Get All Access for $5/mo

Rare T. Rex Skull Discovered in South Dakota Is Expected to Fetch Staggering Amount at Auction A fossilized T. rex sold for $31.85 million in 2020 — breaking records at the time.

By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas

Angela Weiss | Getty Images

An extraordinary standalone Tyrannosaurus rex skull is about to hit the market.

Sotheby's will put the "first of its kind" fossil up for live auction on December 9, according to a release from the New York-based broker, and it's expected to fetch $15-$20 million.

Related: Turns Out There Were Once Billions of T. Rexes, and They Hunted Their Prey in Terrifying Packs

Discovered and excavated in Harding County, South Dakota at a "severely weathered" dig site where most of the rest of the skeleton was destroyed over time, the skull is one of the best and most complete ever found, per Sotheby's.

Fewer than a dozen fossils of comparable status exist in museums, and Maximus, as it's known, is on track to become one of the most valuable fossils ever sold at auction.

In 2020, Christie's auctioned off a fossilized T. rex known as Stan (named for the paleontologist who found him) for $31.85 million — making it the most expensive dinosaur skeleton sold to date, per CNBC.

Related: The Dino Cowboy Who Traded in Herding Cattle for Hunting T. Rex

Sotheby's will provide Maximus's buyer with full documentation certifying the condition, authenticity and legality of ownership at the time of sale.

Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a senior features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Marketing

Many Brands Risk Being Left Behind By Overlooking These Critical Advertising Steps

Learn how to use smart marketing tools and AI to optimize online advertising and maximize ad spend in today's competitive landscape.

Branding

You Don't Need Thousands to Turn Your Business Idea Into Reality — Here's How I Did It on a College-Kid Budget

From creating the packaging designs online by myself to learning how to take professional product photos, I found ways to launch a company on a low budget. Here's how you can do it, too.