Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
A grand, devastating portrait of three generations of the Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was destroyed by OxyContin, by the prize-winning, bestselling author of Say Nothing
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Community Reviews
This was fascinating. The Sackler Family - from Arthur and his brothers to David and their generation - are one of the most evil families I've ever read about. The sheer ignorance. And the fact that they were NEVER held accountable is just atrocious.
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Empire of Pain
What’s it about?
This book is a detailed account of the three Sackler brothers who rose out of poverty during the Great Depression to build a fortune. The Sackler family accumulated great wealth, became philanthropists, and ultimately helped to create the opioid crisis in America.
What did it make me think about?
This book made me think about several very different issues. First, the huge amount of strategy, cunning, and effort it took to accumulate this kind of wealth. Once the family had wealth; how they chose to use it to their advantage under the guise of philanthropy. The ability that most people have to believe the narrative that best serves their own purposes. And of course- how the Sackler family helped to create an Opioid crisis in America.
Should I read it?
Patrick Radden Keefe has written a fascinating account of how one family accumulated generational wealth, and what that wealth allowed them to do.
* On a side note- after the publishing of this book there was a new ruling by a judge in Manhattan that overturns the bankruptcy settlement that many people felt protected the Sackler family. Story to be continued….
Quote-
“There was probably a moment early on, when the Sackler family could have chosen to respond differently to the unfolding crisis surrounding OxyContin. The family could have paused the aggressive marketing of the drug, halting the quest to secure new customers. They could have acknowledged that there was a major problem brewing and that the company’s own marketing efforts might have played a role in sparking it. There was a strange disconnect: the family and the company had been very explicit, in the initial planning phases for the launch of OxyContin, about the degree to which success would be contingent on an ability to change the mind of the American medical establishment about the dangers of prescribing strong opioids. This effort was successful. To a degree that must have surprised even the Sacklers, their company had initiated a sea change.”
Empire of Pain
What’s it about?
This book is a detailed account of the three Sackler brothers who rose out of poverty during the Great Depression to build a fortune. The Sackler family accumulated great wealth, became philanthropists, and ultimately helped to create the opioid crisis in America.
What did it make me think about?
This book made me think about several very different issues. First, the huge amount of strategy, cunning, and effort it took to accumulate this kind of wealth. Once the family had wealth; how they chose to use it to their advantage under the guise of philanthropy. The ability that most people have to believe the narrative that best serves their own purposes. And of course- how the Sackler family helped to create an Opioid crisis in America.
Should I read it?
Patrick Radden Keefe has written a fascinating account of how one family accumulated generational wealth, and what that wealth allowed them to do.
* On a side note- after the publishing of this book there was a new ruling by a judge in Manhattan that overturns the bankruptcy settlement that many people felt protected the Sackler family. Story to be continued….
Quote-
“There was probably a moment early on, when the Sackler family could have chosen to respond differently to the unfolding crisis surrounding OxyContin. The family could have paused the aggressive marketing of the drug, halting the quest to secure new customers. They could have acknowledged that there was a major problem brewing and that the company’s own marketing efforts might have played a role in sparking it. There was a strange disconnect: the family and the company had been very explicit, in the initial planning phases for the launch of OxyContin, about the degree to which success would be contingent on an ability to change the mind of the American medical establishment about the dangers of prescribing strong opioids. This effort was successful. To a degree that must have surprised even the Sacklers, their company had initiated a sea change.”
man what a deep, detailed dive into the sackler dynasty. really well reported and well written. super long, but warranted and does not miss a note.
I really admire the author for writing this novel and trying to not be bias towards either aspect in such a strong emotional case. Having watched Dopesick and Painkiller (TV series), I received interesting perspectives on the opioid crisis and how it affected the patients, the doctors, the police, the media, the pharmaceutical salesmen, and the dark creepy big Pharma. BUT this book, gives another light into Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. I wouldn't say you read it to humanize them or feel any sympathy, but more as a business case study or as a psychology trial session. It will definitely bring feelings of triggered emotions to see what they get away with, especially as this is a drug and drug effects still occurring today.
A thorough, well-researched history of the Sackler family and their role in the opioid epidemic. At times the book felt long-winded (it's almost 700 pages) and I was impatient to get to the more recent history that I was already familiar with, but upon conclusion of the book, it's evident that all of the background builds a well-rounded picture of the family and its dynamics.
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