Maurizio Cattelan’s viral creation, titled “Comedian,” has proven a sound investment for one collector: One of the artwork’s three “editions” smashed estimates to sell for $6.24 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Wednesday.

Maurizio Cattelan’s perishable piece soared above the pre-auction estimate of $1.5 million and was the subject of an intense bidding battle at a Sotheby's auction on Wednesday

The debate about whether Maurizio Cattelan’s banana duct-taped to a wall installation qualifies as art may be ongoing. But that hasn't stopped it from selling for millions of dollars at a Sotheby’s art auction in New York.