$5.3 million for a Pokémon card? Why Youtuber Logan Paul says it’s worth every penny

When American YouTuber Logan Paul revealed he had spent more than $5 million on a single Pokémon card, many people struggled to understand how a childhood collectible causting mere dollars could carry such a staggering price tag.

For Paul the purchase is a mix of nostalgia, status and a smart long-term investment.The card in question is the Pikachu Illustrator, also regarded as the rarest Pokémon card ever made. It was originally awarded in 1998 to winners of an illustration contest run by a Japanese children’s magazine. Only a small number were ever produced, and even fewer have survived in good condition. Pikachu is a fan favourite Pokémon and is owned by the main protagonist Ash Ketchum in the show.Paul bought a version graded PSA 10, the highest possible quality rating. It is the only Pikachu Illustrator card to have received that grade, making it effectively one of a kind. That level of rarity is a major reason behind its extraordinary value.In recent interviews, Paul has described Pokémon cards as a serious asset class rather than a novelty. He has claimed that the Pokémon market has outperformed traditional investments like stocks over the past two decades, driven by nostalgia, limited supply and growing demand from wealthy collectors and Pokémon afficianados.

Rather than keeping the card locked away, Paul has turned it into a symbol of his brand. He has been seen wearing it around his neck in a custom-made pendant, treating it as both a trophy and a conversation starter. Paul has now announced plans to send the card to auction in February 2026, saying he wants to see how much it has appreciated since he bought it. He made the announcement in a recent Fox News interbiew and reignited debate about whether the Pokémon boom is sustainable or a bubble waiting to burst in the future.

Why does the Pikachu Illustrator card costs over $5 million?

The Pikachu Illustrator card was never meant to be sold, traded or treated like a financial asset. It began as a prize in a small art competition held in Japan in 1998 by CoroCoro Comic, a popular children’s magazine. Young readers were invited to submit their own Pokémon drawings, with the best entries earning special rewards.Winners of the contest did not receive booster packs or standard promotional cards. Instead, they were given a unique card created specifically for the competition.

The card featured Pikachu holding art tools and included the title “Illustrator”, making it the only Pokémon card to officially identify its owner as an illustrator rather than a trainer.What made the card even more unusual was how it was distributed. It was handed out directly to winners at award ceremonies or sent by post, rather than released through shops or events. No public sales were involved, and no exact production number was ever announced, adding to the mystery surrounding how many even exist.At the time, few people treated the card as something valuable and brushed of its importance. Most recipients were children, and some cards were damaged, lost or simply forgotten over the years as old, worn-out toys. As Pokémon grew into a global phenomenon, collectors began to realise how rare the Illustrator card was compared with standard releases.Its limited origins, lack of commercial intent and connection to Pokémon’s early creative history turned it into a holy grail for collectors, decades after it quietly began as a prize for a child’s drawing.