NEW YORK: An auction by disgraced pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli for his unique copy of a Wu-Tang Clan album has ended with a bid of more than $1 million – and plenty of questions.
The brash mogul, who bought the celebrated rap ensemble’s sole edition of “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” in 2015, last week put it up for sale. But on Wednesday he was sent to jail, with a judge revoking his bail after he threatened Hillary Clinton.
The auction ended as scheduled Friday night on eBay with a winning bid of $1,025,100 – little moved since hitting $1 million on September 7 despite a series of competing bids.
The winning bidder’s identity was not known but the user’s eBay profile shows that he or she has frequently sought out CDs and music memorabilia.
With Shkreli behind bars, it is unclear when or how “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” will find its way to its buyer. Fans were already in for a wait; the Wu-Tang Clan had decreed that the music will not be available until the year 2103, although the owner is free to play it at private parties.
As the auction was winding down, questions also arose over the authenticity of “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.”
Bloomberg News in an investigation published on Thursday said it was possible that “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” was not an actual Wu-Tang Clan album but rather an elaborate set-up by the Moroccan producer Cilvaringz, who sought out contributions from members of the group.
Shkreli, in selling the album, had voiced resentment over criticism toward him, saying he had made a gift to the Wu-Tang Clan by valuing the music.
Shkreli has been dubbed the most hated man in America after he jacked up the price of HIV drug Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 a pill overnight.
The 34-year-old New Yorker was convicted last month on unrelated securities fraud charges and had been out on $5 million bail pending sentencing.
The judge revoked the bail after he offered a reward for anyone who would grab a strand of former presidential candidate Clinton’s hair – remarks he insisted were a joke.
‘Pharma bro’ Shkreli’s Wu-Tang Clan album goes for $1 million
‘Pharma bro’ Shkreli’s Wu-Tang Clan album goes for $1 million
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
