Crypto investor Justin Sun pays $6.2 million for duct tape banana art

Crypto capitalist Justin Sun has a $6.2 cardinal banana — and he’s going to devour it, too.

Sun revealed Wednesday nighttime that helium shelled retired millions astatine a Sotheby’s New York auction for “Comedian,” a portion of conceptual creation created by Italian creator and taste prankster Maurizio Cattelan. The work, composed of a azygous banana duct-taped to the wall, astir instantly became a viral improvement erstwhile it debuted successful 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach.

“I’m thrilled to denote that I’ve bought the banana,” helium wrote successful station shared to X.

“This is not conscionable an artwork; it represents a taste phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” Sun continued. “I judge this portion volition animate much thought and treatment successful the aboriginal and volition go a portion of history.”

Sun, founder of cryptocurrency level TRON, added that helium “will personally devour the banana arsenic portion of this unsocial creator experience, honoring its spot successful some creation past and fashionable culture.”

Bidding for “Comedian” started astatine $800,000, with 34-year-old Sun besting six different bidders. His last offer, $5.2 cardinal positive $1 cardinal successful Sotheby’s fees, was much than 4 times the pre-sale estimation of $1.5 million. It came with a certificate of authenticity, directions for setup, a rotation of duct portion and, of course, a banana.

The existent banana that was taped to the partition during Wednesday’s auction had been bought from a effect basal in the Upper East Side for 35 cents, The New York Times reported.