American investor Martin Shkreli is embroiled in a fresh legal battle over allegations that he retained and shared recordings from a unique Wu-Tang Clan album. This album, “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” was sold to Shkreli but later confiscated following his 2017 securities fraud conviction. The lawsuit, filed by cryptocurrency collective PleasrDAO, claims Shkreli violated their agreement by keeping digital copies of the album and distributing them widely.
PleasrDAO, which purchased the album from Shkreli for $4.75 million, filed the lawsuit in Brooklyn federal court. They accuse Shkreli of boasting on social media about sharing the album’s digital recordings with “thousands of people.” Over the weekend, Shkreli hosted a livestream on X, where he played parts of the album, dubbing it a “Wu-Tang official listening party.”
Shkreli has not responded to requests for comment. The lawsuit represents the latest twist in the saga of this unusual album, which was created as a protest against the devaluation of music in the streaming era. The album was auctioned off by the Wu-Tang Clan in 2015 and later purchased by Shkreli, who became infamous for drastically increasing the price of a life-saving drug.
Following his conviction, Shkreli was forced to sell the album, which came in a hand-crafted silver and nickel case and included a 174-page leather-bound book. PleasrDAO acquired the physical copy and its digital rights in transactions completed in 2021 and 2024. They believed Shkreli had destroyed all digital traces of the album.
The lawsuit states that any public dissemination of the album’s music diminishes its value and damages PleasrDAO’s reputation and ability to commercially exploit it. As of last month, the album was set to be featured at Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art, with private listening sessions planned.
Shkreli’s actions have sparked outrage among PleasrDAO members. The collective claims Shkreli admitted during a livestream that he played the album for his followers. He allegedly said, “Yeah, that’s the Wu-Tang album for all you crazy streamer people.” A few days later, Shkreli reportedly admitted to still having a copy of the album, adding, “I was playing it on YouTube the other night even though somebody paid $4 million for it.”
Shkreli’s alleged behavior continued into this year. He reportedly trolled PleasrDAO directly on social media, posting comments like, “LOL I have the mp3s you moron” and “I literally play it in my discord all the time.” He even offered to upload the mp3s for those interested.
In a YouTube video from May, Shkreli claimed he “burned the album and sent it to like, 50 different chicks,” before making a crude joke about the album’s value. He later posted on X, “look out for a torrent im sick of this shit @PleasrDAO.” As recently as June 9, Shkreli allegedly played the album during a “Spaces” session on X to an estimated 4,900 listeners.
PleasrDAO is seeking a court order to make Shkreli destroy his copies of the album and forfeit any money he may have made from sharing it. They are also seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
Shkreli, however, appears unfazed by the lawsuit. After PleasrDAO posted about the complaint on X, Shkreli replied, “PleasrDAO never voted or discussed this litigation with members. You will easily lose this legal retardation. The pleasr members don’t support this gayness. See you in court!”
Neither Shkreli nor a representative for the Wu-Tang Clan has responded to requests for comment. The lawsuit comes just days before the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania, Australia, opens an exhibition featuring “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.” The exhibit will run from June 15 through 24, with selections from the album played during 30-minute listening sessions offered twice a day.
