A New York City fruit vendor was left heartbroken after learning that a 35-cent banana he sold ended up duct-taped to a wall at Sotheby’s and sold for a jaw-dropping $6.2 million.
Shah Alam, 74, who earns $12 an hour at a sidewalk stand near Sotheby’s on the Upper East Side, discovered the news only after a reporter informed him.
“I am a poor man,” Alam, a Bangladeshi immigrant, told the New York Times with tears in his eyes. “I have never had this kind of money; I have never seen this kind of money.”
The $6.2 Million Banana
The banana became part of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial conceptual artwork titled Comedian. Originally debuting at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, the piece critiques the absurdity of the art world. Sotheby’s sold it last week for $5.2 million, plus over $1 million in fees, to a Chinese cryptocurrency mogul.
“In that way, the work becomes self-reflexive: The higher the price, the more it reinforces its original concept,” Cattelan explained.
Alam’s Struggles and the Art World’s Wealth
A nearly blind widower, Alam works tirelessly at his fruit stand, often braving harsh weather to support himself. He shares a $500-a-month Bronx basement apartment with five other men and struggles to comprehend how the banana he sold could fetch millions.
“Those who bought it, what kind of people are they?” he asked. “Do they not know what a banana is?”
Despite being deeply moved by Alam’s plight, Cattelan did not offer financial assistance. “Art, by its nature, does not solve problems—if it did, it would be politics,” the artist said.
A Billionaire’s Gesture and Public Outcry
Justin Sun, the billionaire buyer of Comedian, responded by pledging to purchase 100,000 bananas from Alam’s stand and distribute them globally for free. “Mr. Alam’s contribution to this extraordinary artwork is indispensable,” Sun tweeted, though logistical details for the plan remain unclear.
An anonymous New Yorker, outraged by Alam’s story, launched a GoFundMe campaign, promising to match the first $5,000 raised. By Thursday night, the campaign had collected over $8,600.
“Do we really want to live in a city where we shrug off a vendor made the butt of a $6 million joke?” the fundraiser wrote. “If this isn’t what ails us, what is?”
A Banana and a Bigger Question
Alam’s 35-cent banana has sparked a broader conversation about wealth disparity and the values of the art world. As he continues to work tirelessly at his fruit stand, New Yorkers and supporters around the world are rallying to turn his story into one of resilience and hope.
