The Non-Fungible-Token (NFT) movement just added some more star power to its cachet. Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon revealed in a recent interview with Beeple that he had purchased his first NFT.
In talking with the digital artist, who has gained notoriety for selling a number of his works in NFT format at eye-popping prices, Fallon explained that he had purchased a digital ape – presumably from the Bored Ape Yacht Club – using Moonpay as the method of payment. Jokingly, Fallon stated that he had purchased Beeple’s Human One for $29 million.
Speculation immediately began to grow that the talk show host had, in fact, purchased Bored Ape #599, described by The Bored Ape Gazette as a “six trait cream fur ape with a sea captains hat, a navy striped tee and heart sunglasses.” A couple of days after the show’s taping, Fallon confirmed the rumors by tweeting a picture of his newly acquired ape, which looks ready to sing in an ape production of “In the Navy” and now occupies his Twitter profile picture. Records show that Bored Ape #599 was acquired on November 8th, for a price of 46.6 Ethereum, or about $216,000USD.
The news of Fallon’s entrance into the NFT space is just the latest in a wave of celebrity interest. NBA All-Star Stephen Curry, and legendary producer and recording artist Timbaland are two other noteworthy members of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. Curry owns Bored Ape #7990, a zombie-eyed specimen sporting a dapper tweed suit, and Timbaland is the owner of Bored Ape #590, appropriately rocking gold hip-hop threads. The producer of such hits as “Pony” by Ginuwine and “Promiscuous” with Nelly Furtado has gone one step further by launching a production company known as Ape-In Productions, dedicated to creating music and animation for Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT avatars.
With 51 million followers on Twitter, Fallon may be the highest-profile member of the Bored Ape Yacht Club to date. It remains to be seen whether Fallon, or any other celebrity ape owners, will see their simian assets rise in value following their splashy acquisitions. To be sure, the entire NFT space is likely headed for at least a few more loops on its roller-coaster ride.
But, if the (admittedly short) history of overall digital currency space is any indication, early celebrity adopters such as Fallon may eventually see the kind of valuations that are anything but boring.
