After being dogged by allegations of missed payments to players and support staff, the world’s most infamous pharma bro has entered his first legal dispute in esports this week.
Former Turing Pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli, best (or worst) known for price gouging AIDS-related drug Daraprim by 5000 percent, is now the defendant in a civil case in Manhattan trial court for allegedly owing people in esports $25,000, according to a report by Law360.
Alongside Shkreli as defendants on the case are his gaming organization, Maelstrom Gaming, and its co-owner Gerard Kelly—who currently serves as CEO of NRG Esports.
The debt is owed to well-known Challenger Series coach and former player Rohit “CurryshotGG” Nathani for coaching their Team Imagine. Several other players and a manager are also owed money, as reported by the Daily Dot on February 1.
While $25,000 is a substantial amount of debt in esports, Shkreli owes roughly another $50,000 to other parties in Europe for his time with team Ex Nihilo.
“It is incredibly unfair, given the growth of the industry, that nonpayment is still such a serious issue,” Nathani’s lawyer Roger Quiles told Law360 in a statement on Friday. “It’s time that the team owners—and the team themselves—are held accountable for these unlawful practices.”
Whether Shkreli will be held accountable for the $50,000 of alleged debt is currently unknown. Ali “Alicus” Saba, the former manager of Ex Nihilo who is allegedly owed $27,000 of the $50,000, has posted on Twitter that this isn’t the end for Shkreli.
When requested to comment by Law360, Shkreli’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman declined to comment.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr (All rights reserved, used with permission)
