Estefany Ariza
In an unexpected twist, crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun turned a piece of absurdist art into an even more surreal spectacle. On Friday in Hong Kong, Sun, 34, ate the infamous duct-taped banana he purchased for a staggering $6.2 million, making good on a promise he made after the high-profile acquisition.
“It’s much better than other bananas,” Sun quipped after his first bite, calling the stunt “iconic” and inviting reporters to witness the moment, according to a NY Post article. Sun went a step further, handing out bananas and rolls of duct tape to the audience, claiming that the act itself added a new layer to the artwork’s legacy.
The banana, a central element of artist Maurizio Cattelan’s provocative “Comedian” collection, originally cost just 35 cents from a New York City street vendor before being duct- taped to a wall and sold for millions. Sun, whose net worth exceeds $1.4 billion, as reported by international media, emerged as the highest bidder among seven contenders at the auction.
Sun revealed that shortly after buying the piece, he decided he would eat it, later sharing his plan with his 227,000 Instagram followers. He justified his purchase by saying, “This could be something big.”
The artwork, first unveiled at Miami’s Art Basel in 2019, sparked debates over the very definition of art—a conversation Cattelan intended to provoke. Sun’s consumption of the banana follows in the footsteps of performance artist David Datuna, who famously ate the piece during its debut.
Questions about the fruit’s condition arose after Sun’s purchase, but he was assured the artwork came with a certificate of authenticity and instructions on replacing the banana when it inevitably spoiled.
Sun’s extravagant gesture also highlighted the origins of the artwork. The banana had been bought from 74-year-old street vendor Shah Alam, who earns $12 an hour working outside Sotheby’s on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Touched by Alam’s story, Sun pledged to purchase 100,000 bananas from his stand and distribute them for free worldwide, expressing a desire to meet Alam in person.
While Sun faces ongoing legal troubles with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations of selling unregistered securities through his crypto ventures, his latest move has cemented his reputation for headline-grabbing antics.
