British Collector Donates Rare T-Rex Skeleton to Tel Aviv Museum Amid Controversy

The Steinhardt Natural History Museum at Tel Aviv University announced it will receive a rare Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton donated by British businessman Martin Jenkins, describing it as a unique and significant addition for both scientific research and public exhibition in the Middle East. However, a recent Bloomberg Businessweek investigation reveals troubling aspects of Jenkins' dealings in the dinosaur fossil market, which has become a lucrative but largely unregulated arena attracting wealthy collectors.

The report exposes a pattern of canceled sales, questionable scientific reports, and legal threats against academics and journalists who questioned the authenticity of fossils linked to Jenkins. Notably, a T-Rex skeleton named "Tooth" was withdrawn from a Christie's auction in Hong Kong after experts identified it as a replica of another famous T-Rex called "Stan," which had sold for $31.8 million two years earlier. This incident unveiled a broader network of forged scientific documentation and duplicated fossils associated with Jenkins.

Belgian paleontologist Pascal Godefroit found multiple scientific reports bearing identical formats and authorship, which experts declared fake. Museums, including one in Lyon, suspended exhibitions after discovering near-identical scientific reports for different fossils. David Burnham, one of the named researchers, stated that any report bearing his name but not published by a museum is fraudulent.

Jenkins, who presents himself as a philanthropic collector aiming to educate children and support museums, faces accusations from longtime collectors who call him "Voldemort" due to his controversial reputation. Legal actions have been taken to silence critics, including a $90 million lawsuit threat against an archaeologist and court injunctions against media outlets. Despite these controversies, Jenkins claims to own only three T-Rex skeletons held in charitable trusts prohibiting commercial sales, with one intended for the Tel Aviv museum.

The dinosaur fossil market continues to heat up, exemplified by a recent $50.1 million sale of a T-Rex named "Gus" at Sotheby's in New York, marking the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur skeleton. High-profile buyers like billionaire Dan O'Dowd and financier Ken Griffin have fueled this trend, alongside celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Nicolas Cage. Yet, the lack of regulatory oversight invites dubious practices, as highlighted by the Bloomberg investigation into Jenkins' fossil dealings.

The Steinhardt Museum welcomes the T-Rex donation enthusiastically but has not publicly addressed the allegations against Jenkins. The unfolding story raises important questions about authenticity, ethics, and transparency in the booming dinosaur fossil market.