A banana duct-taped to a wall—the artwork that ignited debates about the art market’s absurdity—achieved a record-breaking $6.24 million USD (with buyer’s premium) at Sotheby’s New York during its New and Contemporary Now auction. Dubbed “the world’s most expensive banana” by auctioneer Oliver Barker, Comedian (2019) by Maurizio Cattelan surpassed its $1.5 million USD estimate after 10 minutes of heated bidding.
The artwork’s buyer was revealed as Justin Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON and a known art collector. Sun acquired the second edition of Comedian, which first gained notoriety at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019. At the time, the work’s three editions sold for $120,000 USD each, with the Guggenheim Museum acquiring the third.
Sotheby’s chairman for contemporary art, Grégoire Billault, compared the piece’s cultural impact to Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain (1917), noting how digital media amplified Comedian’s reach. While the banana has faced criticism as lazy and cynical, its unprecedented sale highlights its enduring role as a symbol of art world excess.
