The infamous ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli has, once again, taken potshots at a group of Sydney Grammar students who successfully emulated small quantities of the hugely pricey drug Daraprim for very little financial outlay.
During a livestream held on Periscope entitled Media = bad. Australia, too., Shkreli asked if anyone had questions regarding the “dumbass kids” who apparently achieved the equivalent of “mixing baking soda and vinegar.”
LIVE on #Periscope: Media = bad. Australia, too. https://t.co/9MCsLMHhxC
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) December 2, 2016
Mocking the students’ success – along with sharing his largely baseless assumptions that people saw the kids’ triumph as a market-ready competitor to the exorbitantly exxy Daraprim – Shkreli said “it’s not easy to get approval. You don’t ask your principal for it.
‘Mr Principal, can you give me FDA approval?I cooked it up in fifteen minutes, can I sell it to dying people?’”
Shkreli fielded calls throughout the stream, and answered one caller’s q by saying the story is “the equivalent of ‘the kids did some homework.’ It’s not international news.”
Those sentiment of those statements contrasts a video Shkreli released earlier today, where he praised the Year 11 group for their effort, saying they’re proof “the 21st century economy will solve problems of human suffering through science and technology.”
In fairness – and fairness is difficult to offer a bloke who so openly invites disgust – Shkreli did say he loves kids getting into science. However, that statement came before more condescension, as he reckoned “to adulate the students over doing their homework… is reckless.”
“I personally don’t care, it doesn’t change the amount of money I make, but it’s sort of embarrassing if you’re the media. It’s pathetic.”
PEDESTRIAN.TV attempted to contact Shkreli during the stream, via the number he provided. We were unsuccessful in our attempts.
If we did get through, we would have asked if he knew his continual antagonism against the kids – even if it is just trolling – undermines his own message that the science itself is more important.
He offered his number on Twitter, too. If you feel some kinda way about this issue, perhaps you’d like to give him a buzz.
Taking questions on this Australian bullshit: 1-646-217-2783
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) December 2, 2016
Source and photo: Martin Shkreli / Periscope.
