Crypto mogul Justin Sun buys ‘World’s Most Expensive Banana’ for $6.2M
Justin Sun, founder of the blockchain platform Tron, purchased Maurizio Cattelan’s conceptual artwork Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall—for $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
The sale, reported by AFP, exceeded initial expectations of $1–1.5 million, with seven bidders vying for the controversial piece.
First unveiled at the 2019 Art Basel Miami Beach exhibition with a $120,000 price tag, Comedian has been a lightning rod for debates about the boundaries and absurdities of contemporary art.
Sun justified his purchase as more than an art acquisition, framing it as a cultural statement. “This represents a phenomenon that bridges art, memes, and cryptocurrency,” he said, adding that he plans to eat the banana as part of the artwork’s experience.
Art meets controversy
Comedian epitomizes Maurizio Cattelan’s critique of the art market’s speculative nature. Buyers of the work receive a certificate of authenticity and instructions to replace the banana, given its perishability.
The artwork’s debut banana famously sold for 35 cents but became a global sensation after it was eaten by performance artist David Datuna in 2019.
Cattelan, known for provocative works like an 18-carat gold toilet titled America and The Ninth Hour, a sculpture of the pope struck by a meteor, continues to challenge societal and artistic norms.
Art and the Crypto Connection
Sun’s purchase is his latest foray into blending art and technology. Previously, he acquired Alberto Giacometti’s Le Nez for $78.4 million, cementing his presence in the art world.
Despite his entrepreneurial successes, Sun has faced scrutiny, including charges by the U.S. SEC for alleged cryptocurrency manipulation.
The staggering sale price of Comedian underscores the resilience of the art market’s high end amid economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
Sun’s investment in a perishable banana reinforces the unpredictable intersections of art, commerce, and pop culture. Whether preserved or consumed, this $6.2 million banana has become a symbol of modern art’s ability to provoke and perplex.
