Mystery buyer sets record for most spent at dinosaur auction

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The fossilized remains of a dinosaur has fetched a record price at auction.

The almost complete stegosaurus was sold for a huge $44.6 million at auction on Wednesday, Sotheby's said.

The buyer will remain a mystery as they decided to not reveal their name.

The fossil, dubbed “Apex,” is considered to be among the most complete dinosaurs ever found, according to the auction house.

A commercial paleontologist named Jason Cooper discovered the fossil in 2022 on his property near, perhaps unsurprisingly, the town of Dinosaur, Colorado. The tiny community is near Dinosaur National Monument and the Utah border.

The price blew past a pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $6 million and past a prior auction record for dinosaur fossils — $31.8 million for the remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed Stan, sold in 2020.

Apex "has now taken its place in history, some 150 million years since it roamed the planet,” said Cassandra Hatton, who heads Sotheby’s science-related business.

She added: “‘Apex’ lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.

“This sale has been years in the making, and at every turn, we have worked closely with Jason Cooper, from the moment of its discovery in Dinosaur, Colorado, to its sale in New York.

“I am thrilled that such an important specimen has now taken its place in history, 150m years since it roamed the planet. This remarkable result underscores our unwavering commitment to preserving these ancient treasures.”

Dinosaur fossil sales stir some frustration among academic paleontologists who feel the specimens belong in museums or research centers that can't afford huge auction prices.

Sotheby's said the anonymous buyer intends to look into loaning Apex to an institution in the US. The auction house didn't respond to questions about the purchaser, who beat out six other bidders.

The stegosaurus was one of the world's most distinctive dinosaurs, featuring pointy plates on its back. Hatton has called Apex “a coloring book dinosaur,” for its well-preserved features.

Eleven feet (3.3 meters) tall and 27 feet (8.2 meters) nose to tail, Apex was a big stegosaurus that lived long enough to show signs of arthritis, Sotheby's said.