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Tab

(11,093 posts)
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 03:40 PM Dec 2015

Martin Shkreli: I Was Only Pretending to Be Horrible

In his first interview since bailing himself out on federal fraud charges, pharmaceutical warlord Martin Shkreli told the Wall Street Journal that he was only a big dumb butthead on the internet as a grand social experiment, which given the outcome, seems like it ended up being a very bad experiment.

Further, Shkreli alleges that the feds only came after him because he became a world famous troll in almost record time. Speaking to the WSJ’s Rob Copeland:

“What do you do when you have the attention of millions of people? It seemed to me like it would be fun to experiment with,” Mr. Shkreli said in the interview. He said he was arrested “because of a social experiment and teasing people over the Internet,” adding, “that seems like a real injustice.”

“Quite frankly, it was not something I expected, and definitely not something I deserve given the facts,” he said.

Martin Shkreli saying that he was arrested not because he committed a number of extreme financial crimes but because he was instead a highly visible punchable schmuck might sound like denial of the strongest degree but in a sense he may not be that wrong.

http://gawker.com/martin-shkreli-i-was-only-pretending-to-be-horrible-1749106256

Sorry for the gawker link but the source WSJ story has a paywall in front.

Dude's an asshole anyway.
Later in the interview with the WSJ, Shkreli seems to indicate some sort of regret over his chosen internet persona:

“Most people don’t know the real Martin Shkreli,” he said. “I think it would make sense to show them.”


Personally I've seen enough, but given today's media climate, what the hell - try to prove your point.
42 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Martin Shkreli: I Was Only Pretending to Be Horrible (Original Post) Tab Dec 2015 OP
Well, pretending to do horrible stuff is still horrible if... TreasonousBastard Dec 2015 #1
Called: Doin' the Punk Around. Eleanors38 Dec 2015 #8
nice people do not pretend to do horrible stuff as a social experiment virtualobserver Dec 2015 #19
People found out who the "real Martin Shkreli" was when he jacked up the price of a $13 drug hughee99 Dec 2015 #2
"Coming to TLC..." Oneironaut Dec 2015 #3
If he's pretending he deserves an Oscar. Vinca Dec 2015 #4
Pretending to be horrible=Acting horribly=Being a horrible person Bad Thoughts Dec 2015 #6
Donald? Tab Dec 2015 #25
"It's just a prank, bro!" Jon Ace Dec 2015 #5
And yet. . . ProfessorGAC Dec 2015 #7
And he was planning to raise another drug's price at a different company suffragette Dec 2015 #18
Martin Shkreli "gives his life to Jesus" in 3-2-1... jmowreader Dec 2015 #9
If so, it was Oscar-worthy...we really did believe you were horrible...nt joeybee12 Dec 2015 #10
But sick people really *did* have to pay $750 per pill, Nye Bevan Dec 2015 #11
Now, he gets to pretend to be a felon. Hugin Dec 2015 #12
His father and his brother put up everything they owned to bail... Raster Dec 2015 #28
Oh, I'm just a poor little boy who's overcompensating for a poor upbringing... haele Dec 2015 #13
"I need no sympathy" Tab Dec 2015 #26
"he's just a poor boy, from a poor family" catrose Dec 2015 #36
Actually, he was. Parent(s) were janitors who apparently sacrificed to get him into a good school. haele Dec 2015 #39
Tell it to your cell mate, bro. bdwker Dec 2015 #14
Golly, Martin! gratuitous Dec 2015 #15
My ideas for what should happen to Shkreli KentuckyWoman Dec 2015 #16
It's been said before SCantiGOP Dec 2015 #17
It could easily be that there are other people doing the same things ... surrealAmerican Dec 2015 #20
I'll say one thing for Shkreli: I called him a piece of shit online last week frizzled Dec 2015 #21
OK ... now let's see how serious the judge can be. lpbk2713 Dec 2015 #22
He's a classic psychopath .........text book example Ichingcarpenter Dec 2015 #23
And if one story doesn't work they simply leftyladyfrommo Dec 2015 #33
No, Martin, you're horrible Warpy Dec 2015 #24
Some journalist I read pointed out leftyladyfrommo Dec 2015 #27
It appears Little Mr. Douchenozzle may have believed his own PR... Raster Dec 2015 #29
I think he may have been a legend in his own mind leftyladyfrommo Dec 2015 #30
No, it did not. Raster Dec 2015 #32
So he's finally listening to his lawyer. Iggo Dec 2015 #31
He's still horrible. Initech Dec 2015 #34
Charlie sheen in a suit elehhhhna Dec 2015 #35
He needs a jury that pretends to be fair. /nt NCjack Dec 2015 #37
Well, he succeeded. kentuck Dec 2015 #38
Hilarious! treestar Dec 2015 #40
So, he only *pretended* to put a loaded gun to sick people's heads... Hekate Dec 2015 #41
lifelong shitbag KG Dec 2015 #42

