, a rancher in Harding County, South Dakota, between 2021 and 2023.

Sotheby’s stated, “Notably, Gus is a single specimen being offered with full rights. With an impressive 183 fossil bone elements, it’s about 63% complete in terms of bone count, making it one of the most complete T. rex specimens known.”

Heitkamp shared, “The excavation took three years. There were stretches where we went weeks without any significant finds.” He expressed satisfaction that their perseverance paid off, leading to the discovery of such a well-preserved specimen. “It feels like tackling the world’s hardest puzzle, with all the pieces scattered for 67 million years, but finally coming together. That brings a deep sense of accomplishment.”

Gus will be featured prominently in the Natural History Sale at Sotheby’s in New York on July 14th.

Previously, the highest sale price for a dinosaur at auction was set by a nearly complete stegosaurus named Apex, which sold for $45 million in 2024, claiming the record for any dinosaur or fossil sold at auction.

Sotheby’s has estimated the sale price for Apex at between $4 million and $6 million.