everything going on. >> sotheby's had arranged for one of the people who would normally be taking bids to give me a running detail on the telephone about what was happening at the auction. >> i was at the institute, too. i could not bear to listen to the phone. it was too much. >> good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to sotheby's. we have for auction today the fossil of a tyrannosaurus rex known as sue. the property of the united states of america in trust of maurice williams of south dakota. and now let us, if we're all ready, begin the competition for sue the tyrannosaurus rex. and i now begin with a bid of $500,000. $500,000? $600,000? $700,000? at $700,000.