Martin Shkreli is reportedly still running his pharmaceutical company from prison, according to a story from the Wall Street Journal.
The disgraced pharma CEO became a readymade internet villain after jacking the prices of an HIV drug from $13.50 to $750 a dose. He found himself involved in several controversies, including a beef with the Wu-Tang Clan after he purchased their one-of-one album Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Shkreli was sentenced to 7 years in prison for fraud after he was found to be swindling investors and manipulating the stock prices of his own company.
At his sentencing hearing in 2018, Shkreli appeared contrite. He admitted that it was his own need to impress that led to his own downfall.
“I was never motivated by money. I was trying to grow my stature and reputation,” he said. “There is no government conspiracy to take down Martin Shkreli. I took down Martin Shkreli with my disgraceful and shameful actions.”
You might not think that someone who teared up while saying that would continue to run his pharma company from a prison cell. However, WSJ reports that Shkreli is “at work on a big second act” and that he "still helps call the shots” for his company via a contraband smartphone that was smuggled into the prison.
It's not the first time that Shkreli has popped up from prison to say that he's still pulling strings. He previously claimed to be in possession of unreleased Drake diss tracks at the height of his feud with Pusha T.
"I am pleased to report my offices have received an unmarked USB disk containing what appears to be unpublished and newly created tracks by Drake, referencing recent events with respect to Pusha-T and Kanye West," he said. "I would normally share a snippet as I have in the past but my present situation negates this possibility."
