Martin Shkreli, that douchebag Pharmaceutical Company CEO that put the price of Daraprim (a drug used to treat side affects of AIDS treatment) up from $13.50 to $750 a pill is back in the news again today after Bloomberg revealed he was the mystery buyer of Wu Tang Clan‘s one of a kind album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin.
The album was recorded in the hope that it might re-establish music as a highly prized and sought after art form. “The idea that music is art has been something we advocated for years,” Wu Tang leader RZA explained in an interview with Forbes. With this in mind, the price tag on the album/piece of art was set at a mind boggling $2 million, putting it out of reach of most music fans and into the same field as fine art works.
The sale having been finalised in May, RZA pointed out this was “well before Shkreli’s business practices came to light,” with Wu Tang deciding to donate a “significant portion of the proceeds” to charity in light of Shkreli’s callous and greedy behaviour.
And while for $2 million you’d think you’d be pretty excited to be the only person to listen to the album, Shkreli hasn’t even bothered to play it yet. “I could be convinced to listen to it earlier if Taylor Swift wants to hear it or something like that,” Shkreli told Bloomberg. “But for now, I think I’m going to kind of save it for a rainy day.”
As this writer can hardly imagine anyone choosing to spend their free time in the company of this slimy reptilian executive, it seems that Once Upon A Time In Shaolin may be sitting unappreciated on Shkreli’s shelf for some time. One assumes it’s nestled next to his collection of endangered species hunting trophies and the bottled dreams of children upon which he feeds to sustain his demonic being.
Recorded over several years and featuring all the surviving original members of Wu Tang as well as guest contributions from the likes of Cher, the collectors piece comes with an 88-year copyright preventing the owner from mass producing the album for commercial sale.
And while Shkreli would be within his rights to distribute the album for free, considering the fact he thinks price gouging patients suffering from life threatening diseases as a legitimate and moral business practice, once can hardly see him sharing the album out of the good of his cold black heart.
In more heartening Wu Tang Clan news, it looks like the legendary crew might be paying us a visit very soon.
Watch: Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.
