Pokémon-shaped Cheeto sells for nearly US$90,000

A Cheeto shaped like the Pokémon Charizard sold at Goldin auction house for US$87,840.

There’s a new contender for the world’s most expensive crunchy snack.

A Pokémon-shaped Flamin’ Hot Cheeto nicknamed “Cheetozard” has sold for US$87,840 to an unnamed buyer, the Goldin auction house said on social media.

The 3 inch (7 cm) long Cheeto, shaped like the character Charizard from the Japanese anime franchise, is affixed to a customized Pokémon card and enclosed in a box.

The dragon-shaped spicy snack was discovered and preserved by a sports memorabilia company sometime between 2018 and 2022, then surged in popularity on social media last year, according to Goldin’s website.

Cheetozard sold for a whopping US$72,000 plus a buyer’s premium, Goldin said. Bidding on the precious Cheeto began at US$250 in mid-February and quickly climbed into the upper five figures.

“Goldin specializes in rare and one-of-a-kind collectibles, and the Cheetozard is exactly this. Part of what makes this item so fun and unique is that it bridges two fandoms – Pokémon, and Cheetos,” said Dave Amerman, Head of Consignment at Goldin.

Cheetos, the snack brand owned by PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay, responded to Goldin’s Instagram post about the sale with a “two eyes” emoji.

“Cheetos are crafted with individual care and designed to be unique, and the ‘Cheetozard’ is no exception. It’s a longstanding tradition for fans to search for fun, interesting shapes and sizes inside every Cheetos bag, and we always love to see what they find,” said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing at PepsiCo Foods US.

Pokémon’s Charizard is a large, orange dragon with turquoise wings and a flame at the tip of its tail. Known as Lizardon in Japan, the dragon is one of the franchise’s original creatures – and one of its most beloved. In 2020, Charizard was voted one of the top 10 most popular Pokémon, according to the franchise.

Social media users flooded the comment section of Goldin’s Instagram posts about the sale. Many questioned why someone would spend so much money on a Cheeto, while others wondered how the snack came to be so dragon-esque.

“This is kinda stupid but it’s 2025, people doing wild things,” one user said.

Another joked that Cheetozard would be their death row meal.

This is not the first time a curiously shaped Cheeto has sold for buckets of cash. In 2017, a Cheeto resembling Harambe the gorilla fetched nearly US$100,000 on auction site eBay.

Article written by Lex Harvey, CNN