CEO who raised price of pill to $700 calls journalist a ‘moron’ for asking why

He would have asked "Let's see if we can get a statement from @MartinShkreli. Martin, your co. just hiked the price of an old drug - new to you - by 5000%. Why, aside from the obvious desire to milk more money than a Saudi oil shiekh from a population that has little choice but to pay outlandish prices for a life-saving medication, would you raise the price so drastically?", but twitter has a character limit.

Although I do love the idea of making the people who are suffering now bankroll the research to cure people tomorrow. Its just so logical and thoroughly misguided.

if the "dialog" had occurred without the 140-character limit:

journalists: why did you increase, over-night, the price of Daraprim, a life-saving drug, from $13.50 to $750 per pill, a 5,000% increase

Martin Shkreli: you are such a moron--the previous price of the drug was $18.00 not $13.50, so the price increase was barely above 4,000%. Why don't you check your facts!

journalist: aplologies for the outrageous error. i regret any damage casued, etc., etc. So anyway, some people might think that even a 4,000% increase is a lot.

Martin Shkreli: you are such a moron--making drugs is difficult, time-consuming, and uncertain--the price increase is necessary to re-coup our R&D costs. Just trying to keep our heads above water.

journalist: good point, you're certainly entitled to make a buck for all of your hard work and risk-taking; but not sure how that applies here--your company, Turing, didn't develop this drug, in fact, your company just bought the rights to the drug last month.

Martin Shkreli: like i said, a moron.