• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechMartin Shkreli

Martin Shkreli is Getting Into Magic: the Gathering, and Gamers Are Conflicted

By
David Z. Morris
David Z. Morris
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 10, 2016, 5:10 PM ET
Former KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Chief Executive Officer Martin Shkreli Court Appearance
Martin Shkreli, former chief executive officer of Turing Pharmaceuticals LLC, smiles while exiting federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016. Shkreli, charged with securities fraud and called before a congressional panel, has replaced his legal team with Benjamin Brafman, the lawyer who helped get Sean "Diddy" Combs acquitted of gun and bribery charges in 2001. Photographer: Peter Foley/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Peter Foley — Bloomberg via Getty Images

On Friday, a user took to a Reddit forum devoted to the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering, with a simple request for advice. “I am a collector of wine, art and other goods. Can someone give me some resources on collecting rare cards?”

Not a remarkable request, except for the user’s name: Martin Shkreli. Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, is notorious for what some argue were Turing’s unethical pricing practices, and a subsequent string of securities fraud charges, outrageous statements, and strange feuds.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Members of the Magic gaming community were understandably nervous about Shkreli’s intentions. The ‘pharma bro’ is a notorious smirking troll, who has poked the eyes of not only the U.S. financial and pharmaceutical industries, but also rap fans, Bernie Sanders, and, more recently, mixed martial arts fans. Commenters on Reddit immediately began speculating that Shkreli would manipulate the market for Magic cards, the rarest of which sell for $20,000 or more.

Some players embraced Shkreli, though, inviting him to experience the game. Most interesting of all were those who welcomed his deep pockets, inviting him to buy up rare cards and inflate prices as a blow against a controversial reprint policy implemented by Magic’s publisher, Wizards of the Coast.

For more on Martin Shkreli’s collecting habits, watch our video.

But, according to an informal interview with a group of fans including prominent player Travis Woo, Shkreli didn’t have much interest in either manipulating the Magic market or toying with the community. He told Woo he was mainly motivated to explore Magic out of nostalgia, recounting time spent watching a childhood rival playing the game.

“I grew up really poor,” said Shkreli. “And I actually really wanted to play Magic, and I couldn’t, because I just knew my Dad wouldn’t buy me cards.”

And, of course, as he awaits trial on his securities charges, Shkreli is searching for hobbies.

“Now that I kind of have nothing to do, [Magic] is sort of a fun thing.”

About the Author
By David Z. Morris
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
America's $38 trillion national debt 'exacerbates generational imbalances' with Gen Z and millennials paying the price, warns think tank
By Eleanor PringleDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
As millions of Gen Zers face unemployment, McDonald's CEO dishes out some tough love career advice for navigating the market: ‘You've got to make things happen for yourself’
By Preston ForeDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt Roomba maker iRobot says Elon Musk's vision of humanoid robot assistants is 'pure fantasy thinking'
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 16, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The $38 trillion national debt is to blame for over $1 trillion in annual interest payments from here on out, CRFB says
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 17, 2025
12 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
IBM, AWS veteran says 90% of your employees are stuck in first gear with AI, just asking it to ‘write their mean email in a slightly more polite way’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 16, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Meetings are not work, says Southwest Airlines CEO—and he’s taking action, by blocking his calendar every afternoon from Wednesday to Friday 
By Preston ForeDecember 15, 2025
3 days ago

Latest in Tech

DOJ
Bankingfraud
$1 billion fraud revealed with guilty pleas from subprime auto lender Tricolor
By Larry Neumeister and The Associated PressDecember 17, 2025
6 hours ago
A statue of the Oscars statuette
Arts & EntertainmentYouTube
YouTube is giving the Oscars the lifeline it desperately needs
By Dave SmithDecember 17, 2025
7 hours ago
Ray Dalio attends the Fortune Global Forum Riyadh 2025 on October 27, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (
Personal FinanceRay Dalio
Ray Dalio donates $75 million to ‘Trump Accounts’ as Scott Bessent leads ‘50 State Challenge’ to invest in America’s kids
By Thalia Beaty and The Associated PressDecember 17, 2025
7 hours ago
AIAmazon
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announces departure of AI exec Rohit Prasad in leadership shake-up
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 17, 2025
8 hours ago
Jeff Bezos attends the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California.
AIAmazon
Experts say Amazon is playing the long game with its potential $10 billion OpenAI deal: ‘ChatGPT is still seen as the Kleenex of AI’
By Eva RoytburgDecember 17, 2025
9 hours ago
Trump points his finger into the crowd from behind the presidential podium
Big TechSilicon Valley
The Trump administration says it could go after Spotify if Europe doesn’t back off American tech companies
By Dave SmithDecember 17, 2025
12 hours ago