A new contender has emerged for the title of the world’s most expensive crunchy snack. A Flamin’ Hot Cheeto shaped like the Pokémon character Charizard, dubbed “Cheetozard,” has been sold for a staggering $87,840 to an anonymous buyer, according to the Goldin auction house.
This 3-inch (7 cm) long Cheeto is attached to a custom Pokémon card and placed in a box. It was originally discovered and preserved by a sports memorabilia company sometime between 2018 and 2022, and later gained widespread attention on social media last year.
The Cheetozard sold for $72,000, plus a buyer’s premium. The auction, which began in mid-February, started with a bid of $250 and quickly escalated to an impressive five-figure sum.
“Goldin specializes in rare and one-of-a-kind collectibles, and the Cheetozard is exactly that. What makes this item even more intriguing is that it connects two fanbases – Pokémon and Cheetos,” said Dave Amerman, Head of Consignment at Goldin.
Cheetos, the popular snack brand owned by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, reacted to Goldin’s Instagram post about the sale with a “two eyes” emoji.
Tina Mahal, Senior Vice President of Marketing at PepsiCo Foods US, commented on the sale, saying, “Cheetos are crafted with individual care and designed to be unique, and the ‘Cheetozard’ is no exception. It’s a long-standing tradition for fans to search for fun, interesting shapes and sizes inside every Cheetos bag, and we always love to see what they find.”
Pokémon’s Charizard, a large orange dragon with turquoise wings and a flame at the tip of its tail, is one of the franchise’s original and most beloved creatures. Known as Lizardon in Japan, Charizard was voted one of the top 10 most popular Pokémon in 2020.
Goldin’s Instagram posts about the sale were flooded with comments from social media users, many questioning why someone would pay so much for a Cheeto, while others wondered how the snack got its dragon-like shape.
One user commented, “This is kinda stupid but it’s 2025, people doing wild things.” Another joked that Cheetozard would be their last meal before being sent to death row.
This isn’t the first time a uniquely shaped Cheeto has fetched a high price. In 2017, a Cheeto resembling Harambe the gorilla sold for nearly $100,000 on eBay.