Crypto art collection platform PleasrDAO sued Martin Shkreli for copying a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.
Martin Shkreli purchased the album in 2015 for approximately $2 million, but surrendered it as part of a $7.4 million asset forfeiture when he was convicted of securities fraud in 2017.
PleasrDAO paid $4 million in 2021 and $750,000 in 2024 to purchase the album and exclusive rights to the music, data, files, and packaging.
However, Martin Shkreli told his social media followers after his release from prison in May 2022 that he had kept and shared the album, even live-streaming it through X Spaces, where tens of thousands of people tuned in.
PleasrDAO has since filed a lawsuit against Shkreli, accusing him of misappropriating trade secrets and claiming that his actions will cause PleasrDAO to suffer significant financial losses. Shkreli condemned the lawsuit and claimed that the DAO had never discussed its intention to take legal action with its members. (Unchained)