Come and see the 28 celebrities who own "BAYC Bored Apes"

This article is from Decrypt, original author: Andrew Hayward

Compiled by: Moni, Odaily Planet Daily

If CryptoPunks sparked the trend of using NFTs as personal avatars, then the "Bored Apes" Bored Ape Yacht Club is deeply influencing collectors who have not yet fully immersed themselves in crypto culture.

At this stage, more and more celebrities from the entertainment and sports industries are starting to hold Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT series, including rap superstar Eminem, talk show host Jimmy Fallon, NBA stars Stephen Curry and Shaquille O'Neal, well-known investor Mark Cuban, and musicians like Marshmello and Post Malone.

In fact, NFTs serve as a certificate representing ownership of rare digital goods, which can be used for personal social media profiles, creative projects, and holders can benefit greatly from their rapidly increasing value.

At the end of 2021, Universal Music Group and producer Timbaland used the quartet characters depicted in the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT series as protagonists to build a virtual band using crypto technology. As this brand was brought into the global entertainment world, the "Bored Apes" quickly became ubiquitous—celebrity stars are driving this trend to develop rapidly.

So far, which celebrities own "Bored Apes" Bored Ape Yacht Club and "Mutant Apes" Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs? Let's take a look.

1. Mark Cuban

In May 2021, billionaire, Dallas Mavericks owner, and Shark Tank entrepreneur Mark Cuban received a "Bored Ape" as a gift, but he chose not to sell it; instead, he has consistently held it and displayed these NFT artworks in his Lazy.com NFT gallery. Notably, Mark Cuban is also a loyal fan of Dogecoin and has invested in many NFTs and companies related to the crypto space.

2. Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry is not the first famous athlete to purchase Bored Apes, but he is definitely the most eye-catching. In late August 2021, Curry became one of the holders of "Bored Apes." This three-time NBA champion, Subway spokesperson, and co-creator of the "Holey Moley" television show purchased a "Bored Ape" NFT for about $180,000, and he occasionally hangs out on the project's Discord.

3. Steve Aoki

Known as the "King of EDM," top DJ Steve Aoki is not only an NFT collector but also a creator who has spent a fortune on NFTs. He has released his own NFTs on the crypto art platform Nifty Gateway and recently announced a collaboration with legendary comic artist Todd McFarlane to create an NFT marketplace based on the Solana blockchain, and he collaborates with artist ppplpleasr to support female NFT artists. Currently, Steve Aoki owns 8 "Bored Ape" NFTs, some "Mutant Apes," and several other NFTs.

4. KSI

YouTube star and rapper KSI is another celebrity who has entered the NFT "rabbit hole." He purchased his first NFT last August and created a Twitter account (@ksicrypto) dedicated to NFT industry discussions within two days. Now, the "Bored Ape" KSI purchased has significantly increased in value. Clearly, KSI is lucky because he previously had no knowledge of NFTs, and it was Banks, a passionate NFT enthusiast and co-founder of the popular esports organization FaZe Clan, who introduced him to the industry.

5. Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal, a retired four-time NBA champion, now owns "Mutant Apes," a derivative series of "Bored Apes." In September 2021, O'Neal purchased the related NFT for about $14,000, and his OpenSea wallet name is "manofdominance." For a time, Shaquille O'Neal used a Creature World NFT as his Twitter avatar, and he also launched his own NFT through the Ethernity Chain platform.

6. The Chainsmokers

The Chainsmokers is an American electronic music duo consisting of DJ and singer Andrew Taggart and DJ Alex Pall. They have been involved in the crypto space for some time, investing in a startup and purchasing a Bored Ape NFT for about $210,000 in September. Their Twitter account is currently inactive, as they haven't tweeted since early 2020, but that hasn't stopped them from changing their Twitter avatar to a "Bored Ape."

7. Mike Shinoda

Mike Shinoda, the rapper of the famous band Linkin Park and a solo artist, not only collects NFT artworks but also showcases them on his Audius profile (including numerous Mutant Apes). Moreover, Mike Shinoda has created his own NFTs and has released a series of NFTs, most of which were published through the Tezos-based crypto art platform Hic et Nunc (which is now closed). Additionally, Mike Shinoda regularly introduces NFT artworks on the game streaming platform Twitch, and he is undoubtedly a true crypto art enthusiast.

8. Marshmello

Marshmello is a very mysterious DJ who often performs wearing a mask. In September 2021, Marshmello purchased a "Bored Ape" (a "monkey" with rainbow teeth) for $220,000, although his Twitter avatar is a CryptoPunk.

9. Rich the Kid

Rapper Rich the Kid purchased a "Bored Ape" in early November 2021, and he announced on Twitter that he had bought NFT land in the Ethereum metaverse game The Sandbox. In September 2021, Rich the Kid launched his own NFT project "Rich Kids."

10. Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon, the host of the popular talk show "The Tonight Show," revealed on November 12, 2021, that he had purchased "Bored Ape" #599 for $224,000 and showcased the image to his 51 million Twitter followers, captioning it "Is it okay to be bored?" It is said that Jimmy Fallon has now started researching "Mutant Apes."

11. DJ Khaled

In November 2021, well-known DJ and music producer DJ Khaled announced that he had purchased "Bored Ape" #7380 for about $227,000, which is a vibrant "monkey" wearing a tropical shirt. Now, DJ Khaled has used this "Bored Ape" as his Instagram avatar, where he has over 27 million followers.

12. Future

Future is also a well-known rapper. Although he officially entered the scene in November 2021, he quickly embraced "NFT culture" and frequently greets his 7 million Twitter followers with "gm." Future collaborated with MoonPay to purchase "Bored Ape" #4672 for about $223,000, which is a "monkey" wearing a captain's hat and a red robe.

13. Post Malone

Rapper Post Malone is a "newcomer" to the NFT industry, and he has changed his Twitter profile picture to a "Bored Ape." The crypto payment processor MoonPay previously released a TikTok video discussing how Post Malone purchased a Bored Ape, and Post Malone appeared very excited in the video.

14. Timbaland

Timbaland is a legendary hip-hop music producer who has launched his own NFTs on Ethereum and, like many other celebrities, purchased "Bored Ape" #590. At the time of writing, Timbaland has set Bored Ape #590 as his Twitter profile picture, and he has also announced the establishment of Ape-In Productions, a company that will develop virtual music groups and animations featuring virtual avatars from Bored Ape NFTs.

15. Lil Baby

Rapper Lil Baby is another celebrity who joined the "Bored Ape Club" through MoonPay. Unlike other celebrities, Lil Baby used a special NFT serum to "mutate" his Bored Ape, creating a second Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT. Now, Lil Baby uses the "Mutant Ape" as his Twitter profile picture.

16. Dez Bryant

NFL free agent Dez Bryant, who played for the Dallas Cowboys for many years, was an early owner of Bored Apes and one of the first celebrities to explore the NFT space. However, Dez Bryant has not set his Twitter avatar to a Bored Ape; instead, he chose an NFT profile picture from a series launched on his own NFT platform, Personal Corner.

17. Logan Paul

Like his brother Jake Paul, well-known influencer Logan Paul is also fond of NFTs, and he seems to prefer CryptoPunks, owning many Punks and even turning one into jewelry. However, we found that Logan Paul's wallet also contains a "Bored Ape"—possibly a bunch of imitations that may have inadvertently ended up in his wallet. At the time of writing, Logan Paul's wallet contains over 4,000 NFTs, and many people continuously send him NFTs, likely hoping to attract Logan Paul's attention and promote related projects.

18. Snoop Dogg

In the NFT space, rap superstar Snoop Dogg seems to prefer being called "Cozomo de' Medici." Undoubtedly, Snoop Dogg is a big NFT collector, but strangely, the Bored Ape Yacht Club seems to have disappeared from his collection. In December last year, Snoop Dogg collaborated with MoonPay to purchase a "Bored Ape," as well as a Bored Ape Kennel Club and two "Mutant Apes."

19. Eminem

Eminem is undoubtedly one of the most famous rappers in the world, also known as Marshall Mathers, and he is one of the heavyweight figures who recently joined the "Bored Ape" Bored Ape Yacht Club. In late December 2021, Eminem announced the purchase of a "Bored Ape" NFT. Interestingly, this "Bored Ape" looks a lot like him, as they both wear the same type of hat. In fact, before Eminem's team completed the transaction for about $452,000 in ETH, the previous owner of the "Bored Ape" NFT had already posted on Twitter about Eminem's entry.

20. Meek Mill

Meek Mill is another rapper recruited by MoonPay to showcase its NFT collection. On January 1, 2022, MoonPay purchased "Bored Ape" #6877 for over $245,000 and then transferred it to another wallet. After acquiring this "Bored Ape" NFT, Meek Mill posted a photo on Twitter sitting next to the original BYAC NFT holder Lil Baby, showing off his phone. However, Meek Mill has not yet changed his Twitter avatar to the "Bored Ape" he purchased.

21. Neymar Jr.

Neymar is widely regarded as one of the best football players in the world and is also a fan of "Bored Apes." On January 20, 2022, Neymar announced that he had purchased two "Bored Apes" for over $1 million and officially announced this on Twitter (he has 55 million followers). Neymar purchased a pink "Bored Ape" #6633 blowing bubbles while wearing a party hat and holographic glasses, as well as a laser-eyed "Bored Ape" #5269.

23. Serena Williams ("Little Williams")

This 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion was drawn into the space by a well-known enthusiast—her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who purchased "Bored Ape" #5797 for about $414,000 in ETH and gifted it to Little Williams. On January 20, 2022, "Little Williams" shared this news on Twitter, along with a "GM" message.

Alexis Ohanian previously purchased a CryptoPunk resembling Little Williams, and it is worth mentioning that Little Williams recently joined the crypto fantasy football game Sorare as a board advisor.

25. Paris Hilton

Compared to many people on this list, reality star and socialite Paris Hilton entered the NFT space quite early, selling her own blockchain artwork back in 2020. Therefore, while you might be surprised to see Paris Hilton become an NFT ambassador, she is actually a veteran in this industry and showcased her "Bored Ape" #1294, valued at approximately $287,000, on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

26. Gwyneth Paltrow

Actress and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow does not tweet often, but in late January this year, she announced to her 2.7 million followers that she had purchased "Bored Ape" #6141 for about $228,000. She even customized an animation for her Ape, which evolved as the eye mask and hat were removed, ultimately revealing a "blonde ape."

27. Ben Simmons

NBA Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons announced the purchase of "Bored Ape" BAYC #5164, spending 100 ETH (approximately $253,000), and he has changed his Twitter avatar to BAYC #5164.

28. Justin Bieber

On January 30, 2022, according to the address certified as JustinBieberNFT on OpenSea, well-known pop star Justin Bieber purchased "Bored Ape" BAYC #3001 for 500 ETH (approximately $1.3 million).