Alan Cottrill, the artist behind the 15-foot gold-leafed statue of President Donald Trump, has expressed his discontent with the cryptocurrency investors who commissioned the piece. Known as “Don Colossus,” the statue was designed to commemorate a moment of defiance following an assassination attempt in July 2024. However, Cottrill is now embroiled in a dispute regarding payment and copyright issues.

The project was initially exhilarating for Cottrill, who dedicated over a year to creating the statue. Yet, the financial arrangement fell apart when the backers, dubbed “crypto bros” by Cottrill, allegedly used images of the statue to market their $PATRIOT cryptocurrency without permission. This led to a lack of payment, with Cottrill claiming he is owed approximately $90,000.

“I won’t install it without full payment,” Cottrill asserted, emphasizing that the statue will remain locked in his foundry until the outstanding balance is settled. He characterized the crypto investors as “flaky” and expressed disillusionment about the reliability of dealings in the cryptocurrency world.

The $PATRIOT memecoin initially had a promising launch, boosted by hype surrounding Trump’s presidency. However, its value plummeted following the introduction of Trump’s own cryptocurrency, $TRUMP, which drove the investors into turmoil. Cottrill’s statue remains in Ohio, waiting for payment and a confirmed installation date at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, where it was intended to be displayed during an upcoming G20 summit.

Despite the current challenges, Cottrill remains proud of his work and reflects on the complexities of collaborating with the unpredictability inherent in the crypto industry. “The short answer is, I won’t do it again,” he concluded, hinting at the lessons learned from this turbulent experience.