GettyDoesn’t this guy just have a face you’d like to punch?
Well, good news, because Martin Shkreli – the most hated man in America – is now auctioning off the opportunity to do just that.
In case you missed it, Shkreli earned his notorious (and, IMHO, wholly deserved) reputation by selling pharmaceuticals used to treat AIDS and cancer for 5000 per cent more than they’re worth.
I will auction one slap/punch in the face to benefit my friend Mike who passed away & leaves behind a young son who survived cancer. DM bids
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 26, 2016
Shkreli, a former hedge fund manager, bought the rights to Turing Pharmaceuticals and wildly inflated the price of Daraprim pills from $13.50 (£8.75) to $750 (£577.20).
The immoral businessman was arrested on fraud charges and charged with illegally pilfering stock from another of his biotech companies, Retrophin Inc, to pay off his own debts.
He’s now putting all his dirty money, and his previous wrongdoings to good use.
I’ll match donation to a certain point. You may video the slap/punch. Mike architected my publicity stunts & I bet he is watching, smiling. https://t.co/kqnvQtJ10T
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 26, 2016
Shkreli managed to unify America in hatred when he was seen to be laughing and joking as he was questioned by a Congressional Committee about his crooked wrongdoings, after being sacked and sued by Retrophin.
Shkreli is now raising money to support his recently deceased friend’s young child, who has just overcome a battle with cancer, by offering his smug face up as a punching bag.
So now people who have been wronged by the injustices done by Shkreli’s hands can get their sweet, sweet revenge – while doing something charitable too.
If you donate to this site, you are entered into a raffle to slap/punch me. The # of dollars you donate is the # of tickets you get. https://t.co/VRbILlQwh7
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 28, 2016
Fair play to Shkreli, he’s shown some level of self-awareness here by orchestrating justice for his crooked as fuck business tactics.
But Shkreli has managed to use the tragic loss of a young boy’s father to fuel his own vain ploys for publicity – it’s a little like that time he said he was going to resurrect Harambe, only worse.
We wonder if he’ll stick to his guns when he realises the good people of Reddit are hoping to donate on behalf of Mike Tyson…
The highest bids so far have been $78,000 and $25,000, respectively.
Whip round, anyone?
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.