- In “Empire of Pain”, the billionaire Sackler Family (Purdue Pharma OxyContin painkiller fortune) argue over wealth distributions and reject any responsibility for the opioid epidemic.
- E-mail exchanges show Sacklers complaining about barriers to accessing the family fortune and being “forced” to sell artwork and jewelry.
- Some heirs also claim that many opioid deaths were suicides motivated by life insurance windfalls.
- Last Fall, Purdue reached an $8B settlement with the US Justice Department absolving the Sackler’s of any criminal or financial prosecution.
