Sotheby’s is auctioning a Tyrannosaurus: valued at up to $30 million

A giant from the Cretaceous period is set to dominate the international auction market. “Gus”, an extraordinary specimen of Tyrannosaurus Rex dating back some 67 million years, will take centre stage at the upcoming natural history auction organised by Sotheby’s in New York on 14 July. The estimates speak for themselves: the fossil could fetch between 20 and 30 million dollars, the highest figure ever attributed to a dinosaur skeleton. According to Sotheby’s, ‘Gus’ is one of the largest and most complete T-Rexes ever discovered. The skeleton comprises no fewer than 183 fossilised bone elements, including an exceptionally well-preserved skull, almost complete hind limbs and a rare pair of humerus bones.

Overall, the fossil is approximately 63% complete, an extraordinary percentage for a prehistoric predator of this size. The discovery was made in South Dakota, in Harding County, on land belonging to the rancher Gary “Gus” Licking, after whom the dinosaur is named.

For years, the man had been finding bone fragments and teeth scattered across his estate of over 2,600 hectares, suspecting that the subsoil might conceal something extraordinary. His hunch proved correct thanks to the work of the team from Theropoda Expeditions, led by palaeontologist Thomas Heitkamp. The excavations took place between 2021 and 2023 and required three summers of work. The find was subsequently transferred to a laboratory for cleaning, cataloguing and reconstruction. Some bones show healed fractures and bite marks – details that provide valuable insights into the life and struggles of this gigantic predator.

Once assembled, “Gus” measures approximately 11.5 metres in length and over 3.8 metres in height . These dimensions place it alongside the famous T-Rexes “Sue” and “Stan”, among the best-known specimens ever sold at auction. ‘Stan’ itself holds one of the most impressive records: in 2020, it was purchased by Christie’s for 31.8 million dollars.