Iconic 'Citizen Kane' Prop Sells For $14.75 million
To this day, few lines remain as universally synonymous with cinematic history as Orson Welles' breathless "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane.
The dying words of Welles' influential newspaper tycoon in the 1941 masterpiece, "Rosebud" kicks off the plot of Welles' magnum opus, leading an expansive newspaper investigation into what exactly the word means.
After days of fruitlessly searching for answers, the closing moments of the film ultimately reveal that "Rosebud" is none other than Charles Foster Kane's childhood sled: a nostalgic callback to the days before wealth and power ultimately ruined the mogul's life.
Though Kane's prized memento was ultimately cast into the flames of Xanadu within the film, the original prop used in Citizen Kane has just sold at auction -- ironically, for a vast fortune, no less.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of the original sleds showcased in Citizen Kane was sold by Heritage Auctions earlier this week for a whopping $14.75 million.
With its weighty price tag, the item has become the second most expensive Hollywood prop ever sold at auction, just behind Judy Garland's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold for $32.5 million last December.
Before making their way to the auction block, the sled was initially found by Gremlins director Joe Dante, who was gifted the prop after the portion of the Paramount lot that formally RKO Pictures' home was cleared away in 1984.
'One of the crew who knew I was a fan of vintage films came to me with a wood prop and said, 'They're throwing out all of this stuff. You might want this,'' Dante said. 'I'm not sure he knew what the sled was, but he must have had some inkling, or why else would he have asked me?"
'I've had the honor of protecting this piece of cinematic history for decades,' The 'Burbs director said in a statement from Heritage. 'To see Rosebud find a new home — and make history in the process — is both surreal and deeply gratifying. It's a testament to the enduring power of storytelling.'
Iconic 'Citizen Kane' Prop Sells For $14.75 million first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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