The Sackler family, which is now in the center of Hulu’s latest drama Dopesick has been in the news for a long time, thanks to the opioid crisis.
In Dopesick, Richard Sackler is the owner of Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company responsible for the sale of OxyContin and the spread of false rumors about this “miraculous drug”. Though Dopesick has been dramatized and scripted for entertainment purposes, much of what the show tells us seems to be true.
Richard Sackler is definitely real and so is the Sackler family. But as is the case with most of the rich, the lawsuits filed against the Sacklers after the opioid crisis were not really able to create some huge difference in their luxurious lifestyle.
Although the Sackler family’s net worth has decreased following the lawsuits, they are still worth billions and remain one of the richest families in the United States. The family of more than 40 members scattered across the US is not even close to bankrupcy.
What Happened to the Sacklers in Real Life?
Following the opioid crisis, the Purdue Pharma company itself and several of its executives faced legal charges against them and also lost their jobs. But interestingly, Richard Sackler himself or other members of the Sackler family did not fall into any lawsuit.
They were of course involved in it as the owner of Purdue Pharma, but personally did not face charges. Funny, isn’t it? Perks of having money in the US. Or anywhere, for that matter.
So, coming back to what happened to them, nothing really did. The net worth of the Sacklers definitely decreased, but that in no way hampered their lifestyle. The Sacklers still remain one of the wealthiest families in the US with a net worth of around $10 billion collectively.
In capitalist America, no matter how much money the rich end up spending to get out of trouble, it is never enough to bring down their lifestyle because they have way too much wealth already. It is the same with the Sacklers.
In fact, most of the Sacklers lead completely normal lives today. Most of the members of the family were not even involved in the pharmaceutical business so it did not even affect them.
But in 2021, there was a new development in this sphere. As per reports, in exchange for a $4.5 billion settlement, assurance to sell their pharmaceutical holdings, and forfeitment of their equity in Purdue, the Sackler family would receive immunity for a lifetime from any civil liability.
Kleinberg Kaplan, another law firm then appealed against this decision despite the judge advising against an appeal. So the fate of the Sacklers now depends on the response of the court to this appeal.
However, as I already said before, the rich are way beyond these legal disputes.
Where Are the Sacklers Now?
The Sackler family comprises more than 40 members beginning with the three original Sackler brothers—Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond. The members live and work all over the US and not everyone is involved in the pharmaceutical business.
The descendants of Arthur Sackler (the oldest of the 3 brothers who died in 1987 even before OxyContin was made) have kept themselves distant from the rest of the family and have always claimed that they had nothing to do with the opioid crisis.
The other two Sackler brothers, Mortimer and Raymond, were the ones who spearheaded the production and business involving OxyContin.
Three out of Mortimer’s seven children were involved in Purdue Pharma. But most of them now lead normal lives and some have also made investments in philanthropic ventures to right some of the wrongs done by the Sacklers. His daughters have married into wealthy families.
Raymond Sackler’s children were closely involved in Purdue Pharma. Richard Sackler was Raymond’s son and he had joined Purdue Pharma while his father was the chairman.
Raymond’s other children and grandchildren lead normal lives and most of them are involved in other jobs. For example, Raymond’s grandson and Richard’s son David is involved in the fashion industry and Richard’s brother Jonathan was involved in educational reforms.
What Will Happen to Them in Dopesick?
Since Purdue Pharma did face legal charges, I think the show too will focus on the lawsuits faced by the company. They could also show us how Richard Sackler leads his life today or how he got out of this mess.
In reality, Sackler has lived outside Texas since 2013. So how did he get there? Who else faced legal charges? These are some of the questions the Dopesick finale can answer.
I am not sure the Sacklers will go to jail in the show because that did not happen in real life. It would be better if it focused on how the Sacklers got away despite being responsible for such a massive crisis.
About Dopesick
Dopesick is an American drama miniseries created by Danny Strong based on the non-fiction book Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy. The first three episodes of the eight-episode series were released on October 13, 2021, on Hulu.
Dopesick focuses on “the epicenter of America’s struggle with Opioid addiction” across the US, and specifically the drug OxyContin.
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