MSCHF, the art collective known for viral stunts like Big Red Boots and a branded ATM, has launched a project called "Our Cow Angus" in which they purchased a cow named Angus in August 2024 and presold tokens tied to its eventual slaughter. Token holders can cancel their pre-orders via a "Remorse Portal," and if 50% opt out, Angus will be sent to a sanctuary instead of being turned into hamburger patties and leather handbags. As of January 8, only 31.8% of holders had canceled.
The project critiques the meat industry and consumer complicity, using a speculative economic model to force participants to confront their role in animal slaughter. Critics, including PETA, argue it trivializes serious ethical issues by turning them into spectacle. The outcome—whether Angus lives or dies—will test the limits of MSCHF's brand of participatory, market-driven art and its ability to provoke genuine reflection.