How Much Did Martin Shkreli Pay For 'Tha Carter V'? New Lil Wayne Album Is 'Mine,' Ex-Pharma Exec Says

Disgraced former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli has "acquired hip-hop’s most exclusive, most sought after album," he announced Friday afternoon. The music in question is the fifth installment of "Tha Carter" series of albums from rapper Lil Wayne, who has been embroiled in a years-long record label dispute that has prevented him from officially releasing any new music.

“When you’re as handsome, good looking, smart and wealthy as me, things like this just fall into your lap,” Shkreli said in the announcement that was streamed live on the interney via the Periscope social media app. “Your boy just bought it.”

Aside from exponentially boosting the price of a drug to treat HIV, Shkreli became infamous in part for buying the sole copy of an album by the Wu-Tang Clan rap group for $1 million last year. He released part of thw album last month and promised to liberate all of the unreleased music he possesses — Nirvana and the Beatles included — if Donald Trump won the election. However, Shkreli said Friday, The Carter V “makes my Wu-Tang album look like nothing.”

Shkreli was arrested on securities fraud charges just about a year ago before being hit with a $4.6 million IRS tax lien.

While Shkreli paid $2 million for the Wu-Tang album, it was not immediately clear how much he paid for Lil Wayne album. The rapper has been saying since 2014 the record label he is signed to refuses to release Tha Carter V. It was originally scheduled for release Oct. 28, 2014.

Lil Wayne went on to tweet that "I want off this label" ... "but unfortunately it ain't that easy." He called himself and his "creativity" a "prisoner" before asking his fans for their patience.

If history is any indication, Lil Wayne may ultimately regret selling the album to Shkreli, who earned the ire of at least one Wu-Tang Clan member after the former pharma exec was perceived to have insulted the rap collective in a video. The rapper who is signed to Cash Money Records did not immediately acknowledge or confirm Shkreli's claim.

Shkreli is the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceutical. In that position, he was responsible for raising the price of Daraprim, a medicine used to treat the parasitic condition of toxoplasmosis, from $13.50 to $750. His arrest last year was not related to him raising prices of drugs.