Justin Sun Buys World’s Most Expensive Banana for $6.2 Million
Crypto mogul Justin Sun, founder of Tron, recently acquired the controversial artwork Comedian—a banana taped to a wall by artist Maurizio Cattelan—for a whopping $6.2 million at a New York auction. Sun's purchase far exceeded the pre-sale estimate of $1–$1.5 million, with the bidding starting at $800,000. The piece includes instructions on how to replace the banana as it decays, along with a certificate of authenticity.
Sun announced his intention to eat the banana, viewing it as part of a "unique artistic experience" that unites the worlds of art, memes, and cryptocurrency culture. This act would follow in the footsteps of others who have consumed Comedian—including artist David Datuna in 2019 and a Seoul student in 2022.
Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian is seen as a commentary on the speed-driven and commercially dominated art market. Sotheby’s handled the sale, which saw Sun outbid six others, paying $5.2 million plus an additional $1 million in fees.
Despite his purchase, Sun continues to face legal scrutiny. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating him and Tether, while the SEC sued him in 2023 over unregistered securities sales and alleged manipulation involving the Tron token. Sun has denied these allegations, with his defense centered around the Howey test, a legal standard for determining whether certain transactions qualify as investment contracts.
The case has broader implications for the crypto world, involving charges that Sun's companies, including the Tron and BitTorrent Foundations, distributed billions in crypto assets and artificially inflated trading volumes to attract investors.
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