They call him the most hated man in America, and now he owns a professional League of Legends team: Riot Games has reason to be concerned – League of Legends

To the question “sir, do you think you have done something wrong” he replied “I abide by the fifth amendment, which prevents self-incrimination, and I respectfully choose not to answer.” The name of Martin Shkrel It is related to many things, although perhaps to our friends on the other side of the Atlantic it sounds more familiar because of its multiple nicknames. There are those who call him “pharma bro” and others who know him as “The Most Hated Man in America”. Before spending almost ten years in jail, in the world of League of Legends his pseudonym was much less bombastic. The few times he was mentioned, he was simply called “Cerebral”.

The man who puts competitive League of Legends to shame

Martin Shkreli’s relationship with League of Legends was simple. He really liked the game, he was interested in the competitive one and he had a lot of money. So he decided start your own esports club. He stumbled across this organization a few times until he changed his name to Team Imagine and began competing in the second division of North America. by then you could still be promoted thanks to sporting merit, and was about to do so after investing a lot of money in the team. He signed great figures and his club came to play a promotion phase that fortunately lost.

We say fortunately because the one that could have come to Riot Games was not exactly small. Team Imagine’s promotion match was played in September 2015. About three months later, in December of the same year, was arrested by the FBI. The reason was that each of the companies founded by Martin had failed, creating a vicious cycle of scams. “Shkreli’s companies functioned essentially as a ponzi scheme in which each new company founded paid the defrauded investors of the previous one”, said those responsible for filing charges.

Finally he was sentenced for all his bad financial practices, although the social judgment was elsewhere. One of the few businesses where Shkreli made a profit was the pharmaceutical industry.. In it he had a disgusting business strategy. Basically, she bought the rights to medicines that were no longer under patent. Consumed little enough that there was no more than one brand manufacturing them, but so important that they were essential to save the lives of a good number of patients. After that, prices went up.. Sometimes up to 50 times its original value. All told, this was not illegal in the United States.

Obtaining permits to destroy new medicines is very expensive, and in that environment Martin moved. No one could stand up to a business strategy that made everyone hate him, because he could indirectly cause the deaths of people who couldn’t afford the drug. From $13.50 to $750 overnight is not an understatement. Even less when, although fundamental for any patient, it could be especially relevant for patients with HIV. That was the type of person who, thanks to his imprisonment, had been rid of the competitive League of Legends scene..

Pharma bro’s return to competitive League of Legends

Martin Shkreli’s stay in prison, however, ended in the summer of last year. It was almost as if luck looked him in the eye, because he soon returned to what is still his great hobby. With the competitive League of Legends season yet to kick off, founded a team again. This time things are much more complicated when it comes to ascending and we have no doubt that Riot Games would never accept their appearance in the MOBA franchise league. However, he does own a club in North America that was about to rise to the equivalent of the second division and will try again soon.

For more inri, proudly uses the pseudonym pharmabro in reference to the nickname he received after raising the price of medicines. There may be a very serious problem for the company as its team reaches some truly relevant competition. However, the real question is Why was it not officially sanctioned at the time?. The company has clauses to expel the owners of the teams, at least in its major competitions. OcelotFor example, he came to be disabled by Riot Games for months after the controversy that he starred in networks. Also another infamous owner of the time, chris badawiwas permanently disabled from being part of any organization linked to Riot Games competitions.

However, and although there is a compilation page with all the sanctions carried out to those involved in the competitive scene from League of Legends, the name of Martin Shkreli does not appear anywhere. Perhaps a lack of foresight at the time that the company will have to pay for later.