Looking forward to picking up a copy of Kanye West’s new album “The Life of Pablo”?
That’s too bad, because if Martin Shkreli has his way, you’re out of luck.
Shkreli, the pharmaceutical executive who drew widespread wrath for hiking up the price of HIV medications, is offering $10 million to West to become the sole owner of the album.
In a letter to West posted on Shkreli’s Twitter account on Thursday, the pharmaceutical executive wrote, “I am writing to you in hopes of convincing you to withhold the release of your forthcoming studio album. Instead of releasing this product for your millions of fans, I ask you to sell the recording solely to me, for the price of $10 million. I believe you (and your partners) will find this financial arrangement more attractive than your current course of action.”
He added, “Should we agree to general terms, I expect to proceed to an exclusive ‘no-shop’ period where we will consummate a definitive agreement over approximately two weeks.”
Shkreli, who was arrested on fraud charges in December, has a history of hogging music to himself: Last year he purchased the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” for a cool (or, depending how you look at it, totally-not-cool) $2 million.
Earlier this week, the purchase earned Shkreli a lawsuit filed by an artist who claims that his artwork was used without his permission in the album’s packaging.