Justin Sun, Tron Founder and President of Liberland purchased Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous Comedian artwork / banana art—for $6.2 million.
Justin Sun has purchased Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous “Comedian” artwork—essentially a banana duct-taped to a wall—for a staggering $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
Sun also announced his plans for the artwork: eating the banana.
“This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” Sun shared on X on November 21. “In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience.”
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve bought the banana
!!! @SpaceX @Sothebys I am Justin Sun, and I’m excited to share that I have successfully acquired Maurizio Cattelan’s iconic work, Comedian for $6.2 million. This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon… pic.twitter.com/lAj1RE6y0C
— H.E. Justin Sun
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“Comedian” Artwork Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity
Cattelan’s “Comedian” first gained notoriety at Art Basel Miami in 2019 when it sold for $120,000. While the banana itself is perishable, the artwork comes with a certificate of authenticity and instructions for replacing the fruit and tape, allowing the concept to endure.
Justin Sun’s winning bid of $5.2 million—plus an additional $1 million in auction fees—soared past its presale estimate of $1-1.5 million, with Sotheby’s noting “over six minutes of heated bidding.”
During the auction, humor dominated as the auctioneer quipped about the banana “slipping through the auction room” and urged participants not to “let it slip away.” Despite groans from the audience, the bidding frenzy underscored the artwork’s strange allure.
Sun’s purchase comes at a turbulent time for the entrepreneur. Tron’s blockchain powers much of the volume for Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin, which is reportedly under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.
Sun himself has faced scrutiny, including an SEC lawsuit in March 2023 accusing him of selling Tron’s token as an unregistered security and manipulating its price through wash trading—allegations he denies.
If Sun goes through with eating the banana, he’ll join an exclusive club of banana-munching art enthusiasts.
A South Korean student famously ate the artwork in 2023. He later said he ate it because he skipped breakfast and was hungry.
Cattelan didn’t press charges, and the banana was simply replaced. Similarly, in 2019, artist David Datuna consumed the banana at Art Basel Miami shortly after it sold.
In April last year, a student ate the banana when the work was on display in a Seoul art museum and taped the peel back on the wall. He later said he ate it because he skipped breakfast and was hungry. pic.twitter.com/5cbZwVH0ap
— MemeWhale
(@meme__whale) November 21, 2024
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Will Justin Sun Trigger an NFT Market Bounces Back in December?
The non-fungible token (NFT) market bounced back in October with an 18% increase in sales volume, reversing a seven-month downward trend.
According to CryptoSlam data, NFTs saw a monthly volume of $356 million, up from September’s low of approximately $300 million, the lowest level since 2021. NFT trading had been declining steadily since March, when monthly volumes peaked at $1.6 billion.
In other news, NFT marketplace OpenSea is set to launch a revamped platform in December, aiming to reinvigorate user interest amid a sustained downturn in the NFT market.
Announcing the upgrade on November 4, OpenSea co-founder and CEO Devin Finzer shared on X that the team “built a new OpenSea from the ground up.”
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Disclaimer: Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital.
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