Logan Paul Reveals All About The Priciest Pokemon Card Ever

Logan Paul basks in controversy almost as much as he basks in his wealth. The YouTuber definitely has a shady side, but that hasn't stopped him from enthusiastically sharing his passions with the world. He began a boxing career that was over almost as soon as it began, an odd collectible business that raised eyebrows, and a "Pokemon" card collection that any trainer would be envious of. Paul even wore his prized Charizard card as a piece of jewelry during the biggest fight of his boxing career. In fact, Paul's massive "Pokemon" collection is one of his biggest sources of pride. The content creator and athlete has even gone so far as to say he's "obsessed" with the 1990s classic. 

Now, Logan Paul has revealed a new gem in his "Pokemon" gallery, a card so rare that many people have never even heard of it. The story of how Paul obtained this pricy treasure – from finding it to installing it in his collection – is quite a wild ride, but the YouTuber was kind enough to share it with fans in a recent video. The video, aptly titled "I Bought the World's Most Expensive Pokemon Card ($5,300,000)," follows Paul throughout his journey to track down and purchase a rare Pikachu Illustrator card in mint edition. The story of the sale – and the card itself – is a wild time.

The card in question might be unfamiliar to casual "Pokemon" collectors, but Paul spent years tracking down a quality-condition Pikachu Illustrator card. Paul once showed off the Charizard card while boxing, describing it at the time as the most expensive card in his collection. In fact, the Charizard card was the most expensive "Pokemon" card in the entire hobby for ages. However, when Paul discovered that another card exceeded his Charizard in rarity, he knew he had to pursue it. Originally, the Pokemon Illustrator card was awarded to 39 finalists in a drawing contest hosted by a magazine. The card featured an original illustration from Pikachu's creator, and today only 20 of the remaining cards have been officially rated. Of those 20? Only 1 was in mint condition.

The perfect card was allegedly owned by a wealthy family, who wanted $4 million for the card. However, after thinking about the sale – and perhaps how easily Paul agreed to it – the seller wanted to raise the price considerably. Months later, Paul still wanted the card, which was now on sale for $6 million – or approximately $4 million if Paul could also supply him with a grade 9 Pikachu Illustrator card.

Perhaps the most interesting part of Paul's journey was his trip to Dubai to actually purchase the card. Paul met with a representative for his secretive seller, and together they rifled through over $15 million worth of "Pokemon" cards.

When opening his very own Pikachu Illustrator card, Logan Paul was almost in tears. From the custom Maverick case that housed the card to the lovingly sealed card itself, Paul couldn't believe that he finally owned the most expensive "Pokemon" card in the world. Clever editing in Paul's video synced up peaceful classical music with a montage of Paul looking at the card and thinking of his big wrestling match where he wore the newly acquired Pikachu card. It's clear from Paul's expression that he feels a lot of affection for his "Pokemon" collection, but the end of his video demonstrates that Paul isn't losing sight of a business opportunity.

The final minute of Paul's video is a pitch for his collectible business, Liquid Marketplace. Essentially, Liquid Marketplace allows collectors to co-own rare and expensive items, with each owner receiving digital tokens as proof of their purchase. From there, it's unclear what the owners are supposed to do with their item, or their share of the item, but Paul's model allows people with less purchasing power to own a piece of pop culture history.

Paul hasn't always had the best luck with his collectibles. He once confirmed what everyone suspected when he found out that several cards in his $3.5 million collection were fake. As for Paul's rare Pikachu Illustrator card, it will stay locked away in a Liquid Marketplace box, with Paul owning 49% of the card. He said that if he wants to take the card out in public – for good luck charms in fights or to even put in a museum exhibit – the community of owners will have to vote on that when the time comes.