A $0.35 Banana Sold for $6.2 Million!
(And Then Someone Ate It)
Image Courtesy: AP Video: John Minchillo
Let me tell you about the day a regular banana from a New York street vendor made international headlines.
Not because it was special.
Not because it was rare.
But because someone paid millions for it… and then ate it.
This story has everything: art, money, drama, and… a very expensive piece of fruit.
Setting the scene…
One November morning at Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel, journalists and influencers gathered to witness something unprecedented. The star of the show?
A single yellow banana secured to a pristine white wall with a strip of duct tape.
The banana’s new owner, Justin Sun — a crypto billionaire known for making headlines and collecting expensive art — stands before the crowd.
With cameras rolling, he does something that would make most art collectors faint: he peels off the $6.2 million banana and takes a bite.
https://medium.com/media/473f24d87bee41ce4cdd2ffd5bb04ef2/href
“It’s much better than other bananas,” he declares in what might be the most expensive food review in history.
But wait — how did we get here?
Making of The ‘Comedian’
The “Comedian” isn’t just a banana on a wall — it’s Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s playful jab at the art world.
Image Courtesy: Purple.fr
This is the same guy who, in 2016, swapped out a regular toilet at the Guggenheim with one made of solid gold and called it “America.”
While everyone jokes that their kid could tape a banana to a wall, there’s more to the story.
Cattelan used to carry bananas to different hotels, hanging them up for inspiration. He tried making versions in resin and bronze and painted bronze before realizing the real banana was the answer.
The whole thing is basically a giant wink at the art world, like those old comedy shows where someone slips on a banana peel.
Sometimes, the joke is the point!Some see “Comedian” as brilliant commentary on consumerism and the absurdity of high art markets, while others dismiss it as just a joke.The piece has sparked heated debates about what defines art — is it still art if anyone can tape a banana to a wall? For many critics, that’s exactly the point.
The Million-Dollar Fruit Stand Connection
Here’s something wild: This story starts at a humble fruit stand in Manhattan, right before Sotheby’s auction house. The banana that would become part of art history? It cost exactly 35 cents.
The vendor, Shah Alam, a 74-year-old who works 12-hour shifts, had no idea his banana would end up in the headlines. When a New York Times reporter told him about the sale, he was moved to tears. “I have never seen this kind of money,” he said.
Think about that contrast for a moment…
After learning about Alam’s story, Sun announced he would buy 100,000 bananas from the fruit stand.
https://medium.com/media/94111aae56fa69d81abd9c8abfe1866d/href
It was a gesture that sounds generous but, as Alam and his boss pointed out, might be logistically impossible. (Think about storing 100,000 bananas for a second…)
The World of High-Stakes Art
You might be wondering: “What exactly did Sun buy?”
What Sun purchased wasn’t just a banana. Here’s what $6.2 million gets you in conceptual art:
The right to display the artwork (titled “Comedian” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan)A certificate of authenticityInstructions for replacing the banana when it goes badThe right to tape any banana to any wall and call it “Comedian”
Sun didn’t just buy an expensive banana for kicks. Being a crypto billionaire with a wild imagination, he saw this banana-taped-to-a-wall thing as his perfect moment to shake things up — a way to connect the fancy art world with internet culture and his crypto universe.
And just when you thought a $6.2 million banana couldn’t get weirder, he planned to turn it into an NFT too.
Because in Sun’s world, the only thing better than an expensive banana is having one in digital form!
The Performance
Picture the scene at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong:
Two men dressed as auction house staffA plain wall with just a yellow bananaDozens of journalists and influencersAnd Sun, making art history one bite at a time
In true performance art style, Sun made sure everyone at the event got their own souvenir: a banana and a roll of duct tape. “Everyone has a banana to eat,” he declared in what might be the most democratic moment in recent art history.
What makes this story so fascinating isn’t just the price tag or the performance. It’s how it connects different worlds:
A fruit vendor in ManhattanA crypto entrepreneurA prestigious auction houseAnd an Italian artist who turned a banana and duct tape into a global conversation pieceHow everything came together
So… What Does It All Mean?
Maybe this story is about more than just an expensive snack. It’s about value, art, and money and how these things can mean different things to different people.
For some, it’s a 35-cent banana. For others, it’s a multi-million-dollar masterpiece.
And maybe — just maybe — both perspectives are equally valid.
The best part? This isn’t even the first time this artwork has made headlines. But that’s another story for another day…
Want to stay updated on more bizarre intersections of crypto and art? Keep an eye on this space.
Though I doubt anything will top the $6.2 million banana anytime soon…but in the world of crypto and art, you never know what’s coming next!
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Important: Cryptocurrencies are volatile assets that carry significant risks. Never invest more than you can afford to lose. This content is for informational purposes only. Always do your own research (DYOR) and seek professional advice for investment decisions.
A 35-Cent Banana Sold for $6.2 Million! was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.