Crypto mogul Justin Sun made headlines once again on Friday as he fulfilled a quirky promise made after purchasing a piece of conceptual art worth $6.2 million. The artwork, titled Comedian, created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, features a banana taped to a wall — and Sun had pledged to eat the banana after acquiring it. True to his word, the crypto entrepreneur bit into the fruit at one of Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotels, with dozens of journalists and influencers present to witness the unusual event.
(Also read: Crypto boss buys banana taped to wall for ₹53 crore, will eat it to 'complete artwork')
An iconic moment for art and crypto
Before chomping down on the banana, Sun gave a brief speech in which he praised the artwork as "iconic" and emphasised the parallels between conceptual art and cryptocurrency. He explained how both art forms challenge traditional ideas of value and ownership. "It’s much better than other bananas," Sun said after taking his first bite. "It’s really quite good," he added with a smile, speaking to AFP.
The purchase of Comedian came at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, where Sun was among seven bidders. The artwork, which debuted at Art Basel in Miami Beach in 2019, had previously sparked controversy and debates about its status as art. Cattelan himself intended to ignite such discussions, and Sun’s bold gesture only added to the artwork’s storied history.
Watch the clip here:
A piece of art with a storied history
Sun admitted that he felt a moment of "disbelief" when he won the bid, but quickly realised the cultural and financial potential of the piece. "This could become something big," he said, noting that eating the banana at a press event could be an integral part of its legacy.
{{/usCountry}}Sun admitted that he felt a moment of "disbelief" when he won the bid, but quickly realised the cultural and financial potential of the piece. "This could become something big," he said, noting that eating the banana at a press event could be an integral part of its legacy.
{{/usCountry}}(Also read: Crypto CEO claims he’s a billionaire while humiliating intern. ‘He’s not,’ says Reddit)
The moment was symbolic of the growing intersection between the worlds of digital art and cryptocurrency. Sun drew comparisons between Comedian and NFT (non-fungible token) art, suggesting that both represent intellectual property in a digital space, rather than physical objects.
A $30 million investment announcement
Alongside the banana-eating spectacle, Sun also made headlines with a new $30 million investment in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency project backed by US president-elect Donald Trump. Despite his entrepreneurial success, Sun is still embroiled in legal troubles. Last year, he was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for offering and selling unregistered securities related to his crypto project, Tron. The case remains pending.
Bananas for everyone
As part of the event, attendees were handed rolls of duct tape and bananas as souvenirs. Sun joked, "Everyone has a banana to eat," encouraging guests to join in the fun and further cementing the artwork’s place in history.