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
1. Well, pretending to do horrible stuff is still horrible if...
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 03:45 PM
Dec 2015

the outcome is the same as actually being horrible.

Fuck him-- he still doesn't get it.

hughee99

(16,113 posts)
2. People found out who the "real Martin Shkreli" was when he jacked up the price of a $13 drug
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 03:45 PM
Dec 2015

to $750. Being an internet douchebag alone doesn't get the Fed's attention.

Oneironaut

(5,524 posts)
3. "Coming to TLC..."
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 03:45 PM
Dec 2015

His intentions are obvious. Luckily, no one would want to watch this loser, I bet.

Bad Thoughts

(2,531 posts)
6. Pretending to be horrible=Acting horribly=Being a horrible person
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 03:53 PM
Dec 2015

I'm sick of this stupid excuse. If you think it would be fun to dick around with people, you are a dick.

ProfessorGAC

(65,168 posts)
7. And yet. . .
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 03:56 PM
Dec 2015

. . .none of that explains a 54 fold increase in the price of a drug, just because you can.

While that's not illegal (obviously), did he really think he was going to get the slightest benefit of the doubt regarding other financial dealings?

His whole explanation is just stupid. And, he is getting sued for a reason.

suffragette

(12,232 posts)
18. And he was planning to raise another drug's price at a different company
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:40 PM
Dec 2015
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/pharma-bro-martin-shkreli-chagas-fda/420249/

Right now, doctors in the U.S. obtain benznidazole free of charge through the CDC. According to Rachel Cohen, the regional executive director of the Drugs for Neglected Disease Initiative in North America, the drug sells in Latin America for somewhere between $60 and $100 for each course of treatment. Both of these would change the moment the FDA approved benznidazole from any company—and Shkreli, in particular, seems determined to price this drug out of reach of the people who need it. In filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, KaloBios wrote that it expects to price the Chagas drug similarly to antivirals for Hepatitis C, which can cost almost $100,000 for a single course of treatment in the United States.

“You’re talking about a 100,000 percent or 150,000 percent price increase” from the current cost in Latin America, Cohen said.



These are callous and calculated actions which would cause real harm to people.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
11. But sick people really *did* have to pay $750 per pill,
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:03 PM
Dec 2015

after he jacked up the price of their life-saving medicine, didn't they?

Hugin

(33,206 posts)
12. Now, he gets to pretend to be a felon.
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:10 PM
Dec 2015

I can't imagine where he got bail. All accounts say he's broke.

Shame on the Gawker for even giving him the time of day.

Raster

(20,998 posts)
28. His father and his brother put up everything they owned to bail...
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 06:24 PM
Dec 2015

...his sorry ass out of jail. Turns out his "wealth" was mostly a shell game and ponzi scheme.

haele

(12,676 posts)
13. Oh, I'm just a poor little boy who's overcompensating for a poor upbringing...
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:10 PM
Dec 2015

"It was so tough growing up, and Hollywood was telling me if I were successful, I had to be like Gordon Gekko, and I would really just be happier being a hip-hop guy, and mommy and daddy worked hard and sacrificed everything for me, and, well, Greed is Good."

Doesn't matter that his resume is littered with cheats, cons, and poor management.
Living in a fantasy world that he built up with other people's money.

"He's just a poor boy from a poor family, spare him his life from this monstrosity..."

