A 67 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, affectionately named Gus, was sold for £37.4 million ($50.1 million) at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Tuesday, July 14th, 2026. This sale marks the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur specimen.

Standing over 12 feet (4 meters) tall, the fossil includes more than 60% of its bones, making it one of the most complete T. rex specimens ever discovered, according to Sotheby's. Gus was found in 2021 on a remote ranch in the US State of South Dakota. The bones were excavated over three summers from 2021 to 2023, when the ground was thawed enough for excavation.

Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's worldwide head of science and natural history, described the sale as "years in the making," praising the specimen for being "excavated, documented, prepared, and cared for with real excellence."

The sale surpassed the previous record held by a stegosaurus fossil named Apex, sold in 2024, and is the first dinosaur fossil sale to exceed the $50 million mark. The winning bidder has not yet been disclosed. Apex, owned by billionaire Kenneth Griffin, was loaned to the American Natural History Museum for four years.

Both Gus and Apex fossils have contributed significantly to paleontological collections and public exhibitions.

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