Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, has reportedly purchased the “Apex” Stegosaurus skeleton in a record-setting Sotheby’s auction Wednesday.
The fossil, touted by Sotheby’s as “the finest to ever come to market,” was sold to the billionaire for $44.6 million, someone familiar with the matter told CBS MoneyWatch. This number was reportedly a new record selling price for fossils of dinosaurs.
The original sale price for the skeleton was estimated at $4 million to $6 million by Sotheby’s, according to the organization’s website. Griffin indicated he is seeking to loan the fossil to a public institution so consumers can view the specimen, CBS MoneyWatch reported.
Dinosaur skeleton breaks auction record with $44.6 million sale in New York.
Nicknamed Apex, the stegosaurus is estimated to be 150 million years old and is the largest skeleton of the species ever foundhttps://t.co/yGIVtnoDxT pic.twitter.com/tktYS0zbAC
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) July 18, 2024
“Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America!” Griffin said after concluding the purchase, someone familiar with the matter told CBS MoneyWatch.
This is not the first time the billionaire has been involved in such a purchase. He donated $16.5 million to help the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois acquire a Tyrannosaurus rex, according to a 2017 press release from the museum. (RELATED: Three Boys Stumble Upon Rare Fossil, Museum Steps In)
Sotheby’s told CBS MoneyWatch that seven buyers had been trying to buy the “Apex” Stegosaurus during the auction.
“‘Apex’ lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction,” Sotheby’s Global Head of Science & Popular Culture Cassandra Hatton reportedly said Wednesday in a statement. “I am thrilled that such an important specimen has now taken its place in history, some 150 million years since it roamed the planet. This remarkable result underscores our unwavering commitment to preserving these ancient treasures.”
