<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>334327</docID> <postdate>2024-11-30 09:31:52</postdate> <headline>Man who bought banana art for $9.5 million eats it</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-334328" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20241116167489046955-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>"It tastes much better than other bananas," Justin Sun has told reporters after eating the fruit. (AP PHOTO)</caption> <p><strong>A cryptocurrency entrepreneur who bought a piece of conceptual art consisting of a simple banana duct-taped to a wall for millions of dollars last week has eaten the fruit in Hong Kong.</strong></p> <p>Chinese-born Justin Sun peeled off the duct tape and enjoyed the $US6.2 million ($A9.5 million) banana in a press conference held in The Peninsula Hong Kong, one of the city's priciest hotels, in the popular shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui.</p> <p>"It tastes much better than other bananas. Indeed, quite good," he said.</p> <p>Comedian, by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a phenomenon when it debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach, as festival-goers tried to make out whether the single yellow piece of fruit affixed to a white wall with silver duct tape was a joke or a cheeky commentary on questionable standards among art collectors.</p> <p>At one point, another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.</p> <p>The piece attracted so much attention that it had to be withdrawn from view.</p> <p>But three editions sold for between $US120,000 and $US150,000, according to the gallery handling sales at the time.</p> <p>Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, made the winning bid at the Sotheby's auction last week in New York.</p> <p>Or, more accurately, Sun purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives him the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it Comedian.</p> <p>At the time, Sun said in a statement that the piece "represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes and the cryptocurrency community".</p> <p>"I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture," he said.</p> <p>The South China Morning Post reported the banana he ate on Friday was bought in Hong Kong.</p> <p>Sun on Tuesday announced on X he had invested $US30 million in World Liberty Financial, which was launched by US president-elect Donald Trump in September as his family's cryptocurrency venture.</p> <p>Sun said in the post that his platform TRON is "committed to making America great again and leading innovation".</p> <p>Following his investment in Trump's venture, he became an advisor of World Liberty Financial.</p> <p>Last year, Sun was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission with fraud and other securities law violations.</p> <p>In response, he said on X the complaint "lacks merit".</p> </body>