The Buyers Behind The $12.9 Million Dollar Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant Logoman Auto

On Sunday, August 24, the sports card hobby and collectibles community witnessed the sale of the most valuable sports card ever sold. That’s right, a 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant Dual Logoman Autographed Card sold for a jaw-dropping $12.932 million dollars via Heritage Auctions, but the story of this card doesn’t simply end there.

Not only were we lucky enough to witness the hobby’s largest sale of single-card ever, we were also treated to a glimpse of who the buyers were and what their intentions are going forward. In what could potentially be the first move of its kind, three high-profile investor-driven collectors joined forces to make this monumental purchase, and those investors are ultra-high-end buyer Matthew Allen, world-renowned tech investor Kevin O’Leary and Paul Warshaw, who is considered by many to be an expert’s expert throughout the sports collectibles hobby.

Matthew Allen, better known in the hobby by his Instagram handle “Shyne150,” is regarded as one of the world’s top high-end sports card collectors with collection that’s currently valued at more than $70 million. Allen, who is best known for showcasing some his ultra-scarce pieces at the 2024 Fanatics Fest, has turned his fair share of heads with jaw-dropping rarities, while also serving as a market maker for higher-end collectors.

Kevin O’Leary is best-known for being a Canadian-based tech-driven investor and star of NBC’s “Shark Tank”, where his moniker “Mr. Wonderful,” captivates global audiences on a daily basis.

Warshaw, who is a Miami-based investor and a longtime hobby insider was the driving force behind O’Leary’s entrance into the sports card hobby. According to O’Leary, Warshaw introduced him to sports cards three years ago. “At first, I thought it was nuts,” O’Leary told CNBC. “Why would anyone pay a million bucks for cardboard? But the numbers made sense. We stayed up until 3 a.m. on a Zoom call, and by morning, we owned the card".

So what’s next for these three high-end collectibles investors who now hold the record for the highest purchase ever made? A brand-new venture called Secure Collectibles’ which presents an intriguing offering to the hobby.

Secure Collectibles is built on the premise of acquiring culturally significant, investment-grade sports cards and holding them as though they are appreciating assets. According to their website, "accredited investors would have the opportunity to consider positions in high-end collectibles as well as other curated investment portfolios that consist of investment-grade sports cards".