By Howard Weiss | May 27, 2026 | NYC In Focus · Accredited Press
One of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered is heading to the Breuer before a July auction in Manhattan.
New York is about to get a very large visitor with very small arms.
Sotheby’s will offer “Gus,” one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered, during its Natural History auction in Manhattan on Tuesday, July 14. The fossil carries an estimate of $20 million to $30 million — the highest estimate Sotheby’s says it has ever placed on a dinosaur.
Before the sale, “Gus” will be installed at Sotheby’s New York galleries at the Breuer, 945 Madison Avenue, where the public can see the specimen from July 1 through July 14. Admission to the exhibition is free.
What’s Happening
Sotheby’s is bringing a 38-foot-long T. rex specimen to New York as the star lot of its July Natural History auction.
“Gus” is approximately 63 percent complete by bone count, with 183 fossil bone elements representing roughly 75 to 80 percent of the animal’s bone mass. Sotheby’s describes the fossil as the best T. rex specimen currently in private hands.
The specimen stands about 12½ feet tall, has a skull length of 54 inches, and includes an exceptionally preserved skull with approximately 82 percent of the skull bones represented. Sotheby’s says the fossil also includes all six dentitions, rare humeri, a rare furcula, a completely represented pelvis, two well-represented feet, and a substantial axial skeleton.
— Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s Vice Chairman and Worldwide Head, Science & Natural History
The Money Moving
The estimate alone puts “Gus” in rare auction territory: $20 million to $30 million before buyer’s premium and overhead premium.
Sotheby’s fossil sales have already reshaped the market. The auction house began its Natural History sales in 1997 with the sale of “Sue” the T. rex, now housed at the Field Museum in Chicago. In 2024, Sotheby’s sold “Apex” for $45 million, setting a world record for any dinosaur or fossil at auction. “Apex” is now on long-term loan to the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In 2025, Sotheby’s sold a juvenile Ceratosaurus for $30.5 million, which the auction house says was the third-highest price ever achieved for a dinosaur at auction.
The Fossil
“Gus” lived during the Late Cretaceous, in the Maastrichtian age, when warm climates, high sea levels, river systems, and coastal floodplains supported large herbivores and apex predators across what is now western North America.
The fossil was discovered in Harding County, South Dakota, on land owned by the late Gary “Gus” Licking, a cattle rancher with a deep interest in the history of his land. After years of finding teeth and small bone fragments on the ranch, Licking partnered with Thomas Heitkamp and his team at Theropoda Expeditions.
According to Sotheby’s, Licking pointed the team toward a specific area on the 6,500-acre property. “Gus” was found in the area he suggested. Licking died one year into the excavation, before the fossil was fully brought to light. The T. rex was named in his honor.
What the Records Show
The excavation stretched across three field seasons — 2021, 2022, and 2023 — followed by years of lab work. The team extracted fossil elements from rocky matrix, cleaned and prepared them, catalogued each element, and mounted the specimen to scientific standards.
Sotheby’s says “Gus” is a single specimen offered with full rights. That matters because major dinosaur fossils often involve questions around completeness, reconstruction, ownership, and scientific access.
The specimen also shows pathologies on the skull, vertebrae, and appendicular skeleton. Sotheby’s notes healed fractures in several ribs and gastralia, along with bite marks on skull bones and post-cranial elements, possibly from scavenging.
— Thomas Heitkamp, President, Theropoda Expeditions
Public Exhibition
What: “Gus” the T. rex public exhibition
Where: Sotheby’s New York at the Breuer, 945 Madison Avenue, Manhattan
When: July 1–14, 2026
Auction: Natural History sale, Tuesday, July 14, 10 AM
Admission: Free and open to the public, according to Sotheby’s
The exhibition will run alongside highlights from Sotheby’s “Geek Week” sales, including Space Exploration and History of Science & Technology. The Geek Week auction schedule includes Natural History on July 14 at 10 AM, Space Exploration on July 15 at 10 AM, and History of Science & Technology on July 15 at 2 PM.
What This Actually Means
For New Yorkers, this is a rare public chance to stand in the same room as one of the most complete T. rex specimens ever found — not in a museum hall, but inside a Madison Avenue auction house.
For the market, the estimate shows how far the fossil trade has moved into the same cultural territory as blue-chip art, collectible cars, watches, and trophy real estate.
For science, the question is familiar and complicated: extraordinary fossils can inspire the public, but their long-term value depends on access, preservation, documentation, and whether researchers can continue to study them after the hammer falls.
A 67-million-year-old predator is coming to Madison Avenue. In New York, even the dinosaurs get a pre-sale estimate.
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Source note: This story is based on Sotheby’s announcement and press materials for the July 2026 Natural History auction. Photo credit listed by Sotheby’s: Matthew Sherman. Copyright in the supplied images remains vested in Sotheby’s. Images are supplied for one-time use only and may not be altered.