A collector living in Dubai has revealed how he sold the world’s most valuable Pokemon card to YouTube star Logan Paul for almost $5.3 million (Dh19.4m).
In his first ever interview, the collector known only as Dubsy told The National how he bought the card for $60,000 in 2015 before selling it last year.
The sale was acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the most expensive Pokemon trading card sold in a private sale.
The holographic “PSA Grade 10 Pikachu Illustrator” card was sold by Dubsy following a deal at the Burj Al Arab last year.
“I bought the card privately through an auction house back in 2015. I paid $60,000 [Dh220,000] for the card,” said the mysterious Dubsy, who refused to reveal his true identity beyond being a 40-year-old man living in Dubai.
Lavish setting for mega deal
“Logan was looking for the card throughout 2020 when he first got into Pokemon. I wasn't interested in selling the card but he initially came in with an offer of $4m,” Dubsy said.
“I spent the whole day contemplating whether I should sell the card and I couldn’t bring myself to part with it.
“A few months had passed and I was contacted by Logan's middleman again with a new offer and the rest is history.”
Dubsy said he was determined to maintain his anonymity when he met Paul to make the transaction at the Burj Al Arab last July.
He received a cash payment of $4m plus another rare Pokemon card that was worth more than $1.25m.
“Logan travelled to Dubai with his camera crew and friends to film the whole event,” he said.
“The sale was officially done through his lawyer, who wrote up a contract with the details, and the card exchange was done personally when he was in Dubai.”
Dubsy said he had sold many items over the years but this was by far his biggest sale.
“I collect a wide range of historical collectables including vintage comic books, video games and trading cards,” he said.
“I did not know what Logan was planning to do with the card but he is free to do whatever he wants with it.”
The card was put on display by the YouTube star earlier this year when he wore it during an appearance at WWE's showpiece WrestleMania event in April.
This month, it was reported that Paul had signed a multiyear deal with the sports entertainment company, although details of the contract have not been revealed.
Logan's run of success and controversy
Paul has 23.5 million YouTube subscribers as well as 23.2 million followers on Instagram.
The social media personality first came to prominence on the now-defunct social media platform Vine, where he attained a modest following with his short, comedic videos. After Vine was discontinued, Paul turned to YouTube, where his fame swiftly grew.
He secured a number of small roles on television, but his popularity turned to notoriety as he was embroiled in a number of controversies.
One of the most notable occurred when he posted a vlog from Japan's “suicide forest” that showed the body of an apparent suicide victim, causing major backlash, with more than 720,000 people signing a Change.org petition to have his channel deleted — which did not happen.
He is most widely known for his exhibition fight against boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather in June 2021.
Paul announced his plan to sell the card as an NFT, with people invited to invest in the card — with the YouTube star maintaining a 49 per cent stake.
The card was only one of 39 created in 1998 to be given to the winners of a Pokemon illustration contest.
The cards were graded by PSA, an authentication service. Paul's new acquisition is the only one to receive a Grade 10, meaning it is virtually perfect, with “four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss”.
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Last-16 Europa League fixtures
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
