T. rex fossil Gus auctioned for up to $30 million

A remarkably complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, nicknamed Gus, is set to be auctioned in New York on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, with an estimated sale price of up to $30 million, a transaction that has reignited a fierce debate over the private ownership of scientifically significant natural history specimens. The skeleton, discovered in 2021 on a cattle ranch in Harding County, South Dakota, measures 38 feet long and stands over 12 feet tall. Composed of 183 fossilized bones, it is considered one of the largest and most complete T. rex specimens ever found, with its skull alone being 82 percent complete.

The fossil exhibits evidence of a violent life, including healed fractures and bite marks on its skull, possibly inflicted by another tyrannosaur. It was discovered by the late rancher Gary "Gus" Licking, who noticed fragments on his land for years. The commercial excavation firm Theropoda Expeditions spent three years extracting the skeleton and another two to three years cleaning, documenting, and mounting it in a predatory pose. The fossil is being sold by Licking's widow, Dana, and the excavation team, with a starting bid set at $19 million.