Record-Breaking $44.6 Million Sale of Complete Stegosaurus Fossil 'Apex'

Dinosaur, Colorado, Colorado United States of America
Apex's sale follows high-profile dinosaur fossil sales such as 'Stan' (Tyrannosaurus rex, $31.8 million) and 'Sue' (T. rex, $8.4 million).
A record-breaking $44.6 million sale of a complete Stegosaurus fossil named 'Apex' occurred on July 18, 2024 at Sotheby's auction.
Discovered in Moffat County, Colorado by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022, Apex measures 11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long with approximately 75% of its bones present.
Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin purchased Apex and plans to loan it for display in a U.S. institution.
Some paleontologists argue fossils like Apex should be kept in museums or research centers instead of being sold to private bidders.
The large adult specimen showed no signs of combat-related injuries or postmortem scavenging, indicating it lived to an advanced age. Evidence suggests arthritis was present.
Record-Breaking $44.6 Million Sale of Complete Stegosaurus Fossil 'Apex'

A record-breaking Stegosaurus fossil, named 'Apex', was sold for $44.6 million at an auction held by Sotheby's on July 18, 2024. The sale price surpassed the pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $6 million and set a new record for dinosaur fossils.

Discovered in Moffat County, Colorado, near Dinosaur town by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in 2022, Apex is one of the most complete Stegosaurus skeletons ever found. It measures 11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long from nose to tail and has approximately 75% of its bones present.

The large, robust adult specimen showed no signs of combat-related injuries or postmortem scavenging, indicating that it lived to an advanced age. There is also evidence suggesting that Apex had arthritis.

Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin was the successful bidder for Apex and plans to explore loaning the specimen to a U.S. institution for display.

Apex's sale follows in the footsteps of other high-profile dinosaur fossil sales, such as 'Stan', a Tyrannosaurus rex sold for $31.8 million in 2020 and 'Sue', a T. rex sold for $8.4 million in 1997.

Despite the excitement surrounding Apex's sale, some paleontologists argue that fossils like this should be kept in museums or research centers instead of being sold to private bidders.

Sotheby's auction house handled the sale and reported that there were seven bidders during the live auction. The buyer, who chose to remain anonymous, said: 'Apex was born in America and is going to stay in America.'


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Confidence

95%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if there are any plans to study Apex further before it goes on display.
  • The article does not provide information on how the fossil was extracted from the ground or any potential ethical concerns regarding commercial paleontology.

Sources

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Stegosaurus skeleton sets auction record, selling for $44.6 million

CNN News Site: In-Depth Reporting and Analysis with Some Financial Conflicts and Sensational Language Catherine Nicholls Thursday, 18 July 2024 11:15
  • Unique Points
    • A Stegosaurus skeleton was sold for $44.6 million at an auction in New York.
    • 'Apex' is approximately 319 total elements and measures 11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long from nose to tail.
    • There is evidence that Apex might have had arthritis, suggesting it lived to an advanced age.
    • Sotheby's handled the sale of Apex, which surpassed its pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $6 million.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Billionaire Ken Griffin paid $45 million for a dinosaur fossil, shattering auction records

Fortune Media Inc. The Associated Wednesday, 17 July 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • A stegosaurus fossil, dubbed 'Apex', was sold for $44.6 million at an auction held by Sotheby’s.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Here's who bought the record-setting "Apex" Stegosaurus for $45 million

CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Megan Cerullo Thursday, 18 July 2024 19:54
  • Unique Points
    • Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin purchased the record-setting ‘Apex’ Stegosaurus skeleton at a Sotheby’s auction for almost $45 million.
    • Griffin intends to keep ‘Apex’ stateside after the government of Abu Dhabi purchased ‘Stan’, a male Tyrannosaurus rex, and moved it to a new natural history museum there.
    • Sotheby’s kept the buyer’s identity under wraps but revealed that ‘Apex’ was chased by seven bidders during the live auction.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority when it quotes Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby's Global Head of Science & Popular Culture, stating 'Apex lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.' This statement is not a logical fallacy in and of itself but becomes one when taken out of context and used as evidence for the value or significance of the fossil. However, since this is not a central argument in the article, it does not significantly impact the overall score.
    • 'Apex lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.', Cassandra Hatton
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Largest, most intact stegosaurus fossil ever found sells for $44.6m

theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Nadeem Badshah Wednesday, 17 July 2024 22:29
  • Unique Points
    • Largest and most complete stegosaurus fossil ever discovered sold for $44.6m at Sotheby's in New York.
    • Fossil, nicknamed 'Apex', exceeded its pre-sale low estimate by more than 11 times.
    • Discovered on privately owned land in Moffat County, Colorado, near Dinosaur town.
    • Specimen ranked high among most complete skeletons ever found with approximately 75% of bones present.
    • Large, robust adult specimen showed no signs of combat-related injuries or postmortem scavenging.
    • Apex lived up to its name, inspiring bidders globally and becoming the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.
  • Accuracy
    • The fossil, nicknamed 'Apex', was discovered by commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper in Colorado in 2022.
    • Sotheby's handled the sale of Apex, which surpassed its pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $6 million.
    • Apex is the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction, surpassing the previous record held by 'Sue', a Tyrannosaurus rex, which was sold for $8.4 million in 1997.
    • Another Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, named 'Stan', was sold for $31.8 million in 2020.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The author, Nadeem Badshah, presents factual information without any clear logical fallacies. However, there are a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. The use of phrases like 'most valuable fossil sold at auction' and 'inspiring bidders globally' contribute to an inflated sense of importance for the event.
    • . . . it became the most valuable fossil sold at auction.
    • The dinosaur remains, nicknamed ‘Apex’, exceeded its pre-sale low estimate by more than 11 times.
    • Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s global head of science and popular culture, said: 'Apex lived up to its name today, inspiring bidders globally to become the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.'
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Largest ever stegosaurus skeleton sold to billionaire Ken Griffin for $44.6M

New York Post Caitlin McCormack Thursday, 18 July 2024 18:10
  • Unique Points
    • Billionaire Ken Griffin purchased a late-Jurassic stegosaurus skeleton, named 'Apex', for $44.6 million at Sotheby's auction.
    • 'Apex' is the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction and was found near Dinosaur, Colorado.
    • The stegosaurus skeleton stretches 27 feet from top to tail and is one of the most complete with nearly 80% of its bones recovered.
    • Griffin plans on loaning the skeleton to institutions for display but will prioritize keeping it in the United States.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes several statements in the article that are not fallacious, but there are a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric and an appeal to authority. The author uses the phrase 'dino-mite deal' to describe the sale of the stegosaurus skeleton, which is an example of inflammatory rhetoric intended to elicit an emotional response from the reader. Additionally, when describing Ken Griffin as a 'billionaire investor,' 'founder of Citadel hedge fund,' and 'one of the top 200 art collectors in the world with a collection valued at $1 billion,' the author is appealing to his authority and wealth to establish credibility. However, these fallacies do not significantly detract from the overall quality of the article.
    • ][author] uses the phrase 'dino-mite deal' to describe the sale of the stegosaurus skeleton[[
    • ]]The author describes Ken Griffin as a 'billionaire investor,' 'founder of Citadel hedge fund,' and 'one of the top 200 art collectors in the world with a collection valued at $1 billion[[
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication