Source: Web3 Da Kaige
Author: DKG
The auctioneer Buck said when the bid approached the peak: 'I never thought I would say, ‘A banana for 5 million dollars.’
According to reports, this banana was bought by a staff member from Sotheby's auction house from a fruit stand in Manhattan's Upper East Side that morning. The owner of the fruit stand is from Bangladesh and revealed that the selling price of this banana is 35 cents (about 2.53 yuan).
Unveiling the man behind the 45 million banana named (Comedian)!
(Comedian), Source: Sotheby's auction house
Maurizio Cattelan is a national treasure-level artist from Italy, born in 1960. He has worked as a chef, gardener, nurse, carpenter, and even as a funeral director responsible for caring for bodies in the morgue. These experiences have greatly influenced his creations, leading many of his works to carry a sense of absurdity and humor, and this piece called (Comedian) is one of his proud works.
Maurizio Cattelan is self-taught; he has not received formal education from professional institutions, but this does not prevent him from becoming an internationally renowned master artist and one of the most popular and controversial artists of this era.
(Comedian) What does it mean? Maurizio Cattelan created this conceptual artwork by taping a banana to the wall to satirize market speculation. The work also comes with a certificate of authenticity and installation instructions, allowing the auction winner to replace the rotten banana at any time according to their wishes.
Sun Yuchen is preparing to eat this banana worth more than 40 million yuan. He believes that Maurizio Cattelan's work represents a cultural phenomenon, bridging the worlds of art, internet memes, and the crypto community, thus giving this banana extraordinary significance.
At present, Bitcoin is soaring towards the $100,000 mark. The post-90s millionaire Sun Yuchen quickly defeated six opponents at the auction that day, successfully acquiring the banana for $6.24 million (about 45.17 million yuan), and he will use Bitcoin to pay.
Netizens say it is really crazy to spend 45 million to buy a banana.
Some netizens said that Sun Yuchen is a big spender for buying a banana at such a high price.
Netizens said they didn't expect such fierce bidding for a banana.
Netizens say, why not donate that 45 million to impoverished areas, which would have greater significance.
In this regard, Da Kaige immediately contacted Sun Yuchen and conducted the following interview!
Da Kaige: May I ask why you spent a huge amount to buy a banana?
Sun Yuchen: Regarding the purchase of the banana, this is not just a simple buying behavior; it is an artistic expression and support for contemporary art. In the world of art, sometimes the value of a piece is not just in its material form but in the concepts it conveys and the social discussions it prompts. Buying this banana, for me, is a recognition of the artist's creativity and an investment in the art market. Every auction is an exploration and affirmation of artistic value, and the banana may just be an interesting symbol in this exploration. Thank you all for your attention, and I will continue to seek more innovation and value in the fields of art and blockchain.
Da Kaige: What percentage of your total assets does the money spent on the purchase represent?
Sun Yuchen: Regarding the proportion of the funds used to buy the banana in relation to my total assets, this number is actually not important. What matters is that this banana is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that connects the worlds of art, memes, and the crypto community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become part of history. As for the specific financial ratio, that involves my personal financial privacy, so I cannot disclose too much. But it is certain that this investment is worthwhile for me and is a way for me to support art and culture.
Da Kaige: How much was spent in total, what is the current progress, and how is the auction process?
Sun Yuchen: I paid a total of $6.24 million for this auction, which is about 45.17 million yuan.
Currently, I have successfully acquired this artwork and plan to personally eat this banana in the coming days as part of this unique artistic experience.
The auction process was very fast and intense. The piece started at $800,000, and in a few minutes soared to $2 million, then to $3 million, $4 million, and finally sold for $5.2 million. I bid by phone and ultimately defeated six other competitors to successfully acquire this artwork.
Da Kaige: I noticed you were on the phone with that lady. What is your relationship? Does the auction amount have any special significance?
Sun Yuchen: During the auction process, that lady was Jen Hua, Vice Chairman of Sotheby's Asia and Chair of China, representing me in bidding over the phone. Our relationship is that of the auction house representative and client.
The final auction price was $6.24 million; this figure does not carry any special meaning; it merely reflects the market's valuation of this artwork. This work was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and is called (Comedian), consisting of an ordinary banana and a piece of tape, sparking widespread discussion and attention.
Currently, I have successfully acquired this artwork and plan to personally eat this banana in the coming days as part of this unique artistic experience, paying tribute to its status in art history and popular culture.
The auction process was very fast and intense. The piece started at $800,000, and after about six minutes of bidding, it finally sold for $5.2 million. Including commissions and other fees, the total transaction price reached $6.24 million. I bid by phone and ultimately defeated six other bidders to successfully acquire this expensive banana artwork.
Da Kaige: I often see rumors about you on social media. How do you view the public's evaluation of you?
Sun Yuchen: Regarding rumors on social media and public evaluations, I always maintain an open and rational attitude. As a public figure, I understand that I will receive more attention and discussion; this is an inevitable part of being a public figure.
