A well-known businessman in St Joseph won the auction on eBay for a controversial painting put up for sale by the St Joseph School District. Kendall Randolph of Sunshine Electronic Display Corp and the Hi Ho Bar & Grill was able to buy the Thomas Kinkade painting for $4,400.

But that was not the high bid. The highest bid was five thousand dollars. But that turned out to be a “fake bid.”

“The high bidder did not respond to our invoices for payment, we had to turn then to the second bidder,” said Beau Musser, the Chief Financial Officer of the St Joseph School District.

“Since it appears that the first bid was a fake bid, or not a real bid, we then went back to the next highest bid that Kendall was against. And, that’s how he ended up buying it for $4,400.”

Mr Randolph did not return several calls for comment, but numerous sources say he intends to hang the painting in the Hi Ho Bar & Grill, 1817 Frederick.

The painting, “The City by the Bay: Sunset on Fisherman’s Wharf,” was originally purchased for an executive office, but was identified in the Missouri State Auditor’s report as an item that “appears unreasonable and/or does not appear to benefit the school district.”

It cost the district $1,500.