Eminem's $452K Bored Ape: The NFT That Looks Just Like Him

Picture this: You're scrolling Twitter on New Year's Eve 2021, and Eminem just dropped $452,000 on a cartoon ape that literally looks like him. Same backwards cap. Same scowl. Same energy.

It wasn't random. The previous owner had been joking about the resemblance for weeks. Then Slim Shady's team came knocking, and one of the strangest celebrity NFT purchases in history went down.

Fast forward to today, and that half-million-dollar digital collectible is worth about $40,000. That's a $412,000 haircut on a JPEG that matched his vibe.

Welcome to the wildest celebrity crypto story you haven't heard yet.

What Bored Ape Did Eminem Buy?

Eminem purchased Bored Ape Yacht Club #9055 on December 31, 2021, for 123.45 ETH. At the time, that translated to roughly $452,000.

The ape features a khaki army cap worn backwards, gold fur, and a bored expression that looks uncannily like the real Slim Shady. It's not just fans who noticed the resemblance. The previous owner pointed it out first, and the internet ran with it.

Within hours of the purchase, Eminem changed his Twitter profile picture to his new Bored Ape. His 22.8 million followers suddenly saw him repping an NFT that cost more than most people's houses.

How the Resemblance Story Started

The Eminem-ape connection didn't begin with the purchase. It started weeks earlier when the previous owner, a crypto collector using the handle @GeeGazza, tweeted about owning an ape that looked like one of the biggest rappers alive.

The tweet caught fire in NFT circles. People started sharing side-by-side comparisons. The backwards cap sealed it. This wasn't just any Bored Ape. This was basically Eminem in cartoon form.

Then the real Marshall Mathers got involved.

According to reports, someone from Eminem's team reached out to @GeeGazza. They wanted the ape. Negotiations happened behind the scenes, and by New Year's Eve, the deal was done.

The previous owner walked away with 123.45 ETH. Eminem walked away with digital proof that even crypto art can capture his likeness.

Why Did Eminem Buy a Bored Ape?

Eminem didn't just buy any random NFT. He bought the one that looked like him. That's the entire story in one sentence.

But there's more to it. By late 2021, celebrity NFT purchases were everywhere. Snoop Dogg had multiple apes. Justin Bieber would soon drop $1.3 million on one. Paris Hilton showed hers on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show.

Eminem was getting into crypto at the peak of the hype cycle. His wallet, identified as "Shady_Holdings," contained at least 15 different NFTs by early 2022. He wasn't just dabbling. He was collecting.

The Bored Ape purchase made sense for three reasons. First, the resemblance was genuinely wild. Second, owning a BAYC NFT in 2021 was a status symbol among celebrities and crypto insiders. Third, Eminem has always embraced his public persona, and this ape was basically a digital version of his brand.

It was also a bet on NFT culture lasting. That bet didn't pay off.

The $412,000 Loss Nobody Talks About

Eminem paid $452,000 for Bored Ape #9055 in December 2021. Today, that same NFT is worth approximately $40,000 at current floor prices.

That's a loss of $412,000, or roughly 91% of his initial investment.

He's not alone. Every celebrity who bought a Bored Ape in late 2021 or early 2022 lost massive amounts. Justin Bieber's $1.3 million ape is now worth $45,000. Neymar's two apes, purchased for over $1 million combined, are worth about $80,000 total. Serena Williams took a $374,000 loss on her gifted ape.

The NFT bubble burst in mid-2022, and Bored Ape floor prices collapsed from 153 ETH at the peak to around 12 ETH today. That's a 92% crash across the entire collection.

Eminem hasn't publicly commented on the loss. His Twitter profile picture changed from the Bored Ape months ago, quietly distancing himself from the investment that went sideways.

Does Eminem Still Own His Bored Ape?

As of November 2025, Eminem still appears to own Bored Ape #9055, according to blockchain records tied to the Shady_Holdings wallet. He hasn't sold it, at least not publicly.

