Empire of Pain
Patrick Radden Keefe
19 min
9 Key Points
4.2 RateWhat's inside?
Dive into the hidden story of the Sackler family, their rise to immense wealth, and their controversial role in the opioid crisis.
You'll learn
1. Who are the Sacklers and how did they get into drugs?2. What started the opioid mess in the US?3. What's the deal with Purdue Pharma's business moves?4. What's the fallout from the opioid crisis?5. How does big money sway health policies?6. Real-life tales of battling opioid addiction.Key points
01New start in a new country
"New world – new life." This phrase perfectly sums up the rollercoaster ride of the Sackler family, with Arthur Sackler at the helm. Arthur was the eldest of three brothers and the family's shining star. From a young age, he showed a knack for making money. By 15, he was already chipping in to support his family, a clear sign of his early business smarts. But Arthur wasn't just a one-trick pony. He was a jack-of-all-trades, dabbling in everything from editing and photography for his school newspaper to marketing and advertising. His knack for spotting and grabbing profitable advertising chances helped him carve out a successful career. This was his second big win, on top of his accomplishments in medicine. Arthur was a living proof of the saying, "a talented person is talented in everything." In the Sackler family's story, we see how Arthur and his brothers pulled off some impressive feats: • They built a massive business empire, one of the biggest in the world. Their success in the pharmaceutical industry, especially with drugs like OxyContin, brought them a ton of money and clout. • They were big on giving back, donating a lot to different causes and institutions. They gave so much that their name is plastered on buildings and initiatives all over the world. • But their success story took a dark turn. They got caught up in a scandal over their role in the opioid crisis. They pushed OxyContin hard, even though they knew it was addictive. This led to a lot of people getting hooked and a lot of deaths. Now, they're known as one of the most hated dynasties in the world. In short, "new world – new life" captures the Sackler family's rise from nothing to notoriety. Their journey was marked by ambition, innovation, giving back, and in the end, scandal.
02Sacklers' first steps in psychiatry
In the early days of their careers, the Sackler brothers, Mortimer and Raymond, found themselves in a tough spot. World War II had kicked off, forcing them to leave their studies in Scotland and find safety in the United States. They picked up where they left off at Middlesex University in Waltham, a medical school that didn't have accreditation at the time. Their real journey into the world of psychiatry began when they joined the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center. Back then, psychiatry wasn't seen as a big deal in the medical field. Mental disorders were often ignored, and the usual solution was to send patients to psychiatric institutions where they'd get electroshock therapy. This treatment didn't sit well with the Sackler brothers. They were determined to find a better, more humane way to help these patients. Their research led them to a surprising discovery: the success of electroshock therapy was due to the brain's chemical reaction to the treatment. The electric shock released histamine into the bloodstream, which made the blood vessels expand and increased the oxygen supply to the brain. This discovery got the Sackler brothers thinking. What if they could inject histamine into patients instead of using electroshock therapy? This idea was the start of their chemical activity theory, which changed the way mental disorders were treated. In 1950, the Sackler brothers set up the Creedmoor Institute for Psychobiologic Studies. This was their own research center, focused on studying and treating psychiatric diseases. The institute was a big success and helped boost their careers. Their innovative work didn't go unnoticed. Pharmaceutical companies, inspired by their discovery, started creating drugs like Thorazine, which was a physical representation of the Sackler brothers' vision for antipsychotic medicine. The Sackler brothers were pioneers in psychiatry. Their research and treatment methods played a big part in the deinstitutionalization of American asylums. Thanks to their work, the number of patients admitted to American mental institutes dropped for the first time in 25 years in 1955. This was a major turning point in the treatment of mental disorders and gave psychiatry a much-needed boost.
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03Sacklers' game-changing drug marketing
04The Sackler family's power and influence
05Sacklers' quest for lasting legacy
06The birth of a controversial painkiller
07When profit outweighs patient care
08The fall of the Sackler empire
09Conclusion
About Patrick Radden Keefe
Patrick Radden Keefe is an award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker and author of multiple books. He is known for his investigative journalism, particularly in the areas of crime, corruption, and the impact of corporate actions on society. His work has earned him several prestigious accolities.
