The new passion of wealthy collectors is dinosaur skeletons, writes Art News. Experts note that interest in them is growing every year: in 2020, the Tyrannosaurus skeleton "Stan" was sold for over $31 million, and in 2024, the Stegosaurus "Apex" was auctioned for nearly $45 million.
This summer, the auction house Sotheby’s will auction a Tyrannosaurus skeleton named "Gus," which is approximately 67 million years old. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus skeletons ever found by scientists. The lot is estimated to be worth $20–30 million.
Experts in the industry explain the increased attention to dinosaur skeletons by noting that such objects serve as investments, status symbols, and striking art pieces. Opinions on the trend are divided: some paleontologists fear that rare finds will go into private collections, becoming inaccessible for research, while others argue that it is the money from collectors that helps fund excavations.
