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The crypto entrepreneur who bought a banana taped to a wall for $6.2 million last week has eaten it.
Justin Sun knew not to eat the banana when he originally bought it. However, in a room full of media personnel in a Hong Kong hotel, the 34-year-old founder of the TRON cryptocurrency swallowed the banana as if it were any other.
Before taking a bite, Sun praised Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, arguing that the conceptual art was similar to cryptocurrency and describing the banana as “iconic.”
“It's much better than other bananas,” Sun proclaimed. “It's really quite good.”
Cattelan, 64, debuted the artwork at Art Basel in Miami, Florida, in 2019, and titled it “Comedian.”
The banana, considered “the most expensive fruit in the world,” was sold to Cattelan for 35 cents by a vendor outside Sotheby's auction house in New York, where Sun bid on it.
Upon hearing how much Sun bought the fruit for, the seller, Shah Alam, was incredulous. Sun then promised to buy 100,000 more bananas from Alam, or $25,000 worth of produce, in a series of posts on X/Twitter.
“As the owner of a fruit stand on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Mr. Shah Alam unwittingly became a crucial contributor to a groundbreaking work of art. “This banana, far from being just any fruit, has acquired a deep cultural and artistic meaning,” he wrote on Thursday (Nov. 28).
“To thank Mr. Shah Alam, I have decided to buy 100,000 bananas from his stall on the Upper East Side of New York. These bananas will be distributed free of charge throughout the world through their stand. Show a valid ID to claim a banana, while supplies last,” Sun continued.
He added: “This is not only a unique event but also a celebration of the beautiful connection between everyday life and art. “I hope this gesture helps share the meaning of this special artistic story with more people.”
However, the 74-year-old salesman was not thrilled with Sun's promise. talking to The New York TimesAlam described the realities of fulfilling Sun's massive order. He said purchasing tens of thousands of bananas at the Bronx wholesale market would cost him thousands of dollars, not to mention the practical difficulties of moving the boxes each containing 100 bananas.
“There is no profit selling bananas,” Alam told the outlet before noting that his net profit would only be $6,000 and, since he only earns $12 an hour, working 12-hour shifts, he would have to give the money to the owner of the banana plantation. position.
The booth's owner, Mohammad R. Islam, 53, said The New York Times He has divided the profits equally between himself, Alam and his six other employees.
