Sackler Family 'Pays' $7 Billion, Keeps Billions, Blames Opioid Victims
The Sackler family, after extracting an estimated $10.7 billion to $12 billion from Purdue Pharma, will now contribute 'up to' $7 billion over 15 years. (That's roughly $466 million per year, less than they siphoned off in their peak opioid-pushing years.) The settlement protects other non-opting entities from suing the families directly. While "most of the money is to go to government
entities"—the very ones that enable such corporate impunity—some victims might see a sliver, a gesture. How many 'settlements' does it take before we acknowledge crimes against humanity for what they are, not just financial transactions? The agreement effectively formalizes the Sacklers' transformation of addiction into profit, providing a legal shield while victims remain addicted or deceased.
One might wonder if the judge's 'heart goes out' to the families who lost loved ones to a product aggressively marketed by Purdue Pharma, or to the Sacklers, who get to keep their massive fortunes.