A Cheeto shaped like the Pokemon Charizard, nicknamed ‘Cheetozard’, has been sold at auction for a whopping USD $87,840. The sale was reported by Goldin Auctions, which listed the famous Cheeto at the behest of owner 1st & Goal Collectibles – a collectibles store based in Georgia, United States.
So the legend goes, Cheetozard was discovered in a Cheeto packet sometime between 2018 and 2022, with the shape of the crisp being naturally occurring. It appears a worker found the Cheeto, was amused by the shape, and subsequently stored it in the 1st & Goal Collectibles safe.
In 2024, the Cheeto was rediscovered, and subsequently went viral online. In an effort to preserve the legacy of the novelty item, the owners soon after decided to mount the Cheeto in a special case, and design a Pokemon card around it. This card frontage declares that Cheetozard evolves from Cheeteleon, it’s a fire type, and it has 120HP.
It’s likely this clever theming has contributed to the Cheeto’s whopping sale, as well as its online virality. Cheetozard was a brief phenomenon online, and someone was clearly willing to pay a premium to own this slice of internet history. In fact, the item had around 60 bids, which suggests multiple people were keen to own this particular Cheeto.
Read: Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Everything we know so far
Cheetozard wasn’t the first
As noted by Polygon, this strangely isn’t the first time a single Cheeto has sold for such a ridiculous amount. In 2017, a Hot Cheeto in the shape of viral internet celebrity Harambe reportedly sold for USD $99,900. It is worth noting it’s unclear whether the buyer ever paid up, but regardless, it’s fairly wild this has now happened twice.
At this stage, it’s unclear what’s next for Cheetozard. While the Goldin Auction appears to be finalised, it’s unclear whether the sale has officially been completed. It’s also not clear whether Cheetozard will actually survive in transit.
A Cheeto is just fluffed up corn mixture and water – and eventually, it will dehydrate. Even encased in its box, the life cycle of the item is likely to be limited. While that life cycle may match the interest of its new owner, it’s still going to be a sad day when this particular Cheeto crumbles. Until then, we hope the person who spent USD $87,840 on it is very happy with their purchase.
