Drug mogul Shkreli will release unheard Nirvana, Beatles tracks if Trump elected

Martin Shkreli

Drug mogul Martin Shkreli says he’ll release unheard material from the Beatles, Nirvana and Wu-Tang Clan if Donald Trump becomes US president in the coming weeks.

Shkreli hit the headlines in 2015 when his firm Turing Pharmaceuticals bought the rights to Daraprim, a drug used to treat AIDS patients, and raised the price by 5000% from $13.50 (£8.79) to $750 (£488) a pill.

He famously purchased the only copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s double album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin at auction in 2015 for $2 million. And along with announcing his plans to publish previously unreleased material on Twitter – he also suggests he could destroy the Wu-Tang album if Trump’s rival Hillary Clinton clinches the presidential nomination.

Shkreli says: “If Trump wins, my entire unreleased music collection, including unheard Nirvana, Beatles, and of course, Wu-Tang, comes out, for free.”

When a member of the public suggests he should release Once Upon A Time In Shaolin should Clinton win, Shkreli responds: “Or break it.”

In January, Shkreli and Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah had a public spat after Killah called him out about making a profit from the AIDS drug.

Shkreli responded: “If you ever say some dumb shit again, this album, this Shaolin, I’m gonna erase all your shit from this album.

“I’m gonna erase you from the record books of rap. You’re gonna be done. You’re my son. You have to listen to me. I butter your bread. You understand me? Without me, you’re nothing.

“Don’t ever fucking mention my name again, or there’ll be more of a price to pay than just this video.”

Earlier this year, Shkreli said he backed Trump then wrote off the endorsement saying he’d “abstain in protest.”

Shkreli was formerly a silent partner in Collect Records, the label owned by No Devotion frontman Geoff Rickly. When the Daraprim news broke, Rickly quickly cut all ties with Shkreli and said he was completely “blindsided” by his former partner’s actions.

AIDS drug mogul Shkreli arrested on fraud charges

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.