Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur who bought an artwork featuring a banana taped to a wall for $6.2 million (£4.9m), Justin Sun has eaten the fruit.
Gatekeepers News reports that the artwork called ‘Comedian’ was created by Maurizio Cattelan, an Italian artist.
The artwork debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 and ignited debates over what qualifies as art.
Sun bought the controversial piece at the Sotheby’s auction in New York on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
The crypto boss took a bite of the banana in front of dozens of journalists and influencers during a press event at one of Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotels on Friday.
Referring to it as iconic, Sun drew parallels between conceptual art and cryptocurrency.
He said while describing the banana’s taste as really quite good, “It’s much better than other bananas.”
Sun revealed he didn’t believe he could win the bid at first, admitting he had “dumb questions” about the piece, such as whether the banana had spoiled and how to evaluate its worth.
He however quickly saw potential in the purchase, stating, “This could become something big”.
By eating the banana at the press event, the entrepreneur claimed he was adding to the “artwork’s history”.
At the event, Sun likened the artwork to the rise of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
He said, “Most of its objects and ideas exist as (intellectual property) and on the internet, as opposed to something physical.”
The crypto boss also suggested that Comedian’s price might increase over time, much like Bitcoin.
