Martin Shkreli Must Give Up All Copies of Ultra-Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album

Ex-convict Martin Shkreli, widely known as “Pharma Bro,” is facing more legal trouble, this time concerning the rare Wu-Tang Clan album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.”

On Monday, a federal judge ordered Shkreli to submit all copies he made of the unreleased album to his attorneys by August 30. Additionally, Shkreli must report by September 30 any individuals he gave copies of the album to, along with any monetary transactions stemming from these copies.

This legal action is initiated by PleasrDAO, a cryptocurrency collective that owns the one-of-a-kind album. The group accuses Shkreli of creating and selling digital copies of the record, violating the purchase agreement made in 2015.

“Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” is a 31-track concept album completed in 2014. It is often considered the rarest album in music history, as it has never been released publicly. Only a single physical copy was made, and RZA, the group’s leader, indicated it was intended to be appreciated as a work of art, similar to a painting. However, other Wu-Tang members, most notably Method Man, expressed disagreement with this approach.

The album was auctioned in 2015, fetching $2 million from Shkreli, who agreed not to distribute or duplicate the record until 2103. His conviction in 2017 on charges of defrauding investors led to a seven-year prison sentence, during which his assets, including the Wu-Tang album, were seized.

In July 2021, the U.S. government sold the album to PleasrDAO for $4 million as part of the effort to recover the $7 million Shkreli was ordered to pay upon his conviction.

Source: TheWrap