'Tiger King' Joe Exotic Is Selling Assets as NFTs From His Prison Cell Exotic, who is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison, will begin selling various belongings and crypto-inspired art pieces.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
NFTs have been gaining mass popularity recently, with everything from viral YouTube videos to popular memes selling for millions of dollars to interested buyers.
Celebrities and billionaires have often been hopping on the trend, with the likes of Twitter's Jack Dorsey and Tesla's Elon Musk offering to sell old tweets as non-fungible tokens.
Next to join the trend is none other than the controversial accidental television sensation Joseph Maldonado, better known as Tiger King's Joe Exotic.
Related: Ouch, Charlie! Viral Video to Be Auctioned as NFT
Exotic, who is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison, will begin selling various belongings and crypto-inspired art pieces from his prison cell in partnership with cryptocurrency company MORE.
"Whether you love me or hate me for what you think I've done, there's no doubt that everyone wants a piece of The Tiger King," Exotic so humbly said regarding the partnership.
NFTs are more or less equivalent to owning a digital piece of art that is either limited in copies or the only of its kind.
Though imitations and copies may be made of the original asset, owning the original (or one of the originals) is extremely valuable.
Exotic's auction will begin on June 18 through Mintable where NFTs will range from exclusive audio recordings of the Tiger King himself live from prison, digital "trading cards" and digital artwork.
Tangible artifacts will include popular clothing items featured on the Netflix series, such as Exotic's infamous black leather jacket and pants and a bikini worn by adult film actress and Exotic's friend Rachel Starr.
Related: What Is an NFT? Inside The Next Billion-Dollar Crypto Sensation
"There's no better way to engage the mainstream in blockchain technology than to tie in familiar faces and names," said CEO and founder of MORE, Peter Klamka. "Joe Exotic is America's favorite meme and anomaly; I'm extremely excited to be working with him and his team on this project to keep his story alive while he remains in prison."
MORE markets itself as a members-only Crypto club based in Manhattan, with other locations and affiliate clubs spread out around the country in cities like Las Vegas, Hollywood and Miami.
The company itself has its own coin (MORE coin) which is a crypto coin that can be used at all venues and events affiliated with the club by all members and guests.
Exotic is currently locked up for a plot to kill rival big cat and animal-rights activist Carole Baskin, as well as for the maltreatment of several of his animals, including the euthanization of five of his tigers.
Those interested in participating in the auction can visit here starting Friday.
Related: Here's What to Keep in Mind When Creating and Selling an NFT