But he also doesn't promote it anymore. The profile picture switch happened sometime in 2023, and he hasn't mentioned NFTs in interviews or social media since the market crashed.

Many celebrities who bought Bored Apes did the same thing. They changed their profile pictures back to regular photos, stopped talking about NFTs, and moved on like the whole thing never happened.

It's the crypto equivalent of pretending you never had a regrettable phase.

Eminem's Full NFT Collection

Eminem's Shady_Holdings wallet held more than just Bored Ape #9055. He collected at least 15 NFTs across multiple projects, including pieces from OpenSea and other marketplaces.

While Bored Ape #9055 was his most high-profile purchase, he diversified across the NFT landscape during the 2021-2022 boom. The exact contents of his wallet have shifted over time as some NFTs were sold or transferred, but his involvement in the space was significant enough to make headlines multiple times.

He wasn't alone among rappers. Snoop Dogg went all-in on NFTs, buying multiple Bored Apes and launching his own NFT projects. The two even collaborated in the metaverse, performing together as their Bored Ape avatars in a virtual concert for Otherside, Yuga Labs' promised metaverse game that still hasn't launched as of late 2025.

The celebrity NFT wave peaked in early 2022, and Eminem was riding it just like everyone else.

What Happened to Celebrity NFTs?

The celebrity NFT craze lasted about six months. From August 2021 to January 2022, nearly every major celebrity was either buying NFTs, launching NFT projects, or promoting them on social media.

Then the music stopped.

By mid-2022, crypto prices crashed, NFT trading volume collapsed, and floor prices for even blue-chip collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club fell 90% or more. Celebrities quietly removed their NFT profile pictures and stopped talking about their collections.

The problems were obvious in hindsight. NFTs were sold as investments with utility promises that never materialized. Yuga Labs hyped up Otherside, a metaverse game that would give Bored Ape holders exclusive access and benefits. It still hasn't launched.

Celebrities like Eminem, Justin Bieber, and Jimmy Fallon helped pump prices by showcasing their purchases to millions of fans. Retail investors followed, buying at the peak. Those fans lost everything while the celebrities just took the L and moved on.

Now, in late 2025, Bored Ape Yacht Club is mostly a cautionary tale. The collection still exists, people still trade it, but the hype is gone. Floor prices hover around $35,000, down from a peak of $430,000.

Eminem's backwards-cap ape is still there in his wallet, a digital reminder of the NFT gold rush that crashed harder than anything since the dot-com bubble.

Should You Buy a Bored Ape in 2025?

No.

Unless you have $35,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you genuinely love the art, buying a Bored Ape in 2025 is a gamble you'll probably lose.

The collection crashed 92% from peak. Celebrities abandoned it. Yuga Labs failed to deliver on utility promises. The broader NFT market is a graveyard of failed projects.

If you want to collect one because you think it's cool, fine. But don't expect it to go back to $400,000. That ship sailed, hit an iceberg, and sank.

The Bigger Picture: Celebrities and Crypto Hype

Eminem's Bored Ape purchase is one example of a larger pattern. When celebrities promote crypto investments, their fans often follow. And when those investments crash, the fans take the losses while celebrities quietly exit.

This happened with Bored Apes, it happened with altcoins, and it happened with countless NFT projects that celebrities hyped for paydays they never disclosed.

Eminem wasn't paid to buy his Bored Ape. He genuinely liked the resemblance, and he bought it with his own money. But his purchase still influenced fans who saw him repping an NFT and thought it was the future.

It wasn't. It was the peak.

FAQs

The Bottom Line

Eminem spent $452,000 on a cartoon ape that looked like him. Three years later, it's worth $40,000. He lost $412,000 on a JPEG.

That's the entire story. No tricks, no secrets, no utility that made it worth it. Just a celebrity buying into the hype at exactly the wrong time, like almost everyone else who touched NFTs in 2021.

The resemblance was real. The losses were real too.

And somewhere in Eminem's digital wallet, Bored Ape #9055 sits there, a half-million-dollar reminder that even Slim Shady can get caught chasing trends.