, Columnist
$45 Million Stegosaurus Upends the Dinosaur Hierarchy
Billionaire’s gargantuan bid will tempt others to hunt for fossils.
The 150-million-year-old fossil of stegosaurus specimen dubbed "Apex."
Photographer: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
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What’s the point of a $42 billion fortune if you can’t occasionally drop a fraction of it on an awe-inspiring dinosaur fossil?
On Wednesday, a stegosaurus nicknamed “Apex” sold at Sotheby’s for almost $45 million, around nine times the auction house’s presale estimate. It’s the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction. The identity of the deep-pocketed mystery buyer soon emerged: Ken Griffin, the chief executive officer and founder of hedge fund Citadel. “Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America!" he said.