Joe Exotic escaped the confines of Netflix fame and a prison cell to launch a meme coin. Joe Exotic, the “Tiger King” himself, rolled out a Solana-based cryptocurrency named EXOTIC earlier this week, aiming to cash in on the digital gold rush, settle “lawyer bills,” and donate to charity—all while serving a 21-year sentence.
From behind bars at FMC Fort Worth, the 62-year-old Exotic explained to Decrypt that his legal team orchestrated the meme coin’s debut. Trading under the ticker EXOTIC, the coin launched on Monday via the platform pumpkin.fun. While celebrity meme coins often fizzle out, Exotic hopes his will be different, stating, “I pray to god that they don’t rug it and ruin my reputation… I’m hoping that people will see this is legit and it has a purpose.”
The crypto markets initially reacted with intrigue, briefly pushing EXOTIC’s market capitalization to $900,000. However, data from GeckoTerminal shows the excitement fading, with the market cap now hovering just above $100,000 and fewer than 900 holders. Despite a stated goal of donating to Operation Smile, a nonprofit focused on cleft lip and palate surgeries for children, the EXOTIC meme coin website instead mentions donations to an animal health foundation upon Exotic’s release. Adding to the confusion, Exotic’s X account declared a $1,000 donation to Operation Smile.
Exotic credits his lawyers with championing the meme coin as a vehicle to highlight his supposed charitable side and bolster his case for release. He contrasts this crypto venture with the monotony of prison life, remarking, “There’s not a lot to do all day besides sit and talk to people who know shit… I do a lot from here, but I don’t even know how to set up a wallet.” This isn’t Exotic’s first brush with crypto; he claims to have been promised 1% of an unofficial “Tiger King Coin” launched in 2021 but never received it and worries about the baggage it carries influencing the perception of his new EXOTIC coin.
Convicted in 2021 on charges including a murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin and wildlife violations, Exotic maintains his innocence and actively seeks a pardon. He envisions his meme coin success translating into tangible good, declaring, “People really need to invest in it. I would like to be able to get it up there to where I can fix 500 kids’ [faces] and pay my lawyer bills.”