Martin Shkreli on AI, Pharma, and What Actually Matters
Erik Torenberg speaks with Martin Shkreli, American investor and businessman, about how he sees the AI landscape, from OpenAI to Anthropic, and what actually matters beyond the hype. They also talk through the future of computing, the limits of “vibe coding,” and why biotech and pharma remain some of the toughest industries to get right.
Resources:
Follow Martin on X: https://x.com/MartinShkreli
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts
Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
From Pharma to AGI Hype, and Developing AI in Finance: Martin Shkreli’s Journey
In this episode of Gradient Dissent, Lukas Biewald talks with Martin Shkreli — the infamous "pharma bro" turned founder — about his path from hedge fund manager and pharma CEO to convicted felon and now software entrepreneur. Shkreli shares his side of the drug pricing controversy, reflects on his prison experience, and explains how he rebuilt his life and business after being "canceled."
They dive deep into AI and drug discovery, where Shkreli delivers a strong critique of mainstream approaches. He also talks about his latest venture in finance software, building Godel Terminal “a Vim for traders", and why he thinks the AI hype cycle is just beginning. It's a wide-ranging and candid conversation with one of the most controversial figures in tech and biotech.
Follow Martin Shkreli on Twitter
Godel Terminal: https://godelterminal.com/
Follow Weights & Biases on Twitter
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wandb
Join the Weights & Biases Discord Server:
https://discord.gg/CkZKRNnaf3
Martin Shkreli Reveals How He Made His First $100M
Episode 445: Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and Sam Parr (@TheSamParr) talk with Martin Shkreli (@marty_catboy), aka "the most hated man in America", about how he got started in pharma, his logic behind raising the price of Daraprim, why he spent time in prison, and what business he's starting now.
Vote for MFM to win a Webby: mfmpod.com/webby
Click here to sign up for our event in Austin, TX on Saturday April 29th: mfmpod.com/atx
Want to see more MFM? Subscribe to the MFM YouTube channel here.
Check Out Sam's Stuff:
* Hampton
* Ideation Bootcamp
* Copy That
Check Out Shaan's Stuff:
* Power Writing Course
* Daily Newsletter
-----
Links:
*Dr. Gupta AI
*@martinshkreli15 (Instagram)
* Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.
------
Show Notes:
(00:30) - Intro to Martin Shkreli
(02:10) - When Martin worked with Jim Cramer
(23:00) - How he turned $2M into $1B in pharma
(35:40) - Why did you jack up the price of the drugs?
(54:20) - What do you do with your money?
(01:00:33) - The Fun Strikes Back Movement
(01:08:30) - Introducing Martin's New Company: Dr. Gupta AI
(01:33:50) - Who are your heroes?
------
Past guests on My First Million include Rob Dyrdek, Hasan Minhaj, Balaji Srinivasan, Jake Paul, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Gary Vee, Lance Armstrong, Sophia Amoruso, Ariel Helwani, Ramit Sethi, Stanley Druckenmiller, Peter Diamandis, Dharmesh Shah, Brian Halligan, Marc Lore, Jason Calacanis, Andrew Wilkinson, Julian Shapiro, Kat Cole, Codie Sanchez, Nader Al-Naji, Steph Smith, Trung Phan, Nick Huber, Anthony Pompliano, Ben Askren, Ramon Van Meer, Brianne Kimmel, Andrew Gazdecki, Scott Belsky, Moiz Ali, Dan Held, Elaine Zelby, Michael Saylor, Ryan Begelman, Jack Butcher, Reed Duchscher, Tai Lopez, Harley Finkelstein, Alexa von Tobel, Noah Kagan, Nick Bare, Greg Isenberg, James Altucher, Randy Hetrick and more.
-----
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
• #224 Rob Dyrdek - How Tracking Every Second of His Life Took Rob Drydek from 0 to $405M in Exits
• #209 Gary Vaynerchuk - Why NFTS Are the Future
• #178 Balaji Srinivasan - Balaji on How to Fix the Media, Cloud Cities & Crypto
* #169 - How One Man Started 5, Billion Dollar Companies, Dan Gilbert's Empire, & Talking With Warren Buffett
• #218 - Why You Should Take a Think Week Like Bill Gates
• Dave Portnoy vs The World, Extreme Body Monitoring, The Future of Apparel Retail, "How Much is Anthony Pompliano Worth?", and More
• How Mr Beast Got 100M Views in Less Than 4 Days, The $25M Chrome Extension, and More
Why Martin Shkreli Thinks SBF's New Judge Could Still Be Lenient - Ep. 438
Martin Shkreli, entrepreneur, investor and convicted white-collar criminal, talks about the new judge assigned to the case against Sam Bankman-Fried, whether Sam’s going to plead guilty or not, and the potential involvement of his family in the lawsuit.
