Today, the US Government sold the only existing copy of the Wu-Tang album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin that was previously owned by "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli.
The album was taken from Shkreli as part of a $7.4 million forfeiture sentenced against him in March 2018. In 2017, he was convicted in federal court on two counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiring to commit securities fraud.
Proceeds from the sale of the album went towards paying the outstanding balance owed on the Forfeiture Money Judgement. Those wondering who bought the Wu-Tang album will be disappointed to learn that the buyer is protected by a confidentiality provision that protects their name as well as the price.
In 2015, Shkreli bought the only physical copy of the album ever produced, making it the most expensive work of music ever sold, reportedly at $2 million. The group donated most of the proceeds to charity.
In September 2017, Shkreli listed the album for sale on eBay where bids exceeded $1 million, but he was incarcerated before the sale could be completed and it never went through.
The album is in a hand-carved nickel-silver box and contains a leather-bound manuscript containing lyrics and a certificate of authenticity.