And by shocking, perhaps, we mean everything that goes along with such a word. In a startling and secret interview with Vanity Fair before his arrest Thursday, America’s most hated pharma exec took to the pages of the magazine likening himself to John D Rockefeller and Robin Hood.
‘I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but I liken myself to the robber barons,’ he told Vanity Fair. The interview has people talking.
Everything we’ve done is legal. Rockefeller made no attempt to apologize as long as what he was doing was legal.’
It’s been a long few weeks for Shrkeli, who, infamously hiked the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to more than $750 per tablet (an essential AIDS drug perhaps). In case it couldn’t get any worse, Shrkeli then bought a prized album from the Wu-Tang clan for more than $2m.
But hold it right there. It gets even better, and we mean that literally. Last Thursday, Shrkeli was arrested for securities fraud on Wall Street after federal investigators dug a little deeper into his buying of various companies and stocks (particularly, buyouts).
‘I’m like Robin Hood. I’m taking Walmart’s money and doing research for diseases no one cares about.’ Martin Shrkeli – Vanity Fair.
All together, Shrkeli stands accused of seven major security fraud charges relating to things he’s done on Wall Street. Shrkeli stands accused securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy for orchestrating three interrelated schemes: schemes to defraud investors in MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare and a scheme to misappropriate Retrophin’s assets.
Evan G, his lawyer, didn’t get off so easily either. He was reportedly charged with conspiracy to commit fraud relating to the Retrophin scandal.
On Friday, it was announced that he would be indefinitely stepping down from his post at Turing Pharma, the same company he’s essentially made internet famous.
We wish to thank Martin for helping us build Turing Pharmaceuticals into the dynamic research focused company it is today, and wish him the best in his future endeavors,’ Chairman Ron Tilles, who is serving as interim CEO, said in statement.
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