Dinosaur skeletons are popular among the richest people in the world, according to a Bloomberg report.
In recent years, dinosaur skeletons have become a fashionable asset for billionaires, comparable to Fabergé eggs and sports clubs. They combine glamour and "primitive appeal," the agency notes, explaining that the traditional art market may seem sophisticated and pretentious to wealthy people, but they would be hard-pressed to remain indifferent to a Tyrannosaurus rex.
"It's an incredible creature and the most impressive trophy you can own," says billionaire Dan O'Dowd, who bought a tyrannosaur skeleton named Samson for $600,000 in 2009.
The value of dinosaur remains, like that of a painting or sculpture, depends on several factors - provenance, level of collector interest and authenticity. According to the agency, the excitement in the "dinosaur market" has only intensified in recent years. The last major sale took place on July 14 in New York, when a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed Gus sold at Sotheby's for $50.13 million, a record for such lots. The previous record belonged to a stegosaurus skeleton named Apex, which financier Ken Griffin bought at Sotheby's in 2022 for $44.6 million.