Crypto mogul Justin Sun made headlines as soon as once more on Friday as he fulfilled a unusual promise made after buying a chunk of conceptual artwork price $6.2 million. The art work, titled Comedian, created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, encompasses a banana taped to a wall — and Sun had pledged to eat the banana after buying it. True to his phrase, the crypto entrepreneur bit into the fruit at one in every of Hong Kong’s most luxurious accommodations, with dozens of journalists and influencers current to witness the bizarre occasion.
(Also learn: Crypto boss buys banana taped to wall for ₹53 crore, will eat it to ‘full art work’)
An iconic second for artwork and crypto
Before chomping down on the banana, Sun gave a quick speech wherein he praised the art work as “iconic” and emphasised the parallels between conceptual artwork and cryptocurrency. He defined how each artwork types problem conventional concepts of worth and possession. “It’s significantly better than different bananas,” Sun stated after taking his first chunk. “It’s actually fairly good,” he added with a smile, chatting with AFP.
The buy of Comedian got here at a Sotheby’s public sale in New York, the place Sun was amongst seven bidders. The art work, which debuted at Art Basel in Miami Beach in 2019, had beforehand sparked controversy and debates about its standing as artwork. Cattelan himself supposed to ignite such discussions, and Sun’s daring gesture solely added to the art work’s storied historical past.
Watch the clip right here:
A bit of artwork with a storied historical past
Sun admitted that he felt a second of “disbelief” when he received the bid, however rapidly realised the cultural and monetary potential of the piece. “This might turn out to be one thing huge,” he stated, noting that consuming the banana at a press occasion may very well be an integral a part of its legacy.
(Also learn: Crypto CEO claims he’s a billionaire whereas humiliating intern. ‘He’s not,’ says Reddit)
The second was symbolic of the rising intersection between the worlds of digital artwork and cryptocurrency. Sun drew comparisons between Comedian and NFT (non-fungible token) artwork, suggesting that each symbolize mental property in a digital house, reasonably than bodily objects.
A $30 million funding announcement
Alongside the banana-eating spectacle, Sun additionally made headlines with a brand new $30 million funding in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency challenge backed by US president-elect Donald Trump. Despite his entrepreneurial success, Sun continues to be embroiled in authorized troubles. Last 12 months, he was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for providing and promoting unregistered securities associated to his crypto challenge, Tron. The case stays pending.
Bananas for everybody
As a part of the occasion, attendees have been handed rolls of duct tape and bananas as souvenirs. Sun joked, “Everyone has a banana to eat,” encouraging visitors to affix within the enjoyable and additional cementing the art work’s place in historical past.