Chinese Crypto Billionaire Buys $6.2M 'Banana with Tape' Artwork, Plans to Eat It
Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun paid more than $6 million at Sotheby's for the famous banana taped to the wall. The billionaire said he plans to eat his multimillion-dollar investment, according to nbc news.
The banana has become arguably the most expensive fruit in the world and is a 2019 conceptual artwork called ‘The Comedian’ by the famous prankster Maurizio Cattelan, who taped the fruit to a wall. It comes with a certificate of authenticity and installation instructions for owners to replace the banana, if they wish, whenever it rots.
The fast-paced bidding at the auction started at $800,000 and lasted five minutes. The bidding ended when Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun placed the winning bid. He beat out six other competitors, which experts believe is a sign that even a struggling market will spend big on spectacle.
Sun said in a statement that Cattelan's work ‘represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.’
The entrepreneur, who watched the auction from Hong Kong, added that he would personally eat the banana in the coming days as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture.