Wall Street's famous "Charging Bull" statue, a symbol of unbridled capitalism and a major tourist draw, has been put up for sale, with bidding expected to start at five million dollars. The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that artist Arturo Di Modica, who sculpted the 7,000-pound (3,175 kilo), 16-foot (five-meter) bronze had decided to sell his creation to the highest bidder.
Di Modica, who put 360,000 dollars of his own money into the work that was inspired by the 1987 market crash, has put some strict conditions on the sale.
Not only can the statue not be moved from its current location in the heart of New York City's financial district, but the purchaser must also donate his new acquisition to the city.
In return, the buyer will get a tax break, branding rights and his or her name on a plaque - signed by Di Modica - that will be placed near the statue.
"Over the years, so many people have offered to buy it, but it must stay where it is," Di Modica told the Journal.
The organisation handling the sale said it expected bidding to start at five million dollars.
Di Modica built the sculpture in his Manhattan loft in 24 pieces that were eventually welded together. After the 1987 crash, "I saw people who had lost everything and I didn't like that, so I worked to create something beautiful for young Americans," he said.
The artist deposited his giant creation outside the New York Stock Exchange in the middle of the night in 1989.
In the absence of a permit, the statue was removed by police but eventually found a permanent home a few blocks away at Bowling Green Park.
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