The rarest Pokémon card, known as the Pikachu Illustrator card, has been sold for 16.5 million dollars, making it the highest selling collectible card ever at auction. The sale, which was reported by various outlets including CNN, occurred during a 42-day auction. This particular card is believed to be one of only 39 still in existence and is in pristine condition, significantly raising its value in the collectibles market.

Logan Paul, the American YouTuber and professional wrestler, initially purchased the card in 2022 for four million dollars, which was a strategic publicity move as it involved a trade with a lesser-quality version of the same card. This transaction established the card's worth at approximately 5.25 million dollars, however, the recent sale has exponentially raised the value perception of rare Pokémon cards in general, though most do not reach such extreme heights.

The card was originally created for a Pokémon illustration competition in the late 1990s, and its uniqueness and historical value contribute heavily to its incredible selling price. While Paul's high-profile acquisition drew attention to the Pokémon card market, it is important to note that such extraordinary sales are outliers, as the majority of collectible cards typically transact for hundreds of thousands of euros, not millions.