Haele

Tab

(11,093 posts)
26. "I need no sympathy"
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 06:08 PM
Dec 2015
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
A little high, little low
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me
...
So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh baby can't do this to me baby
Just gotta get out just gotta get right outta here

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters nothing really matters to me

Anyway the wind blows

haele

(12,676 posts)
39. Actually, he was. Parent(s) were janitors who apparently sacrificed to get him into a good school.
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 07:30 PM
Dec 2015

But, he's an obnoxious, conceited little brat who used the network he got from that school to scam and fiscally bludgeon his way to the top using whatever innate cleverness he could.

And he likes to pretend he did it on his own, when from all appearances (and the evidence of the eventual failures of the hedge funds and other companies he began), he did it on the backs of his hard-working parents and whatever he could skim off the wealthier little trust fund babies of his acquaintance. Just because he was able to jump ship before his funds and businesses failed, or it was discovered how much he was using them as a personal ATM or Ponzi situation, doesn't mean he did any "hard work" on his own

He's Donald Trump without the rich family background.

Haele

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
15. Golly, Martin!
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:30 PM
Dec 2015

Who knew people took matters of life and death (for them) so seriously? Buncha spoilsports is what they are. Can't take a joke. I suggest going and sulking in your room. That will teach us all a good lesson, and then we'll feel sorry for you.

KentuckyWoman

(6,692 posts)
16. My ideas for what should happen to Shkreli
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:38 PM
Dec 2015

Are not very christian or progressive .........

BTW .... Punching a shit like Shkreli only makes his happy. He feeds off that kind of hate. Better to take all his money away and take away any chance he'll ever have of making more than minimum wage....... Making rich guys poor seems to be the best way to hurt them.

surrealAmerican

(11,364 posts)
20. It could easily be that there are other people doing the same things ...
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:54 PM
Dec 2015

... and getting away with it. That doesn't make you any less guilty though.

If you "experiment" with a public persona that makes you look like an asshole, nobody will want to know the real you. If you were actually a good person, your "experiments" would not cause harm to others.

 

frizzled

(509 posts)
21. I'll say one thing for Shkreli: I called him a piece of shit online last week
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 04:55 PM
Dec 2015

He replied "thanks mr i believe everything i read in the news"

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
23. He's a classic psychopath .........text book example
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 05:13 PM
Dec 2015

no remorse, no wrongdoing, places blame on others, all about me etc. ............ the list is long but he doubles down on the checklist the more he talks and exposes his psychopathy for us to examine.

He's going to be a classic example in texbooks for future studies.

Warpy

(111,339 posts)
24. No, Martin, you're horrible
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 05:29 PM
Dec 2015

Ripping off the sick and dying to generate fast cash to prop up a Ponzi scheme is not the act of a man who has any ethics or humanity.

That would be you. Own it. You bought it.

leftyladyfrommo

(18,870 posts)
27. Some journalist I read pointed out
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 06:19 PM
Dec 2015

That acting like a total asshole doesn't go down well with judges. He knew he was under investigation but continued to act like a 4 year old spoiled rotten brat. It will not help his case.

So don't believe this sudden turnaround for 1 second.

Raster

(20,998 posts)
29. It appears Little Mr. Douchenozzle may have believed his own PR...
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 06:29 PM
Dec 2015

...and is now trying to walk it back a bit.

Dude, you didn't do the perp walk because you're an asshole - real or pretend - you did the perp walk because you broke the law and defrauded investors.

Iggo

(47,565 posts)
31. So he's finally listening to his lawyer.
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 06:36 PM
Dec 2015

Which could mean he finally realizes, maybe for the first time in his life, that he's in the kind of deep shit that he can't rich-brat his way out of.

Scary.

Hate to be him.

kentuck

(111,110 posts)
38. Well, he succeeded.
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 07:08 PM
Dec 2015

But I cannot understand why Bernie and the other Democrats did not use him as a personal example of greed and arrogance in their debate the other night. Who can defend his actions?

treestar

(82,383 posts)
40. Hilarious!
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 07:59 PM
Dec 2015

Where is he going with this? It won't help him if there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the crime!

Hekate

(90,793 posts)
41. So, he only *pretended* to put a loaded gun to sick people's heads...
Mon Dec 21, 2015, 08:31 PM
Dec 2015

...and was only foolin' when he said, "Your money or your life!"?

Cool story, bro. But you still get to go to prison (I hope) for your Ponzi Scheme with investors.

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