Martin Shkreli, the "pharma bro" who faces up to 20 years in prison for securities fraud, may be forced to turn over his copy of the Wu-Tang Clan album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." Shkreli won the album after he bid $2 million in an auction, and owns the only copy of the album in existence. He has released a portion of the album via a YouTube livestream.
Now, the Department of Justice wants Shkreli to forfeit the album, along with his shares to Turing Pharmaceuticals, an Enigma machine, a Picasso painting, and the copy of the unreleased Lil Wayne album "The Carter V," which Shkreli claims to own as well.
#BREAKING the government wants Martin Shkreli to hand over the Wu Tang album in forfeiture (!!!) pic.twitter.com/bOzWjlLeOx
— David Mack (@davidmackau) December 1, 2017
NEW YORK (AP) — The government wants to seize Martin Shkreli's one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album. https://t.co/2flXgEVAzs
— AP Eastern US (@APEastRegion) December 1, 2017
Many people were amused by this new development:
HEROES WALK AMONG US https://t.co/iHyN3qZaNB
— ana marie cox (@anamariecox) December 1, 2017
The DOJ ain't nothin to f*** withhttps://t.co/WYKJAdJrIL
— Alexandra Scaggs (@alexandrascaggs) December 1, 2017
Oh my God this day just keeps getting better. "including the Wu-Tang Clan album" ???? https://t.co/56t3efFtKm
— whitesuburbanmom (@mamagrumpypants) December 1, 2017
are they going to nationalise the wu-tang https://t.co/j9TQycdcHN
— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) December 1, 2017
Shkreli will be sentenced in January. He's currently in prison after his bail was revoked.