I am more focused on my career and contributions to society rather than rumors and evaluations on social media. I believe that as long as I persist in doing the right things, time will prove everything. Thank you all for your attention and support!
Da Kaige: What is your ideal?
Sun Yuchen: My ideal is to utilize the power of blockchain technology to promote a transformation in the global financial system, achieving a more open, transparent, and inclusive financial environment.
I hope to apply blockchain technology to more fields, such as payments, lending, insurance, etc., to make financial services more convenient, efficient, and low-cost. By leveraging blockchain technology, we can promote financial innovation, foster global cooperation, and drive social progress. I believe that as long as we work together, this ideal can be realized.
Da Kaige: 2039DAO represents Senlin's question, what are the secrets of success in WEB3?
Sun Yuchen: To achieve success, I believe the key points are as follows.
• Continuous Learning: Blockchain is a rapidly developing field; continuously learning the latest technologies and market dynamics is crucial.
• In-depth Understanding: I always conduct in-depth research on the technology, team, and vision behind projects to ensure that I have a thorough understanding.
• Risk Management: I always emphasize investing only the funds you are willing to lose. Risks and opportunities coexist; reasonable capital allocation and risk control are key to success.
• Long-term Perspective: I tend to invest long-term in projects that I believe have the potential to change the world; short-term fluctuations do not matter much to me.
• Patience and Determination: Patience and determination are important factors for success. Markets will fluctuate, but I believe in long-term value.
• Compliance Awareness: With the continuous changes in the regulatory environment, it is very important to maintain compliance awareness and adhere to local laws and regulations.
• Innovative Thinking: Innovation is the core driving force behind industry development. I am always looking for projects that can bring innovative solutions.
• Value Investing: I prefer value investing, seeking projects that can truly solve real problems and have practical application scenarios.
Success has no shortcuts; it requires time, effort, and wisdom. I hope these experiences can be helpful to you.
Da Kaige: Sun Yuchen, what do you think of the U.S. Bitcoin strategic reserve plan?
Sun Yuchen: First of all, I think this is a very forward-looking move. By incorporating Bitcoin into the national strategic reserve, the U.S. is actually preparing for its positioning in the future global financial landscape. Bitcoin, as a decentralized and limited-supply digital asset, has unique anti-inflation and safe-haven functions. This not only enhances the financial resilience of the country but also helps maintain a leading position in global financial innovation.
Secondly, this plan also reflects the intention of the U.S. to seize the initiative in the global digital currency market. By massively reserving Bitcoin, the U.S. is essentially establishing a new standard in the global digital economy and is likely to lead a wave of global digital financial innovation.
Finally, I believe that the competition between China and the U.S. regarding cryptocurrency policy will benefit the development of the entire industry. Changes in U.S. policy and its emphasis on cryptocurrency may prompt China and other countries to reconsider and adjust their own crypto policies, thereby promoting the progress and innovation of the entire industry.
Overall, I believe that the U.S. strategic reserve plan is a positive signal, indicating that the global financial system is gradually accepting and integrating into the digital economy, which presents a huge opportunity for the entire blockchain and digital economy industry.
Da Kaige's comments:
In 2019, Sun Yuchen paid a sky-high price of 31 million yuan to buy a lunch with Buffett, and over a month later, he warmed up, announced, and canceled this lunch, repeatedly letting Buffett down. In January 2020, Sun Yuchen finally had dinner with Buffett, reportedly lasting over three hours, featuring steak and Coca-Cola, with a bill of $515.05.
In this era of the attention economy, attention is money. The recent rise of Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, to become China's richest person shows that whoever has the traffic has the world! Instead of saying that Sun Ge bought a banana for 45 million, it's better to say that he bought everyone's attention!
Sun Ge has faced criticism along the way, but he also has achievements. At the 2023 TOKEN 2049 conference (held in Singapore), Sun Yuchen was a special guest. In his keynote speech, he shared that TRON has captured 52% of the USD market share, with approximately 196 million accounts, around 6.7 billion transactions, and a digital asset circulation scale of about $9.6 trillion.
(International Business Times) commented: 'Deep down, he is a staunch advocate of blockchain technology and a strong supporter of global new finance.'
The banana that Sun Yuchen purchased for 45 million yuan is not just a gamble about art, but also a profound reflection on investment and speculation under crypto culture. This incident will undoubtedly become an important footnote at the intersection of crypto culture and the art market. For investors, understanding the logic behind this phenomenon and assessing their risk tolerance will help them make better decisions in the future's complex market environment. The future art market may welcome more innovations and challenges driven by crypto culture, and investors need to remain keenly insightful.
Coincidentally, this afternoon, Da Kaige auctioned three bananas starting at one yuan. After several rounds of bidding, it was finally successfully auctioned by XT.COM, known as 'the fastest online speed, the first stop of potential memes'!
Statement: This article is supported by the three bananas auctioned by the XT platform, and I hope it inspires everyone! The dialogue subject is the digital version of 'Sun Yuchen'; if there are similarities, please contact me.
The content above is for reference only and does not constitute any advice!