Martin Shkreli, Before He Was Famous

You may know Martin Shkreli as the "pharmabro" who hiked the price of Daraprim by more than 5,000% overnight.
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Martin Shkreli, former chief executive officer for Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, leaves Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York, U.S, on Thursday, July 14, 2016. A federal judge scheduled the former pharmaceutical executive to be tried on June 26, 2017, in a securities fraud case. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Martin Shkreli, former chief executive officer for Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, leaves Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York, U.S, on Thursday, July 14, 2016. A federal judge scheduled the former pharmaceutical executive to be tried on June 26, 2017, in a securities fraud case. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images

You may know Martin Shkreli as the "pharmabro" who hiked the price of Daraprim by more than 5,000% overnight. The drug is used to treat toxoplasmosis in HIV patients, but because of his price hikes it is now out of reach for many of those in need. After the price hike Shkreli was labeled the most hated man in America by the media. The pharmaceutical CEO has easily earned this reputation by repeated displays of vulgar and careless behavior.

After becoming hated by half the country, Shkreli was asked about his price hike and said, "I would have raised prices higher," thus confirming his shithead status. If that wasn't enough, the young businessman robbed the world of the only copy of Wu-Tang's newest album, and was recently kicked off Twitter for harassing reporter Lauren Duca.

Obviously the skyrocketing cost of generic drugs is a huge problem. It's nothing new, in fact, it happened again today, but Shkreli is a special exception because he leaned into playing the villain hard after the fact.

To learn more about why Shkreli relished in being reviled we've got Michael McCrudden to document the "pharmabro" before he was famous. Learn all there is to know about the man before he was a pompous asshole.

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