Show highlights:
whether Sam Bankman-Fried truly did not have money to post bail
why the government did not restrict Sam's usage of the internet and social media
why Martin thinks the new judge assigned to the case, Judge Lewis Kaplan, is good for SBF
how many years Judge Kaplan could sentence SBF to, given his unusual work experience
whether there's still a chance that Sam could paint this case as a business failure
how defense attorneys will likely try to exploit the romantic relationship between Ellison and SBF in their favor
why it is unlikely that SBF will plead guilty on the January 3rd arraignment date
what a telemarketing fraudster case has to do with FTX
how the prosecutors could indict SBF's family if he doesn't plead guilty
how a jury would be selected
whether Sam has enough funds to pay for a decent lawyer and how that's going to affect the case
how Martin learned about crypto while he was in prison
how prisoners engage with crypto while incarcerated
whether Sam could run a business from prison
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com
Guest
Martin:
Socials
Previous appearances of Martin on Unchained:
Martin Shkreli Explains Why Sam Bankman-Fried Got Lucky With His Judge - Ep. 435
Videos on SBF:
Which Gang Will Sam Bankman Join In Prison? | Martin Shkreli Gives Prison Advice to FTX CEO
My Boy Sam Bankman Is Facing Life in Jail for Sure | Martin Shkreli Predicts the FTX Court Hearing
Episode Links
Reuters: Sam Bankman-Fried to enter plea in FTX fraud case
Unchained:
SBF Released on $250M Bond Secured by Parents
Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang Plead Guilty and Are Cooperating in FTX Investigation
SBF Signs Extradition Papers After 8 Nights in Bahamas Jail With AC and Cable TV
CFTC and SEC File Damning Complaints Against Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Arrested Amid US Indictment
Bloomberg:
Bankman-Fried Judge Recused Because Husband’s Firm Advised FTX
FTX Bankruptcy Standoff Heats Up as Bahamas Challenges US Case
Fortune: Sam Bankman-Fried indicted on multiple conspiracy and fraud charges by U.S. officials
Previous coverage of Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX:
The Chopping Block: Was FTX a Scam From the Very Beginning?
How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?
Why the Legal Process for FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Could Take Years
The Chopping Block: SBF Wants to Win in the Court of Public Opinion. Will He?
Jesse Powell and Kevin Zhou on How FTX and Alameda Lost $10 Billion
Is the Collapse of Crypto Lending Over, or Is It Just Starting?
Did the Bahamian Government Direct SBF and Gary Wang to Hack FTX?
The Chopping Block: Why Lenders Didn’t Liquidate Alameda When It Was Underwater
Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets
The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto?
Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Martin Shkreli Explains Why Sam Bankman-Fried Got Lucky With His Judge - Ep. 435
Martin Shkreli, entrepreneur and investor, talks about what Sam Bankman-Fried’s potential life in prison could look like. As a former white-collar criminal, Martin had a lot to say about prison culture, how judge selection affects sentencing, and more.
Show highlights:
why Martin says that the prosecution part of the case is the most difficult to endure
why he thought Sam had "no chance at bail" (although shortly after we recorded, news broke that Sam had been released on what is believed to be the largest bail bond ever – $250 million)
whether SBF should plead guilty and hope to be favored by his cooperation
what jails in New York are like and how the other inmates might treat SBF
whether SBF will be in danger if he goes to prison and Martin's suggestions for him if he wants to survive
why the FTX's case is so unprecedented, especially considering the current sentencing guidelines
Martin's take on Ronnie Abrams, the judge in charge of the case, and why her selection will be good for SBF
whether Caroline Ellison made a mistake by pleading guilty to so many counts
why Gary Wang would likely face a tough time in prison for ratting out SBF
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com
Guest
Martin:
Socials
Videos on SBF:
Which Gang Will Sam Bankman Join In Prison? | Martin Shkreli Gives Prison Advice to FTX CEO
My Boy Sam Bankman Is Facing Life in Jail for Sure | Martin Shkreli Predicts the FTX Court Hearing
Episode Links
CNBC: FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to be released on $250 million bail, will live with his parents
Unchained:
Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang Plead Guilty and Are Cooperating in FTX Investigation
SBF Signs Extradition Papers After 8 Nights in Bahamas Jail With AC and Cable TV
CFTC and SEC File Damning Complaints Against Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Arrested Amid US Indictment
Bloomberg:
FTX Bankruptcy Standoff Heats Up as Bahamas Challenges US Case
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Harsh Bahamas Jail Could Shift His Stance on Extradition
Fortune: Sam Bankman-Fried indicted on multiple conspiracy and fraud charges by U.S. officials
Previous coverage of Unchained on Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX:
The Chopping Block: Was FTX a Scam From the Very Beginning?
How Much Prison Time Is FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried Facing?
Why the Legal Process for FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried Could Take Years
The Chopping Block: SBF Wants to Win in the Court of Public Opinion. Will He?
Jesse Powell and Kevin Zhou on How FTX and Alameda Lost $10 Billion
Is the Collapse of Crypto Lending Over, or Is It Just Starting?
Did the Bahamian Government Direct SBF and Gary Wang to Hack FTX?
The Chopping Block: Why Lenders Didn’t Liquidate Alameda When It Was Underwater
Erik Voorhees and Cobie on Why FTX Loaned Out Customers’ Assets
The Chopping Block: FTX: The Biggest Collapse in the History of Crypto?
Sam Bankman-Fried on How to Prevent the Next Terra and 3AC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
