Please punch Martin Shkreli. He wants you to. If not that, maybe dinner.
The 33-year-old former CEO of drug companies Retrophin and Turing Pharmaceuticals became famous last year for raising the price of an antiparasitic drug vital to people with HIV, called Daraprim, from $13.50 to $750 a tablet. Since then, he has been indicted for securities fraud on charges unrelated to the drug scandal.
Now, Shkreli is offering the opportunity for an outraged citizenry to take out its frustrations on his person, or, failing that, to share a meal with him. “Winner gets slap/punch/dinner or whatever they want,” Shkreli wrote on Twittter. “Runner up gets something, too. Raising money for my dead friend’s son.”
If you donate to this site, you are entered into a raffle to slap/punch me. The # of dollars you donate is the # of tickets you get. https://t.co/VRbILlQwh7
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 28, 2016
Shkreli has had a difficult time grappling with his newfound notoriety; his public behaviors have included complaining about his mistreatment by the press on Twitter (if you have bylined an article about his deeds, he has probably blocked you), and pointedly leering through a congressional hearing about the price increases.
While Shkreli has struggled to effectively monetize public disdain for his business practices and his person, this latest strategy may prove effective, given that Shkreli says the cash will go to a good cause: the young executive says the raffle will support the child of a friend – apparently his late PR consultant Mike Kulich – who recently died. Shkreli said the child is recovering from cancer.
The plan has hit roadblocks: Shkreli initially tried to sell the privilege of hitting him to the highest bidder via eBay, but the auction site pulled the listing.
ebay ruining it https://t.co/3CxJd2cFgl
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 27, 2016
Shkreli also said the leading donor will receive the same perks as the raffle winner.
A number of people have objected to the strategy, observing that Shkreli could probably satisfy his philanthropic impulses without involving anyone else in the financial aspect of the proposition, or indeed, the violence.
