Collector Who Discovered $2 Million 'Lord of the Rings' Card Reveals Plans

The holder of a one-of-a-kind Lord of the Rings-themed Magic: The Gathering trading card potentially worth millions has broken their silence on the life-changing discovery. In a statement issued through representatives at PR firm The Notable Group, the cardholder, who wishes to remain anonymous, described their reaction to the ultra-rare find. "It has been unreal," they told Newsweek. "The whole experience has been an exciting whirlwind. I am planning on selling the card which will make my life a whole lot easier." Despite signaling their plans to sell, with bids of more than $2 million reportedly on the table, the holder has no intention of retiring with the money. "I will continue working at the same company that I've been with for the last 10 years," they said. "But maybe I'll take a few more vacation days." Last month, Hasbro released the new set of Lord of the Rings-themed cards as part of an expansion of its popular collectible trading card game, Magic: The Gathering. Magic: The Gathering is one of the most successful tabletop card games ever created, with previous estimates suggesting its player base contains more than 35 million people across 70 different countries. So a new expansion pack riffing on J.R.R. Tolkien's iconic fantasy novels was always likely to be a big draw. Yet, from the get-go, one card looked set to rule them all: a one-of-a-kind "One Ring" card featuring the object of untold power central to Tolkien's story. Although numerous versions of the "One Ring" card exist throughout the new expansion set, only one version was made featuring the Black Speech found inscribed on the ring in both the books and film adaptations. The presence of the one-off in an unknown pack prompted a frantic search of Willy Wonka "Golden Ticket" proportions, as fans frantically bought up cards in the hopes of finding it. But, as Gandalf himself said, "There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will, and he does not share power." Now that Lord—or Lady—has been discovered with the news confirmed via the official Magic: The Gathering Twitter account. "We are thrilled to hear tale of a new Ring-bearer in possession of the serialized 1:1 The One Ring," the tweet read. The card has already been authenticated by collectibles industry leader the Professional Sports Authenticator, who gave it a "Mint 9" rating—the second highest available. A Spain-based collectible cards store had already offered €2 million ($2.2 million) and a trip to Valencia in exchange for the card. However, that was prior to it being discovered. More bids could yet be forthcoming given that the holder has now confirmed their intention to sell.