What is the most expensive item ever sold?

The most expensive item ever sold is Leonardo da Vinci's painting 'Salvator Mundi,' which fetched $450.3 million at auction in 2017.

What categories do the most expensive items fall into?

The highest-priced items span art, vintage cars, real estate, yachts, and rare collectibles such as gemstones or meteorites.

How are the values of these expensive items determined?

Value is driven by rarity, historical significance, provenance, and competitive bidding among wealthy collectors or investors.

Is there a single widely accepted list of the most expensive things ever sold?

No, rankings vary by source and criteria, but common top items include the 'Salvator Mundi' painting, Antilia mansion ($1 billion), and the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO ($48.4 million).

What is the most expensive car ever sold?

The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO holds the record for the most expensive car sold at auction, reaching $48.4 million in 2018.

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Top 10 Most Expensive Things Ever Sold

A $4.8 billion gold-plated yacht. A $450 million painting. A pink diamond the size of a plum. These are the ten most expensive things ever sold on Earth. Scroll through the list, then click the blue Vote button under each item to rank the one you think is truly priceless. Be the 1st to vote on the Oppenheimer Blue Diamond — it has no image yet, and your pick will decide the order.

2026195 viewsMar 15, 2026 Updated Sep 7, 2026

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#1
Salvator Mundi — $450.3 million (2017)
The Salvator Mundi holds the record for the most expensive painting ever sold, achieving $450.3 million at Christie's New York in November 2017. Attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, this Renaissance depiction of Christ sold to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose identity was later revealed. The price is more than six times the $71.2 million paid for, The Pink Star Diamond, and its secret location has fueled intrigue. The 26-inch-tall oil on walnut panel dates to around 1500, and its dramatic rediscovery in 2005 after being considered a copy adds to its allure.
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#2
History Supreme Yacht — $4.8 billion
The History Supreme Yacht is the most valuable private object ever built, reportedly worth $4.8 billion. Designed by Stuart Hughes for tycoon Robert Kuok, this 100-foot superyacht is clad in 100,000 kg of solid gold and platinum, with a T-Rex bone statue and meteorite on deck. Construction took three years, and the hull features armor-grade materials.
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#3
Antilia — $2 billion Residence (Mumbai)
Antilia, Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai residence, is the world's most expensive home at $2 billion. This 27-floor, 400,000 sq ft tower requires a staff of 600, with six parking levels, three helipads, and a ballroom designed to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake. Its price is 28 times more than the $71.2 million spent on, The Pink Star Diamond. Designed by Perkins & Will, the structure uses 12,000 tons of steel and energy-efficient systems. The cost per square foot of $5,000 is 10 times higher than Mumbai's average luxury apartment.
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#4
The Pink Star Diamond — $71.2 million (2017)
The Pink Star Diamond set the auction record for any gemstone at $71.2 million when sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2017. This 59.60-carat internally flawless pink diamond, mined in South Africa in 1999, required two years of cutting and polishing to achieve its cushion-cut brilliance. It is one of the rarest Type IIa diamonds, making up less than 2% of all natural diamonds.
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#5
Honus Wagner T206 Baseball Card — $7.25 million (2022)
The Honus Wagner T206 Baseball Card commands the highest price ever paid for a sports card at $7.25 million in a 2022 private sale. Issued between 1909 and 1911, its extreme rarity—fewer than 200 copies exist—stems from Wagner himself demanding American Tobacco cease production due to objections over marketing to children. The card's backstory and scarcity make it a legendary artifact of baseball history.
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#6
Action Comics #1 — $3.25 million (2021)
Action Comics #1, featuring Superman's debut in 1938, set a record at $3.25 million in a 2021 Heritage Auctions sale—the most ever for a comic book. Only about 100 copies survive from the original print run, and this CGC 8.5-graded example is the finest regularly traded Superman #1, towering above a typical high-grade comic. Its price is less than half the $7.25 million of the Honus Wagner card at #5, yet it remains a cornerstone of pop culture and comic collecting.
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#7
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester — $30.8 million (1994)
Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Leicester achieved $30.8 million at Christie's in 1994, the highest auction price ever for a manuscript. This 72-page scientific notebook, purchased by Bill Gates, includes Leonardo's insights on water, astronomy, and geology.
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#8
1963 Ferrari 250 GTO — $70 million (private, 2018)
The 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO secured $70 million in a 2018 private sale, making it the most valuable car ever sold. Only 36 examples were built from 1962–64, and chassis #3413GT combines racing pedigree with iconic styling that is 40% more expensive than the runner-up 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Its price exceeds the Honus Wagner card at #5 by nearly ten times, cementing its apex in automotive collecting history.
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#9
The Scream (pastel) — $119.9 million (2012)
Edvard Munch's 1895 pastel of The Scream commands $119.9 million at Sotheby's New York, making it the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction at that time. This price surpasses the $82.5 million paid for Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet in 1990, underscoring the exceptional demand for Munch's work. The pastel carries a handwritten note from Munch describing the "infinite scream passing through nature" that inspired it, adding profound historical value to its monetary worth.
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#10
The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond — $57.5 million (2016)
The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond sold for $57.5 million in 2016 at Christie's Geneva, achieving a record $3.93 million per carat for a gemstone at auction. Fancy vivid blue diamonds of this size and intensity are extraordinarily rare, with only a handful of comparable stones ever discovered.
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Most Expensive Things Ever Sold

### What is the most expensive thing ever sold? The most valuable single object reported on this list is the History Supreme Yacht at $4.8 billion. The most expensive single sale at public auction is Salvator Mundi at $450.3 million (2017).

### What was the most expensive painting ever sold? Leonardo da Vinci's *Salvator Mundi* sold for $450.3 million at Christie's New York in November 2017, the highest price ever paid for any painting at auction.

### Which diamond holds the auction record? The Pink Star Diamond sold for $71.2 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2017, the auction record for any gemstone.

### What is the most expensive private home in the world? Antilia, the Mumbai residence associated with Mukesh Ambani, is reported at roughly $2 billion, making it the most expensive private residence on this list.

### Why is Action Comics #1 so valuable? Action Comics #1 (1938) introduced Superman and is widely regarded as the birth of the superhero genre, which is why a copy sold for $3.25 million in 2021.

### Are these prices adjusted for inflation? The figures shown are nominal sale prices in U.S. dollars at the time of sale and are not adjusted for inflation.