Martin Shkreli Has Been Sentenced To Prison And The Public Seems Thrilled

On March 9, a tearful Martin Shkreli gave a New York judge a final plea for leniency before being sentenced to seven years in prison for wire and securities fraud.

The news about Shkreli — who was dubbed the “Pharma Bro” and the “most hated man in America” for raising the cost of a life-saving AIDS drug by 5,000% and doubling down when called out about it — was almost universally welcomed by those on social media. Though the charges that led to Shkreli’s sentencing were unrelated to the high-profile accusations of price-gouging, many were nonetheless thrilled to learn that he would be doing time for any of his misdeeds.

The tweets first broke the news and circumstances of his sentencing, including his pleas for less time.

The judge responded with reminders of Shkreli’s behavior during the case, suggesting that the defendant didn’t take the charges — or his actions — seriously enough to warrant further leniency.

While the public took Shkreli’s actions very seriously when news finally broke that the man would be paying for his crimes, the internet — especially Twitter — erupted with schadenfreude.

Shkreli’s attorney, albeit to a very different end, stated that even he couldn’t stand his client.

Others pointed out that while the system may have worked in this instance, Shkreli was never charged for jacking up the price of Daraprim.

While gloating may feel unbecoming to some, this sentencing offers the public the opportunity to exhale and take comfort in knowing that this man is going to jail for a considerable amount of time, even if not for the reasons they’d hoped.

And if you need a reminder as to why the public is so smug and celebratory about a millionaire’s incarceration (beyond the price-gouging issue), there’s this: