Mentioned in this article Games: League of Legends Teams: Renegades

When Martin Shkreli, an outspoken and highly controversial personality in the healthcare sector, entered the esports industry via League of Legends this year, the community reacted warily. After some miscarried approaches—a $1.2 million offer to buy Enemy Esports was rejected and the team founded on his own failed to qualify—the former hedge fund manager and pharmaceutical entrepreneur Shkreli finally merged his team with pro-gaming organization Imagine. Team Imagine managed to advance into the semifinals of the NACS Summer Playoffs, were they lost to eventual tournament winner Renegades, but secured a spot in the 2016 LCS Promotion Tournament.

As measured by his success in professional League of Legends, Shkreli remains a side note. However, his “entrepreneurial spirit” was proved to the greatest possible extent quite recently. Shortly after purchasing the rights to the drug “Daraprim”, which is used to treat malaria, HIV and other immunocomprised patients, his company Turing Pharmaceuticals raised the price of the 62-year-old drug from $13.50 to $750 per pill, overnight. Asked about the reasons to hike the price by some 5000%, Shkreli answered “It’s a great business decision that also benefits all of our stakeholders,” and reportedly added “I don’t expect the likes of you to process that. You are such a moron.”

Even without knowing that Daraprim is listed on the “List of Essential Medicines”, the most important medications needed in a basic health system categorized by the World Health Organization, it provoked a public uproar. Media outlets from New York Times to Forbes Magazine called it morally questionable, while Reddit and Twitter exploded with derogatory comments. Even though the incident has nothing to do with the esports industry, it begs the question of how Shkreli’s entrepreneurial attitude might come into effect as a team owner. Daily Dot reporter Jacob Wolf stated back in May:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”Despite an impressive resume on paper, Shkreli enters the esports scene dogged by allegations of misconduct.”[/perfectpullquote]

The Daraprim issue is just strengthening this impression. It caused Redditor Volentia to ask:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”If Martin Shkreli makes huge profit on the back of sick people on the pharma industry, how will he treat the players, whose contracts and job security are already very slim, if he ever makes it to the LCS?”[/perfectpullquote]

There’s no simple answer to that question. Unlike recent examples of business scandals in Riot’s LCS (blackmailing, poaching and fraud), Shkreli has not acted against the rules, as far as we know. Yet, the way he operates in this matter feels cruel. Maybe goldper10 author “rSquared” described it best: “Martin Shkreli is not the standard we should want to set for owners.” Hope remains that the role models of our industry outnumber the rotten apples at all times.

The official rules of the League of Legends Championship Series not only apply to teams, but also to the owners. Section 10.2.10 reads:

Moral Turpitude. A Team Member may not engage in any activity which is deemed by the LCS to be immoral, disgraceful, or contrary to conventional standards of proper ethical behavior.”