A crypto boss recently purchased a $6.3M banana artwork, but shockingly ended up eating it just days later.
A man made headlines recently when he ate a banana that he bought for a staggering $6.3 million.
This banana is likely the most expensive snack in history.
The unusual purchase has drawn attention and sparked conversations about art and value.
The $6.3 million banana was just a simple one at first
The story begins with a simple banana that was sold for just 20 pence on a street in New York City.
The seller, Shah Alam, is 74 years old and sells fruit near the famous Sotheby’s auction house.
He does not receive any money from the banana’s sale at auction, which is a significant loss for him.
The banana became part of an art installation created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.
He duct-taped the banana to a wall and named the piece “COMEDIAN.”
This act of art is not entirely new for Cattelan, as he has previously sold similar bananas for large sums of money.
Earlier installations sold for between $120,000 and $150,000.
The auction featured a $6.3M banana artwork.
The banana was auctioned with a starting bid of $800,000.
It eventually sold for an incredible $6.2 million, which is about £5 million.
The buyer, Justin Sun, is a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency world.
After buying the banana, he made a promise to eat it, which he fulfilled in a lavish hotel setting in Hong Kong.
Crypto boss ends up eating $6.3M banana artwork he bought last week
When Justin Sun finally ate the banana, it was a spectacle.
Reporters and onlookers gathered to watch as he took a bite of the expensive fruit.
He declared that the banana was “much better than other bananas.”
Given the price he paid, many would hope that it tasted extraordinary.
Everyone received a regular banana taped to the wall to share the eating experience.
This moment raised questions about the value of art and consumer culture.
Reactions to the $6.3M banana artwork sale
Shah Alam, the original seller of the banana, was astonished to learn how much one of his bananas sold for.
Upon hearing the news, he expressed his disbelief, saying, “I am a poor man. I have never had this kind of money; I have never seen this kind of money.”
Cattelan responded to Alam’s emotional reaction by emphasizing how art can resonate in surprising ways.
He noted that while art can provoke thought and discussion, it does not solve real-world problems.
“The reaction of the banana vendor moves me deeply, underscoring how art can resonate in unexpected and profound ways.
“However, art, by its nature, does not solve problems — if it did, it would be politics.”
This is not the first time Cattelan has created a buzz with duct-taped bananas.
In 2019, a similar banana was sold at an art fair, and a performance artist named David Datuna famously peeled it off the wall and ate it.
This act was seen as a commentary on the absurdity of art pricing and ownership.