Federal Judge Orders Martin Shkreli to Surrender All Copies of Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album

 

Martin Shkreli, infamously known as the "Pharma Bro," has been ordered by a federal judge to hand over all copies of the rare 2015 Wu-Tang Clan album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. The ruling also bars Shkreli from streaming any additional content from the album.

The Wu-Tang Clan, a multi-platinum hip-hop group, spent six years creating the 31-track double album before auctioning a single copy in 2015 with the stipulation that it not be publicly released, treating it as a piece of contemporary art. Shkreli, a former pharmaceutical executive who gained notoriety for drastically increasing the price of a life-saving drug, purchased the album for $2 million. However, following his 2021 securities fraud conviction, which involved defrauding investors, Shkreli was forced to forfeit the album. It was later acquired by the cryptocurrency collective PleasrDAO for $4.75 million.

In June, PleasrDAO filed a lawsuit against Shkreli, accusing him of retaining and illegally sharing digital copies of the album, violating their agreement. U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen in Brooklyn ruled that Shkreli must turn over all copies of the album and provide the names of anyone to whom he distributed the music, as well as any revenue received, by September 30.

Steven Cooper, an attorney for PleasrDAO, hailed the ruling as "an important victory," stating that it was necessary to prevent Shkreli from continuing his alleged misconduct. Shkreli's lawyer, Edward Paltzik, downplayed the order, arguing that it merely maintains the "status quo" and does not affect the ultimate outcome of the case.

Shkreli, who was released from prison in 2022 after serving a seven-year sentence, has previously boasted online about still possessing a copy of the album and streamed parts of it for his social media followers. The judge's order now prohibits him from possessing, using, disseminating, or selling any interests in the album, including its digital files, and requires him to provide a full accounting of their whereabouts and any associated revenue.