Crypto Billionaire Eats $6.2M Banana Sold at New York Auction

In a bizarre twist, the duct-taped banana artwork exceeded all expectations at auction, selling for an outrageous $6.2 million. However, instead of displaying it on a wall, its new owner, Hong Kong-based crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, decided to eat it!

The 34-year-old purchased the viral art piece at a recent Sotheby’s auction. In a video posted to X, Sun removed the banana from the wall, peeled it, and took a bite. “For a banana with such a backstory, the taste is naturally different from an ordinary one,” Sun joked, claiming it had a hint of historical flavor reminiscent of “Big Mike bananas from 100 years ago.”

When asked about his decision to consume the pricey artwork, Sun explained, “I think this banana will become an iconic piece for everyone to understand: What is art? What is its value?” For Sun, eating the banana was about becoming part of the artwork’s history and sparking dialogue about the nature of art itself.

The piece, already infamous for its absurdity, has become a cultural phenomenon, “This is not just an artwork,” Sun declared. “It represents a cultural phenomenon.”

Interestingly, Sun’s banana-eating antics are part of a pattern. Comedian is the third edition of this installation, and each prior edition was also consumed by its buyer.

Cattelan, known for satirical works, once described the banana as a “joke” that makes people smile, adding, “It’s comfort art, if you want to call it art.”

So whether this was a stunt, an artistic statement, or simply a very expensive snack we can likely expect another installment.

Original Story:

Imagine this: You’re strolling through Hannaford, eyeing the bananas that are—brace yourself—less than a dollar. Now picture this: that same banana, slapped on your kitchen wall with duct tape. Congratulations, you could have just made a million-dollar masterpiece! Move over, Monet, because the art world is bananas. Literally.

$1.5 Million Banana and Duct Tape Artwork

Maurizio Cattelan, the Italian artist-slash-jester responsible for this a-peeling creation titled Comedian, is laughing all the way to Sotheby’s. When this conceptual genius duct-taped a banana to a wall in 2019, people couldn’t look away. Some were awestruck, others hangry. One brave soul even ate the original banana—performance art? Waste management? Either way, a fresh fruit was taped back up, and life went on.

Fast forward to 2024, and this banana is now projected to sell for $1.5 million. But wait, it gets better. When you buy Comedian, you’re not even buying the actual banana. Nope. You’re getting a certificate of authenticity granting you permission to re-tape your own banana to a wall. For a cool mil, you too can embrace the art of grocery produce.

But let’s not stop there, Utica. If duct-taped fruit can make you an art world darling, I’d like to introduce you to my own conceptual piece: Fiji: Liquid Dreams in a Bottle.

Yes, it’s just a regular bottle of water, but when placed on a rustic kitchen table in the heart of Central New York, it symbolizes the intersection of capitalism and hydration. For only $999, this one-of-a-kind piece of “art” can be yours. Act now, and I’ll throw in a strip of duct tape for free.