2. Really Fast Pigeons: $6 million

In 2013, 530 pigeons owned by Belgian breeder Leo Heremans were sold to purchasers worldwide for $6 million. One of these was a swift racing pigeon called Bolt after Jamaican sprinting star Usain Bolt. Bolt the Pigeon brought in an astounding $400k. Heremans contracted an infection from being among the birds, forcing him to sell his herd.

Racing pigeons are in high demand in China, where these quick birds command record prices. Gao Fuxin, a Chinese admirer, paid for the pigeon Bolt. In fact, nine of the top ten most expensive birds at the 2013 auction were purchased by collectors from the Chinese Mainland or Taiwan. In China, 300,000 people participate in the fascinating heritage of pigeon racing, which is a popular sport there. Due to the skyrocketing prices of racing pigeons in China, Gao intended to utilize Bolt to produce more of them.