Frenzied Bidding for "Jody": Dinosaur Skeleton Sells for Eye-Popping Sum (2 Photos)

Bidders in New York spent an intense twelve minutes dueling over the roughly 67-million-year-old fossilized skeleton of a Nanotyrannus known as "Jody."





The specimen was hammered down at Sotheby's for $47.3 million. According to the German newspaper Bild, the seller was German entrepreneur and film producer Christian Angermayer.

Ahead of the sale, the auction house had expected to fetch just $6 million to $9 million. However, a fierce bidding war erupted as six prospective buyers aggressively drove the price upward over a twelve-minute battle.

"Two telephone bidders pushed the tally past $40 million—more than four times the high estimate," noted art and collectibles market expert Magnus Resch.

The final price reached $47.3 million. The auction house has not disclosed the identity of the buyer.

"This makes it the second most expensive dinosaur ever sold at auction anywhere in the world. Paying $47 million for a dinosaur shows just how dramatically the market for ultra-exclusive collectibles is evolving. For billionaires, it's no longer just about art; it's about owning something no one else on Earth can have," Resch said.

He pointed out that while a masterpiece by a famous painter could theoretically be replaced by another piece from the same artist, a 67-million-year-old skeleton—with only a handful of specimens known to exist worldwide—is virtually irreplaceable.



What We Know About "Jody" the Dinosaur

"Jody" belonged to the rare genus Nanotyrannus, which was long classified by paleontologists as a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. It is one of only three known skeletons of the species recognized by science.

The landmark sale places "Jody" as the second most expensive dinosaur ever to cross the auction block. The title for the priciest dinosaur fossil to date belongs to "Gus"—a roughly 67-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus that fetched $50.13 million at Sotheby's New York this past July.