The American Government Has Sold Martin Shkreli's One-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan Album To Cover His Debt

Martin Shkreli, pharma bro, prisoner and apparent love magnet, no longer owns that one Wu-Tang Clan album.

Once Upon A Time In Shaolin was a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album created as a marketing gimmick, but, to the disappointment of many, landed in the deep pockets of Shkreli in 2015. At the time, Shkreli told KnowYourMeme "I thought it was important to make a statement about the value of music."

The album was seized by the U.S. government after Shrkeli was convicted for fraud and sent to prison in 2018, and yesterday, the U.S. Attorney General's office announced that it had sold the album in order to pay Shkreli's outstanding debts, totaling $7.4 million. Shkreli's lawyer noted that while Shkreli paid $2 million for the record, the U.S. sold it for substantially more money and was able to cover the entire sum of Shkreli's debt. The record's sale price and its new owner have not been disclosed.

Jacquelyn Kasulis, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said today, "Through the diligent and persistent efforts of this Office and its law enforcement partners, Shkreli has been held accountable and paid the price for lying and stealing from investors to enrich himself… With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete."

Thus ends another chapter in Shkreli's sordid story. He is scheduled to be released from prison in 2025.