Martin Shkreli, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur who was convicted in 2017 for securities fraud, has been forced to give up his one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album, for which he paid $2 million in 2015.
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The young millionaire lied to investors about their money, though he says that’s not the case, according to The Guardian. He’s currently facing a maximum of 20 years behind bars, and prosecutors have asked for 15. Shkreli’s lawyers say that their client is a new man with a kind heart, but the prosecutors dispute that claim. They presented evidence which they say shows Shkreli to be selfish and manipulative, including intercepted emails in which the “pharma bro” makes shrewd remarks about the government and the pharmaceutical industry, CNBC reports.
On Monday, the judge ruled that Shkreli has to fork over around $7.4 million. The 34-year-old businessman has been in a Brooklyn jail since September, when he famously offered $5,000 on Facebook for a strand of Hillary Clinton’s hair. Shkreli was a Trump fan during the 2016 election, though as a candidate, Trump once called Shkreli a “spoiled brat.”
The Wu-Tang Clan album, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” was a hot topic, as it’s a one-of-a-kind product from one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time. The record comes in a silver box, and Cher allegedly sings on at least one of the tracks, per a Pitchfork report. The record was intended to be released roughly 85 years from now, according to Forbes.