Brazilian virgin fetches US$780,000 at auction
A Brazilian student has sold her virginity in an online auction for US$780,000 as part of a documentary organised by an Australian filmmaker.
Catarina Migliorini, 20, was the subject of 15 bids, with a Japanese man named only as Natsu winning on Wednesday night.
Reports said Migliorini would be interviewed before and after losing her virginity at a secret location.
Filmmaker Jason Sisely, who began his project in 2009 and caused outrage when he put posters up in Sydney and Melbourne saying "Virgins Wanted", said Migliorini was ecstatic and had not expected such a high level of interest. By contrast, the winning bid for the virginity of a male counterpart, Russian Alexander Stepanov, went for US$3,000, to a Brazilian woman.
The auction was conducted outside Australia to avoid prostitution charges.
"The auction closed last night and Catarina is extremely excited. She was speaking to her family in Brazil and they were extremely happy for her," Sisely said. "But I guess they didn't expect her to do something like this."
Sisely said the act would not filmed and the winning bidders would retain their anonymity.
Migliorini's decision to sell her virginity to the highest bidder has been widely criticised, with some calling it prostitution. But she defended the move.
"I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it," she said.
"If you only do it once in your life then you are not a prostitute. Just like if you take one amazing photograph it does not automatically make you a photographer."
