This Princeton student won $40,000 from Martin Shkreli for solving a geometry proof
Shkreli makes good on his promise
Recent Princeton graduate Yuan Wang ’17 landed a $40,000 scholarship from Pharma bro Martin Shkreli after accurately solving a math proof posed by Shkreli during his guest lecture at the University.
Yuan, who hails from Manhattan Beach, California, graduated with a degree in mathematics and currently is employed in the finance industry. He told The Tab that he also initiated a research effort that builds aquatic drone systems to control destructive, invasive species of fish and crustacean. This summer, Yuan and other members of his start-up are traveling to Pensacola, Florida to aid with lionfish control efforts. Shkreli has expressed interest in supporting in his project, Yuan says.
Yuan will devote all of the $40k scholarship he receives towards the project.
Shkreli did not respond to a request for comment. In a previous Facebook Live session, Shkreli stated that he had determined a winner from the Princeton talk and will be rewarding the sum.
Previously in April, Shkreli had offered to pay the full tuition of the first respondent who correctly solves a geometry proof problem he posed before his presentation. Multiple students submitted responses during the two hour event sponsored by the Princeton Corporate Finance Club.
The former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals who received backlash for raising the price of an anti-parasitic drug by a factor of 56 has previously supported therapy and housing costs for a blind preschooler with autism, spinal cord injury research efforts, and various education initiatives at Hunter College, according to the Martin Shkreli Foundation website.