It sounded too good to be true. And it probably is. Martin Shkreli, a.k.a “pharma bro,” and sometimes called
“the most hated man in America,”
auctioned off the right to punch him in the face to raise money for a friend’s family.
The First Tweet
On September 26, Shkreli tweeted that he wanted to raise money for the family of a friend who had just died and left behind a young son with cancer. So he planned to auction off the right to punch him in the face.
https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/780478260434042880
One might have thought that Shkreli was growing up and had a sense of humor.
Later the same day, he tweeted that he had gotten bids for $25,000 and $78,500,
https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/780521551724544001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Why Would Anyone Pay To Punch Shkreli?
You probably remember why. As the owner of Turing Pharmaceuticals, he raised the price on an AIDS drug by more than 5,000 percent, from $13.50 to $750 per dose. Just because he could. And no doubt you’ve seen that smirk. Who would be a better target for a punch for charity?
Winner Announced
Two days later, Mr. Generosity announced that the winner was a woman named Katie, who bid $50,000. And he would match it.
https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/781159565857521668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
And he actually tweeted his match would make a perfectly adequate college fund for the little guy. I guess he’s counting on instate tuition. Because college costs more than he thinks.
https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/781156489272627200
But, Wait…
On September 30, 2016, Shkreli announced that the donor has “reneged” and is no longer reachable via Twitter. So he’s looking for someone to take her place.
https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/781639636506607616
What do you want to bet that the great PharmaBro smack-down never happens? And by the way, Shkreli never said that a charity was set up. If it ever happens, it will be a private gift. In the meantime, Shkreli got some free publicity. And people who heard only the original story may think he’s a nice guy. Sound like any other New Yorker you’ve heard of lately?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kweQq9OYtg4
Image via Flicker by NEPA Scene under Creative Commons License 2.0.
