Stegosaurus Skeleton, Nicknamed 'Apex', Sold For Record $44.6m at US Auction

New York: A large dinosaur fossil was sold for $44.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for any kind of fossil.

The plant-eating stegosaurus, nicknamed Apex, stands 11 feet (3.4 meters) tall and measures 27 feet (8.2 meters) from nose to tail. Sotheby’s described it as “one of the most complete skeletons ever found.”

“You’re in the room when a new auction record is set for the most valuable fossil ever sold. The stegosaurus known as ‘Apex’ made history today, selling for $44.6 million at Sotheby’s New York after a riveting bidding battle during the Natural History sale,” Sotheby’s wrote on social media platform Instagram.

“For more than 15 minutes, seven bidders pushed ‘Apex’ to sell at more than 11 times its low estimate. The fossil follows a long tradition of unique and important dinosaurs offered at Sotheby’s, surpassing ‘Sue,’ the first-ever dinosaur to be sold at auction, which achieved $8.2 million in 1997,” the post added further. 

Seven buyers participated in the bidding process for the largest stegosaurus fossil ever found.

It was sold to an anonymous buyer, who commented, “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America,” hinting that it might be loaned to a U.S. institution.