Two months ago, if you had asked Joe Exotic—the star of the mega-popular Netflix series Tiger King that aired last year—what NFT stands for, he might have replied “no friggin' tigers”, as he had lost his adventure park in Oklahoma and was sent to jail after being convicted of a murder-for-hire plot against his nemesis, the big cat rescuer Carol Baskin. But it seems Exotic has caught on to the latest art world trend and hopes to be baskin’ in newfound wealth with the sale of personal items—in physical and NFT form—seen on the hit show.
In an auction beginning 18 June, “Joe Exotic”, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, will sell off the Smith and Wesson revolver that he famously waved around on YouTube videos, which carries a starting bid of $100,000, his fringed leather jacket and NFTs of several animated images, including audio recordings Exotic made in prison. The works, created with the US-based cryptocurrency club More, go up for sale on Friday on the community-run marketplace Mintable, with some proceeds due to be donated to tiger preservation efforts.
Planning to whisk one of these works away? Do not let the fat cats outbid you. But keep in mind that NFTs are an emerging medium whose market value is currently in flux. When it comes to NFTs, it’s a jungle out there.
