Dino-mite Deal: Largest Stegosaurus Skeleton Sold For $44.6 Million. Meet The Buyer

Billionaire investor Ken Griffin has once again made headlines by purchasing the most expensive fossil ever auctioned. Griffin bought a late-Jurassic stegosaurus skeleton, named "Apex," for an impressive $44.6 million (around ₹3,656,308,000) at Sotheby’s, setting a new auction record for fossils.

The towering skeleton stands 11 feet tall and measures 27 feet from head to tail. Unearthed in May 2022 near Dinosaur, Colorado, Apex is the largest and one of the most complete stegosaurus skeletons ever discovered, with nearly 80% of its bones intact.

Griffin, the founder of Citadel hedge fund with a net worth of $38.3 billion, outbid six other competitors to win the skeleton. He plans to loan Apex to various institutions for public display, prioritizing locations within the United States. "Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America," Griffin stated in a press release after the auction.

Griffin's passion for fossils is well-documented. In 2018, he donated $16.5 million to Chicago’s Field Museum to support a touchable display of the largest dinosaur ever found. His interests extend beyond fossils; he is recognized as one of the top 200 art collectors globally, with a collection valued at $1 billion.

His acquisition of rare and historically significant items is extensive. In November 2021, he purchased one of the 13 known first-edition copies of the U.S. Constitution for $43.2 million, fulfilling a request from his son and ensuring its preservation for public viewing in the United States.

In addition, Griffin's philanthropic activities include winning two seats on a Blue Origin spaceflight in May 2022, which he donated to two New York City public school teachers.

With his latest acquisition, Griffin continues to demonstrate his dedication to preserving unique artefacts and making them accessible to the public.