Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun recently followed through on his promise to eat the banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial 2019 artwork Comedian, which he purchased for $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. Sun outbid six other competitors to acquire the piece, which consists of a banana duct-taped to a wall.
During a press conference in Hong Kong, Sun ate the banana and connected the act to his views on cryptocurrency, drawing parallels between the abstract artwork and the growing trend of NFTs. He explained that he had bought the rights to display the artwork along with instructions on replacing the banana, which is routinely changed for exhibitions. The banana had been consumed twice before, but not for such a hefty price.
Read more: Swedish Minister’s Fear of Bananas Ignites Widespread Debate
Sun expressed his curiosity about the artwork, humorously questioning if the banana would rot. He also joked that eating it during the press event would make it a part of the artwork’s history. The banana, which cost only 35 cents on the day of the auction, had become one of the most expensive fruits in the world.
As the founder of the Tron blockchain network, Sun drew further comparisons between Comedian and the world of NFTs—digital artwork with no inherent value beyond what people ascribe to it. Despite facing legal issues with the SEC regarding unregistered security tokens, Sun’s investment ventures continue to make headlines, including a recent $30 million investment in a crypto project supported by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
