in exploring this peculiar psychology, the drive of the family to leave their name on cultural and educational landmarks, to make an impression akin to the Vanderbilts or the Medicis, all the while distancing themselves from the drug company that created their fortunes. That connection, which Keefe explores so well, is now enshrined in the law: one of the conditions of the Purdue settlement is that the family, which is no longer permitted to participate in the opioid business, is forbidden from attaching its name to any structures or institutions. Book Review by Robert Wiersema Empire of Pain The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe Early in July, it was announced that 15 states, including New York and Massachusetts, had agreed on a settlement with Purdue Pharma − creators and marketers of OxyContin – for its role in the ongoing opioid crisis. Purdue, which is in bankruptcy, will pay US$4.5 billion in damages, and agreed to release millions of files, long sought for civil and criminal proceedings. The Sackler family, the owners of Purdue, continue to admit no wrongdoing in the crisis. That settlement, with its no-fault clause, and despite the amount involved, was received with a sense of anger in many quarters. To fully understand why, one should turn their attention to Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, by Patrick Radden Keefe. The book, which was released earlier this year, traces three generations of the Sackler family, from the grinding poverty and anti-Semitism of the Great Depression, through their establishment as philanthropists and benefactors, with the Sackler name emblazoned on galleries and museums around the world. Investigative reporter Keefe – who is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and whose last book Say Nothing was a compelling examination of The Troubles in Northern Ireland – immerses the reader in the lives of the three Sackler brothers – Raymond, Mortimer and Arthur – and their decedents. It’s an almost Baroque tale, with constant upward striving leading to a gilded life of opulent affairs, palatial real estate investments, fine art obsessions, family discord, infidelity, betrayal and, always, the relationship between drugs and profit. Hints of corruption were there from the very beginning, with Arthur making his first fortune through the marketing of Valium, creating a blurred line between promotion and medicine that laid the groundwork for the later marketing of OxyContin. In fact, it was the Valium fortune which allowed the purchase of a small drug manufacturer, Purdue Frederick, which was run by Raymond and Mortimer. The creation and marketing of OxyContin, which including varying levels of corruption and collusion, is estimated to have generated more than US$35 billion in revenue. It also served as what the Attorney General for New York called “the taproot of the opioid epidemic,” which has claimed more than five million American lives. Purdue, after downplaying the addictiveness of OxyContin in its early promotion and marketing, continued to sell the drug – tweaking its formula – long into the crisis. The family again denies any wrongdoing. Empire of Pain is a compelling, almost page-turning read. You might think that business decisions and inter-family rivalries are unlikely to be particularly interesting, but Keefe lifts the story of the Sackler family away from the vague, data-driven reportage which one might expect, creating something akin to an unsettling novel, all the stranger because it is true. Working through available records, legal filings and interviews, Keefe takes the reader inside the family, and inside Purdue, a connection which the family has long struggled to obscure. He is particularly effective CSANews | FALL 2021 | 49
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