Crypto boss buys banana artwork for $6.2M – and eats it
In a bizarre turn of events that merges art, crypto, and, yes, bananas, Justin Sun, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur best known for his bold investments and outlandish antics, has eaten the fruit that came with his $6.2 million purchase of Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous art piece, Comedian.
The stunt took place at one of Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotels on Friday, where Sun, 34, celebrated his purchase of the banana duct-taped to a wall by taking a big bite of the yellow fruit—much to the surprise of the dozens of journalists and influencers gathered at the event.
The moment was, as expected, a spectacle of its own, with Sun declaring the banana to be “really quite good,” adding that it was “much better than other bananas” he’d had in the past.
The piece Comedian—which has sparked debates around the world about whether it qualifies as art—was originally created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and auctioned off at Sotheby’s in New York for a jaw-dropping $6.2 million.
Sun, who was one of seven bidders for the work, won the auction after what he described as a “moment of disbelief” that lasted all of 10 seconds.
In that brief moment, he decided that not only would he buy the artwork, but he would also eat the banana in front of a crowd, adding an unexpected layer to the work’s already controversial history.
The auction saw the duct-taped banana, which had originally been purchased for under a dollar from a fruit stand on New York’s Upper East Side, transformed into what some argue is an emblem of conceptual art in the 21st century.
However, the piece’s debut at the 2019 Art Basel show in Miami Beach raised eyebrows, with many questioning its legitimacy as art—something Cattelan himself never seemed to mind.
For Cattelan, the idea behind Comedian is to provoke thought, and it’s safe to say that it did just that.
“We’re talking about conceptual art, and cryptocurrency, and what it means to have something that exists digitally rather than physically,” Sun told the crowd after his fruit-eating debut.
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Drawing comparisons between Cattelan’s work and the world of NFTs and blockchain technology, he underscored the evolving nature of art in the digital age.
“Most of these things exist as intellectual property on the internet rather than something you can touch and feel,” he explained, referencing the increasing intersection of digital art and cryptocurrency investments.
Sun’s splash into the art world isn’t his only recent headline-grabbing move. This week, he also revealed a $30 million investment in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency project backed by Donald Trump, making him a key player in yet another space.
However, Sun’s past is not without controversy. In 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged him with offering and selling unregistered securities through his crypto project, Tron, with the case still ongoing.
Back in Hong Kong, the event itself was meticulously staged. Two men dressed as Sotheby’s auction house staff stood poised next to the featureless wall, with the banana as the star of the show.
In a playful gesture, Sun handed out duct tape and bananas to everyone in attendance, encouraging them to “eat a banana” and take part in the experience of Comedian.
What’s more, Sun later revealed that the banana was not just a one-off. He had actually bought the rights to recreate the artwork—meaning, yes, you could soon see more bananas taped to walls in art galleries and potentially, your very own living room.
But will Sun take the next step and actually install his own Comedian in a museum or commercial space? That, he has yet to say.
At the same event, Sun recounted a touching story about Shah Alam, the 74-year-old fruit vendor from Manhattan who unknowingly sold the banana that would go on to become a multi-million-dollar artwork.
Upon hearing of its sale, Alam—who works at a fruit stall on the Upper East Side for $12 an hour—reportedly cried. “I am a poor man,” Alam told The New York Times. “I have never had this kind of money; I have never seen this kind of money.”
For Sun, Alam’s response was “poignant,” and in a gesture that reflects his often extravagant approach to life, Sun pledged to buy 100,000 bananas from Alam’s stall, celebrating the connection between everyday life and art.
“I hope to meet him one day,” Sun added, a reminder of how even the most absurd transactions can sometimes create meaningful human connections.
While Comedian might still be the subject of heated debates on what constitutes art, one thing’s for certain: Sun’s $6.2 million banana purchase—along with the dramatic way he’s choosing to engage with it—has solidified his place in both the cryptocurrency world and the art world.
Whether his next move will involve more bananas, more duct tape, or an entirely new piece of performance art remains to be seen.
Until then, though, one thing is clear: Sun has left his mark—one banana bite at a time.
