U.S. DOJ Reveals $2.23 Million Sale of Wu-Tang Secret Album

Wu-Tang Clan's unique album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, originally purchased by Martin Shkreli in 2015 for $2 million, was seized by the U.S. government following Shkreli's securities fraud conviction. Although PleasrDAO announced in 2021 that they acquired the album for about $4 million in cryptocurrency, Freedom of Information Act documents revealed the Department of Justice sold the album to WTC Endeavors Limited, a Hong Kong-based company, for $2,238,482.30, matching the amount Shkreli owed. WTC Endeavors was later dissolved, and PleasrDAO, which claims ownership, is suing Shkreli for allegedly creating and distributing unauthorized copies. The album remains a one-of-a-kind work, with public access limited to rare listening sessions, and an innovative NFT system allowing fans to unlock exclusive samplers while counting down to its public release in 2103. In addition, Wu-Tang Clan is expanding their brand with a new cooperative action RPG game, Wu-Tang: Rise of the Deceiver, linked to RZA's horror film Angel of Dust.