Logan Paul recently called Pokémon a shared global language, and he’s putting his money where his mouth is with one of the rarest cards ever made.[1][2] This YouTuber, wrestler, and entrepreneur bought a PSA Grade 10 Pikachu Illustrator card for $5.3 million back in 2022, making it the most expensive Pokémon card sold at the time and earning him a Guinness World Record.[2][3][4] He even wore it around his neck on a $75,000 chain during WWE matches, calling it the holy grail of trading cards because it’s the only one with a perfect 10/10 grade from PSA, and just a handful of these Illustrator cards exist worldwide.[3][4]
Now, Paul is teaming up with collector Ken Goldin to auction it off in early 2026 through Goldin Auctions, as featured in season 3 of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.[1][2] He thinks it could fetch between $7 million and $12 million, turning a solid profit while proving his point about Pokémon’s lasting appeal.[3] Paul sees Pokémon cards as more than just kid stuff, they are a universal way people connect across the world, from casual fans to big investors.[1]
For young folks feeling priced out of stocks or real estate, Paul pushes collectibles like these as smart alternatives. He claims Pokémon cards have crushed the stock market over the past 20 years, with values up over 3,200% in that time according to market data.[3][4] One index even shows a 3,821% return from 2004 to mid-2025.[4] Millennials are already on board, putting about 20% of their investment money into things like trading cards, way more than older generations.[4] Paul warns to stick to the absolute best items with super low supply, like this one-of-a-kind Pikachu, and not chase every shiny card out there.[2]
This auction could smash records again and show why Pokémon keeps drawing searches on sites like eBay nearly 14,000 times an hour.[3] If you are tracking prices on PokemonPricing.com, keep an eye on early 2026, this sale might reset what top-tier cards are worth.[1][2] Paul is all in on the idea that Pokémon is not fading, it is a language everyone speaks, driving demand and prices higher for rarities like the Pikachu Illustrator.[1][3]
