Man Who Bought Record-Breaking Pokémon Card From Logan Paul for Over $16 Million Identified as Son of Former Donald Trump Official

The buyer who paid a record $16.49 million for a trading card once owned by Logan Paul has been identified.

He is AJ Scaramucci, the son of Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital and former White House Communications Director.

Paul purchased the rare Pokémon card — a Pikachu Illustrator — for a then-record $5.275 million in 2021. The sale earned a Guinness World Records distinction at the time, and he famously wore the card to WrestleMania on a custom diamond chain.

The card has since changed hands, with Scaramucci paying more than three times what the WWE star originally spent.

The latest sale drew criticism toward Paul because of the price at which he initially listed the card.

Scaramucci now holds the title for owning the world’s most expensive trading card. His purchase surpassed the previous record holder — a Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant Dual Logoman 1/1 — by more than $3 million. That basketball card sold for $13 million last August.

AJ Scaramucci Eyes More Historic Acquisitions

The new Pikachu Illustrator owner says he is pursuing some of the rarest artifacts in existence, including a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil and the Declaration of Independence.

“I’m on a planetary treasure hunt right now,” he said, according to collectibles reporter Ben Burrows. “I’m on a quest to buy a T-Rex dinosaur fossil — that’s on my list. I’m going to buy the Declaration of Independence. And I’m not stopping there. This was only the beginning.”

The Pikachu Illustrator card dates back to 1998 and remains extraordinarily rare. Only 39 copies were released, and it is the only one graded PSA 10 — meaning it remains in mint condition, with sharp corners, original gloss and no visible defects.

After acquiring the card, Paul raised $8 million to launch Liquid Marketplace, a platform designed to tokenize physical and digital collectibles. He later listed the Illustrator card for sale on the platform.

In 2024, Canada’s Ontario Securities Commission charged Paul and Liquid Marketplace with multiple securities law violations.