Paul confirmed that the card—graded PSA 10 and instantly recognizable for the way he often wears it as a necklace—is expected to go up for auction in early 2026.
The move has already sparked major interest in the collectibles world, given the card’s history and eye-watering price tag.
Back in 2022, Paul paid approximately $5.28 million for the Pikachu Illustrator, a purchase that earned him a Guinness World Records title for the most expensive Pokémon trading card ever sold in a private transaction.
This card was originally acquired by Logan Paul, after months of protracted, high-stakes negotiations, in Dubai, with the transaction instantly verified by Guinness World Records as the “most expensive Pokémon trading card sold at a private sale.” The Pikachu Illustrator became a global phenomenon, a process which was accelerated when Paul wore the grail piece as part of a stunning, diamond-adorned custom necklace (also offered in this once-in-a-lifetime sale) during his WWE debut at WrestleMania 38. Paul received the record certificate backstage at AT&T Stadium after defeating the father-son duo of Rey and Dominik Mysterio with his tag-team partner, The Miz. Years later, this gleaming Pikachu Illustrator made a return to combat sports, this time as a part of Ken Goldin’s ringside ‘fit—which also included one of two 1956 New York Yankees championship watches in the world—at the blockbuster Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Judgement Day bout at Kaseya Center in Miami on Dec. 19, 2025. The card is a centerpiece of season three of the hit Netflix show King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, with Paul donning the nonpareil piece for a box break of 2009-10 Topps Basketball cards at Goldin headquarters in search of the mythical Stephen Curry SuperFractor rookie card with Ken. The back-and-forth negotiations between Ken and Logan for the right to sell the Pikachu Illustrator provided incredible insight into how the hobby’s most important deals are struck. No card in the hobby can boast the same prestige and elite place at the very pinnacle of the Pokémon hobby like this unimaginable Holy Grail piece.
Graded GEM MT 10 by PSA (23000982). Among the 53 examples of this piece recorded in PSA’s census reporting, this is the lone copy to achieve the unsurpassable GEM MT 10 grading tier. Just five Illustrators have been graded by Beckett, with only two achieving the inferior MINT 9 tier and none graded higher, making this unquestionably the finest extant copy of the most elusive, tough-to-acquire card in the Pokémon hobby. The card is presented in a dazzling, opulent custom diamond necklace created by Suny the Jeweler and complete with a sensational Pokéball bail. The pendant ensconcing the PSA holder is crafted in pure Italian solid gold and set with approximately 35 carats of VVS1 clarity natural diamonds, totaling approximately 10,000 stones. Ten pointer diamonds highlight the bezel, again with VVS1 clarity natural stones. The Pokéball bail is handset with roughly 6.5 carats of VVS1 natural diamonds. The holder is attached to a solid 10-karat pure Italian yellow gold Cuban chain weighing approximately 172.5 grams and is set with around 27.5 carats of VVS1, G-color round and baguette diamonds.
The Pokémon craze was in full swing in 1997. With the blockbuster Game Boy games, a prime-time animated series, and now record-setting TCG, Japan was abuzz with excitement about what was in store for Pokémon. In November 1997, a contest was announced in the monthly manga magazine, CoroCoro Comic, to celebrate the first anniversary of the first release. Called “Pokémon Card Game Illust Artist Contest,” the competition challenged readers to draw their own Pokémon card and send it to the magazine.
The following January issue of CoroCoro Comic announced the three winners, who each received 20 Pokémon cards featuring their own illustrations along with one copy of the Pikachu Illustrator card. An additional 20 contestants were presented the “Excellence Award,” which secured them a copy of the now-coveted Illustrator card. This competition format was done again two more times between May and June 1998. Varying awards were given out, and creator Yuichi Konno added two more at auction. The current hobby consensus is that 41 copies of this card were officially awarded and distributed, with this Logan Paul-backed piece the chief among them. The card is accompanied by a custom wooden presentation box bearing Paul’s Maverick logo and a plaque that reads “Pokémon / Pikachu Illustrator / PSA 10 / 1 of 1.” Due to the scarcity, grand value, and pedigree of this Pikachu Illustrator, this is one of the most significant public offerings of a Pokémon card in the history of the hobby and a potentially once-in-a-lifetime sale.
