An Ohio sculptor is hiding a 15-foot-tall statue of Trump because a cryptocurrency group doesn’t pay him in full. The work has been completed but is kept in a secret location
Statues of Presidents Trump and Epstein recreate iconic scenes from ‘Titanic’
The installation featured President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein recreating an iconic scene from the movie “Titanic.”
ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Sculptor Alan Cottrill put the finishing touches on a 15-foot-tall bronze statue of President Donald Trump three months ago, gilding it, but he is holding the statue hostage until he receives full payment.
“It’s located at an undisclosed location in Muskingum County, Ohio,” Cottrill said. “I won’t say anything more.”
Cottrill remains in a payment dispute with $PATRIOT, the cryptocurrency group that commissioned the work in August 2024. The statue depicts President Trump with his fist raised in the air after an assassination attempt in western Pennsylvania in July 2024.
Mr. Cottrill said he was paid $300,000 for the work, as agreed, and an additional $60,000 for the gold leafing. He said the reason for his arrest was copyright infringement, which occurred when a cryptocurrency group used images of his original artwork to sell crypto tokens.
Cottrill said the work had ambitious exhibition plans, including a two-year national tour followed by an installation at either the presidential library or the Republican National Committee headquarters. The latest plan is to install it at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.
Cottrill said plans have changed over time, adding that “the crypto fraternity has been insanely unstable from the beginning.”
A spokesperson for the cryptocurrency group did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The fight over the statue and the payments has sparked international media attention and a visit from White House representatives, he said.
Who is artist Alan Cottrill?
Cottrill, now 73, began studying and working as a sculptor at the age of 38, after a career in business. At age 50, he returned to Zanesville and founded the Cooper Mill Bronze Works.
He created the bronze statue of Thomas Edison, which is installed in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
Mr. Cottrill, whose brother is a Muskingum County Justice Court judge, declined to say whether he is a fan of Mr. Trump.
Zanesville Times-Recorder reporter Sean Diggity contributed to this report.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff at X.
