The Next $40 Million Jackpot Could Be Hiding in a Montana Field

Montana Millionaire frenzy will cover the Treasure State on Sunday morning, when thousands of us will line up at gas stations, convenience stores, bars, and casinos at five o'clock in the morning to purchase our $20 lottery tickets.

But some of Montana's biggest paydays haven't been the lottery... It's been dinosaurs.

Read More: Montanans Will Get Up Early to Score Montana Millionaire Tickets

A different Nanotryannus was found in 2002.  Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

A Montana dinosaur fossil nicknamed "Jodi" just sold for $47.3 million

Montana's eastern badlands have produced some of the world's rarest dinosaur fossils. And when they're rare, they can be extremely valuable. For example, a Nanotryannus skeleton discovered in the Hellcreek Formation in 2019 just sold for a staggering $47.3 million.

The fossil was found by rancher/fossil hunter Jodi Pierson on their private property in Garfield County. And here's the crazy part: it's not the first big dino discovery by the Pierson family.

Jodie Pierson. Image from Discovery Channel Southeast Asia via YouTube

The New York Times notes that Ms. Pierson’s cousin (and partner in their Pierson Fossil Company business), Clayton Phipps, found the famous "dueling dinosaur" fossils nearby in 2006. The dueling dinosaurs are T. rex and Triceratops fossils that appeared to be locked in battle. That pair sold for $6 million in 2020.

Jodi, the "nano-T. rex," wasn't expected to sell for nearly as much. Experts at Sotheby's thought it would fetch between $6 and $9 million. Wrong. They were off by roughly $40 million.

Scott Lewis

Sure beats ranching, huh?

Turning a profit year after year on a ranch in the middle of nowhere Montana isn't easy. You can bet your bottom dollar, if I owned land in the Hellcreek Formation, I would be out looking for fossils every day.

It's kind of like what they say about a Powerball ticket... it only takes one to win.