U.S. Government Reveals Seven-Figure Price Tag for Sale of One-Off Wu-Tang Clan Album: Report
For those who don't recall the knotty history of Once Upon a Time, 'Pharmabro' Martin Shkreli purchased the only copy of the 31-track album in a 2015 auction from Wu-Tang Clan for about $2 million. Later in the year, Shkreli was charged with securities fraud and convicted in 2017. In addition to his seven-year prison sentence, Shkreli also had to forfeit $7.4 million in assets.
More from Billboard
Kneecap Won't Face Criminal Charges Over Glastonbury Set
Teen Planned to Attack Oasis Fans at Reunion Tour's Opening Night: Prosecutors
Trey Songz Faces Police Probe for Allegedly Assaulting Cameraman at Long Island Restaurant
The U.S. Attorney's office in New York announced in 2021 that the federal government had sold the album to 'satisfy the outstanding balance' owed by Shkreli, but the price tag was kept a secret until earlier in July.
PleasrDAO, a crypto collective, is the current owner of Once Upon a Time in Shaolin after purchasing the album through an intermediary. The New York Times reported in 2021 that PleasrDAO paid an 'equivalent of $4 million in a cryptocurrency tied to the dollar' for rights to the elusive project.
Last year, PleasrDAO turned the album into an NFT, which allows the public to donate $1 and hear five minutes from Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. While the album can't go to public consumption until 2103 (private listening parties are okay), each $1 purchase takes 88 seconds off the countdown.
Billboard has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
Best of Billboard
Diddy Judge Rejects Claim That Prosecutors Leaked Surveillance Tape of Cassie Assault
Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts
Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jussie Smollett, Jessie James Decker & More Will Be Put to the Test on ‘Special Forces' Season 4
Jussie Smollett and Jessie James Decker both have what it takes to make the Billboard charts, but do they have the fortitude to pass some of the most difficult tasks that some members of the military face during training? Fans will get a chance to find out, as the musicians are joining season four of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. 'It was at this moment I said… 'I should've just done The Masked Singer,'' Smollett joked in his Instagram post sharing the news of his casting. More from Billboard Homeland Security Tweets 'South Park' Image as ICE Recruitment Tool Ice-T Will Host 'Fame and Fentanyl' Documentary Examining National Epidemic: 'Everyone Knows Someone' Watch Eminem's Hilarious Outtakes From 'Happy Gilmore 2': 'Put Some Respect on My Name, B—h' The network announced the latest batch of celebrity contestants for the competition show on Wednesday (Aug. 6). In addition to the former Empire star, whose conviction for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack on himself was overturned in 2024, and the country singer, who finished in 10th place on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars, a host of reality TV stars as well as athletes and other personalities will put their abilities to the test, this time in Morocco and led by a team of ex-special forces members. Among the 18 contestants are Brianna 'Chickenfry' LaPaglia, whose split from country star Zach Bryan in 2024 made headlines; Vanderpump Rules and The Valley's Brittany Cartwright; Sister Wives star Kody Brown; Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East; present and former NFL players Randall Cobb, Eric Decker (who is married to Jessie James Decker), Andrew East (married to Shawn Johnson East) and Johnny Manziel; soccer star Christie Pearce Rampone; model Chanel Iman and more. Smollett and Jessie James Decker aren't the first musicians to attempt Special Forces. Spice Girl Mel B, country singer Beverley Mitchell and Jamie Lynn Spears all competed in season one. Season two saw JoJo Siwa and Vanderpump Rules star and Most Extras cover band frontman Tom Sandoval attempt the course. The third season did not feature any musicians. None of the musician contestants passed the Special Forces training course. Season four is set to kick off on Sept. 25 at 9 p.m. on Fox. It will also stream the next day on Hulu. See Jessie James Decker's recruit photo below: Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Chase Daniel breaks down training camp film of Broncos QB Bo Nix
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has been honing his craft in preparation for the 2025 NFL season, and the experts are taking notice. Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel recently attended Broncos training camp alongside The Athletic's Diana Russini, and he was pleasantly surprised with the progress Nix has shown from 2024 to now. "I'm telling you, Bo Nix looks excellent," Daniel said on his YouTube channel. "He's ready to make a huge jump into year two." In his eight-minute assessment of Nix, Daniel complimented Nix's quick footwork, crisp passes on both downfield and intermediate throws and his improved mechanics after working with throwing guru Tom House. For example, at one point while looking at a clip of Nix taking a dropback, Daniels remarked, "That's the quickest five-step drop you could possibly take." As a former quarterback himself, Daniel then took viewers through why he likes what he sees. "I like these type of drills; this is really cool. (It is) a little peek under the hood of how things are made in a perfect throw," said Daniel. Daniel reviewed about 10 throws from Nix, showing how his game has taken a dramatic step forward going into 2025. "I am bullish on the Denver Broncos," said Daniel. "I think they have everything they need." Fans will get their first look at Nix's growth when Denver takes on the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason opener on Saturday (view the full preseason schedule). You can watch Daniel's full assessment of Nix below. Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans. This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Denver Broncos: Chase Daniel breaks down training camp film of Bo Nix
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nurse imposter arrested after treating over 4,000 patients without a license: Sheriff
A woman in Florida was arrested after posing as a nurse and treating over 4,000 patients without a license, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Autumn Bardisa, 29, was arrested on Tuesday after pretending to be a registered nurse and treating 4,486 individuals at a local hospital from July 2023 until she was fired on Jan. 22, the sheriff's office announced in a press release on Wednesday. "This is one of the most disturbing cases of medical fraud we've ever investigated," Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement on Wednesday. Back in July 2023, Bardisa was hired as an advanced nurse technician, working under the supervision of a registered nurse, officials said. When she applied for the position, she stated she was an "education first" registered nurse, meaning she "passed the required schooling to become a registered nurse but had not passed the national exam to obtain her license," officials said. She then told the hospital she had passed her exams and provided a license number "matching an individual with her first name, Autumn, but with a different last name," the sheriff's office said. Bardisa explained the discrepancy, saying she "had recently gotten married and had a new last name," according to officials. The hospital requested to see her marriage license to confirm her identity, but she never provided it to them, officials said. When Bardisa was offered a promotion in January, officials said a fellow employee checked her license's status and discovered she had "an expired certified nursing assistant license" and immediately reported the findings to hospital administrators. MORE: Former Virginia nurse charged with felony child abuse amid probe into NICU babies suffering 'unexplained fractures' After the hospital investigated, they learned that Bardisa had also never provided her marriage license per their previous requests, officials said. After terminating Bardisa on Jan. 22, hospital officials contacted the sheriff's office, which then began an investigation. Officials found that the nurse Bardisa stole the license from is someone at a different hospital and had attended school with Bardisa, but the two did not "personally know one another," officials said. On Tuesday, Bardisa was arrested for seven counts of practicing a health care profession without a license and seven counts of fraudulent use of personal identification, officials said. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held on a $70,000 bond, officials said. This incident comes after a Pennsylvania nurse was arrested in July after using 20 aliases -- including the identities and credentials of four confirmed nurses from southern states -- and seven different Social Security numbers. Another similar incident occurred back in Nov. 2024 when a 44-year-old woman impersonated a registered nurse at a hospital in Burbank, California. Jail records do not indicate Bardisa's next court appearance. It is not immediately clear whether Bardisa has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.
