Economy Chinese-born Crypto Tycoon buys modern art banana taped to a wall for $6.2 million, and eats it

[650lb Sumo]

Spoiler: Link

Crypto boss eats banana artwork bought for $6.2m

Justin Sun described Maurizio Cattelan's infamous 2019 work as "much better than other bananas".

www.bbc.co.uk

A Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur has followed through on his promise to eat the banana from a $6.2m (£4.9m) artwork he bought last week.

Justin Sun outbid six others to claim Maurizio Cattelan's infamous 2019 work Comedian - a banana duct-taped to a wall - at Sotheby's auction house in New York.

He ate the fruit during a news conference in Hong Kong where he used the moment to draw parallels between the artwork and cryptocurrency.

The banana is frequently replaced before exhibitions, with Mr Sun buying the right to display the installation along with a guide on how to replace the fruit.

It has been eaten twice before - first by a performance artist in 2019 and again by a South Korean student in 2023 - but neither paid any money to do so, let alone $6.2m.

"Eating it at a press conference can also become a part of the artwork's history," Mr Sun said.

"It's much better than other bananas," he added.

Mr Sun runs the Tron blockchain network - a service where users can trade in cryptocurrency.

Last year, he was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for offering and selling unregistered security tokens. Mr Sun denies the charges and the case is ongoing.

This week, Mr Sun disclosed he made a $30m investment in a crypto project backed by US President-elect Donald Trump.

 

[LeonardoBjj]

- Guy is a imbecile.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

 

[Kingz]

No way that’s the same banana from 2019…so even if you don’t consider the display a total joke shouldn’t its value depreciate to damn near zero every few days they have to switch the banana?

“A fool and their money are lucky to come together in the first place”

 

[jrams]

 

[ocfightfan]

Norm Macdonald is the best part of this story.

 

[USA!USA!]

People who are rich waste their money on the stupidest garbage just to remind the rest of us how rich they are lol

 

[Blayt7hh]

Yeah how is a 5 year old banana still edible? This is a BS story

 

[Travis Alexander]

Real story. Also Mr. Sun donated some pretty big money towards Trump campaign as well as his crypto interests. A department head Sotheby’s reached out to a friend of mine (large crypto whale and gallery owner) and gave his thoughts on what the banana art auction hammer price would be (he estimated 4.5) obviously it went substantially higher than expected.

The whole story was pretty shocking to me from the beginning. I just don’t get it.

 

[NoSmilez]

I swear art is just money laundering.

 

[nhbbear]

- Guy is a imbecile.

Worse. He’s one of the things that is wrong with this world. Besides the “art” being stupid she lazy sf, this fu king shitbsg bougt to for jest six million and be should be taped to a wall like the banana and just left three to see if anyone buys him for six million, otherwise, he stays there until he rots like the banana. I absolutely hate when super wealthy people flex like this and I would love to see him thrown in with starving people with that banana shoved his ass and watch whether they eat the banana or him first

 

[The Big Yin]

Yeah how is a 5 year old banana still edible? This is a BS story

The banana is replaced regularly and has already been eaten twice.

It's just some pretentious performance art piece where Mr Sun has probably been able to tax write off $6.2m

 

[Osculater]

- Guy is a imbecile.

But what about the Asian guy?

 

[ferrisjso]

On one hand I don't care its a fucking banana. On the other hand I believe very strongly in collectors being regulated and having a responsibility to protect their artifacts. I do not think someone should be allowed to buy a piece of art and destroy it because it is their personal property.

I don't consider the banana art but thats not the point. I might not give a shit about this but a few people on this planet probably do care and if this was something I cared about getting destroyed I'd be livid. And in several instances objects I DO care about have been destroyed and theres nothing you can do to stop it and it feels terrible.

 

[Bobby00]

That is what happens if you didnt earn your money. Just another form of a lottery winner but even those people have more common sense than to buy a banana for 6 million.

 

[KnightTemplar]

On one hand I don't care its a fucking banana. On the other hand I believe very strongly in collectors being regulated and having a responsibility to protect their artifacts. I do not think someone should be allowed to buy a piece of art and destroy it because it is their personal property.

I don't consider the banana art but thats not the point. I might not give a shit about this but a few people on this planet probably do care and if this was something I cared about getting destroyed I'd be livid. And in several instances objects I DO care about have been destroyed and theres nothing you can do to stop it and it feels terrible.

Meh. If someone wants to buy a van Gogh and then wipe their ass with it, I have zero fucks to give. There are infinitely more important things in the world than, "art".

 

[ferrisjso]

Meh. If someone wants to buy a van Gogh and then wipe their ass with it, I have zero fucks to give. There are infinitely more important things in the world than, "art".

Well when the Van Gogh community isn't going to view it the same way. And instead of just not giving a fuck until it effects you we could be civilized and protect cultural artifacts. Why is it so many people care about "preserving heritage" as some coded racist nonsense but no one actually cares about preserving their heritage?

Art is more important than just about everything prioritized in our current society.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Well when the Van Gogh community isn't going to view it the same way. And instead of just not giving a fuck until it effects you we could be civilized and protect cultural artifacts. Why is it so many people care about "preserving heritage" as some coded racist nonsense but no one actually cares about preserving their heritage?

Art is more important than just about everything prioritized in our current society.

If van Gogh had never painted a single picture, it would have had absolutely no impact on my life. His art is worthless to me.

 

[ferrisjso]

If van Gogh had never painted a single picture, it would have had absolutely no impact on my life. His art is worthless to me.

Its all fun and games until someone buys something YOU value and decides it'd be fun to blow it up with dynamite.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Its all fun and games until someone buys something YOU value and decides it'd be fun to blow it up with dynamite.

Oh no! Please don't blow up Holyrood Parliament or Westminster! I would be utterly devastated - honest!