Wu-Tang Clan 1-Of-1 Album Forfeited By Martin Shkreli Sold By U.S. Government

Wu-Tang Clan's infamous one-of-one album "Once Upon A Time In Shaolin" has been sold by the U.S. government, completing Martin Shkreli's payment of forfeiture.

BYAron A.Jul 27, 20214.2K Views

Wu-Tang Clan made history with the release of Once Upon A Time In Shaolin -- a one-of-one album that's considered the most expensive album ever sold. It ultimately landed in the lands of pharmabro Martin Shkreli who ended up trading barbs with Ghostface Killah on social media over the acquisition. However, once Shkreli got bagged by the feds on fraud charges, the album was seized by the U.S. government.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Today, the feds announced that that the album had finally been purchased, though confidentially agreements prohibit the identity of the buyer from being revealed. Additionally, the price paid for the album hasn't been made public, either.

“Through the diligent and persistent efforts of this Office and its law enforcement partners, Shkreli has been held accountable and paid the price for lying and stealing from investors to enrich himself,” Acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis said in a press release Tuesday. “With today’s sale of this one-of-a-kind album, his payment of the forfeiture is now complete.”

The album was among the assets seized after Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud. The money made from the sale of the album will go towards a multi-million dollar judgment ordered against Shkreli.

So far, we haven't heard from any member of the Wu-Tang Clan about the sale of Once Upon A Time In Shaolin but we'll keep you posted on any updates.

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Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.