Sackler family

Sackler family
Name	Sackler family
Ethnicity	Jewish
Origin	Eastern Europe
Members	Arthur M. Sackler, Mortimer Sackler, Raymond Sackler
Founded	Purdue Pharma

Sackler family. The Sacklers are a prominent American family known for their ownership of the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma and their extensive philanthropy. Their fortune, derived largely from the sale of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, became a central focus of public scrutiny due to the drug's role in the opioid epidemic in the United States. The family's legacy is now deeply intertwined with both significant cultural donations and major legal settlements related to the public health crisis.

Family history and early business ventures

The family's roots trace back to Eastern Europe, with three physician brothers—Arthur M. Sackler, Mortimer Sackler, and Raymond Sackler—immigrating to the United States. Arthur M. Sackler initially built a fortune through innovative pharmaceutical advertising in publications like the Journal of the American Medical Association and by acquiring the drug company Purdue Frederick in 1952. He was also a noted collector of Asian art, making significant donations to institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Following his death, his brothers Mortimer Sackler and Raymond Sackler gained full control of Purdue Frederick, setting the stage for its later transformation under the leadership of Richard Sackler.

Purdue Pharma and OxyContin

In the 1990s, Purdue Pharma, under the direction of Richard Sackler, developed and aggressively marketed the opioid OxyContin. The company launched an unprecedented promotional campaign targeting physicians, claiming the drug's time-release formulation posed a lower risk of addiction. This marketing strategy was heavily influenced by research from doctors like Russell Portenoy and involved distributing materials to organizations like the American Pain Society. Key executives, including Michael Friedman and Paul Goldenheim, oversaw these efforts, which were later found to have minimized the dangers of opioid use disorder. The drug's approval by the Food and Drug Administration and subsequent sales generated billions in revenue.

Role in the opioid epidemic

The widespread prescribing of OxyContin is widely cited as a catalyst for the opioid epidemic in the United States. Investigations by entities like the Los Angeles Times and the United States Department of Justice revealed that Purdue Pharma misled the medical community about the drug's addiction potential. This contributed to a surge in overdose deaths and increased rates of heroin and fentanyl use as individuals developed dependencies. Public health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and activists have directly linked the company's practices to the crisis, which has devastated communities across Appalachia and the Rust Belt.

Philanthropy and cultural institutions

For decades, the family donated substantial sums to prestigious institutions, securing naming rights on numerous buildings. Major recipients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Smithsonian Institution, Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Oxford. Their philanthropy extended to the arts, with wings at the Louvre in Paris and the Guggenheim Museum, and to medical research at places like Tufts University and the Royal College of Art. However, following public outcry, many institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History and the Tate Modern, began refusing further donations or removing the Sackler name.

Legal proceedings and settlements

Facing thousands of lawsuits from state attorneys general, municipalities, and Native American tribes, Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019. A landmark settlement, negotiated with the United States Department of Justice under the Trump administration, required the company to dissolve and the family to pay billions in damages. Individual members, including David Sackler and Kathe Sackler, faced direct litigation, though they admitted no personal wrongdoing. The settlement established funds for opioid addiction treatment and prevention programs across numerous states and territories.

Public perception and media portrayal

The family's image shifted dramatically from respected philanthropists to key figures in a national scandal. This transformation was fueled by investigative reporting in outlets like The New Yorker and The Guardian, as well as documentaries such as Crime of the Century on HBO. Cultural critiques emerged in artworks by Nan Goldin and her activist group PAIN (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now), which staged protests at museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum. The narrative was further cemented by dramatic portrayals in television series like Dopesick on Hulu, which depicted the actions of Richard Sackler and Purdue Pharma executives.

Category:American families Category:Pharmaceutical industry