Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous artwork Comedian featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall, has been sold for a staggering $6.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York—four times the pre-sale estimate.
The winning bid came from Justin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur, who outbid six other rivals for the piece by the provocative Italian artist.
Sun declared he plans to eat the banana as part of “a unique artistic experience.”
Originally costing just 35 cents, the banana gained international fame after its debut in 2019, sparking viral attention and debates about the definition of art.
The piece, which comes with instructions to replace the banana once it rots, has been consumed twice before—most recently by a South Korean art student in 2023 and a performance artist in 2019.
Comedian has become an iconic and controversial symbol in the art world and has ignited debate on what is “true art”.
Sun, known for running the Tron blockchain network and facing fraud allegations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is now the proud owner of the most expensive banana in history.
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 🍌 (@justinsuntron) November 21, 2024
He bought nothing with virtual money.
And the resulting crap will become “ART”.
What a wonderfull world…