Sackler family
An American pharmaceutical-owning family associated with Purdue Pharma, Mundipharma, OxyContin, major philanthropy, and extensive litigation over the opioid epidemic.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
The Sackler family is an American family whose wealth and public identity were built primarily through pharmaceutical businesses and whose name became closely associated with the opioid crisis. Three brothers—Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond Sackler—were the children of Galician Jewish immigrants and grew up in Brooklyn. All three trained as physicians and worked together at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens, where they developed medical and commercial interests that later shaped the family's business activities. In 1952, the brothers acquired Purdue-Frederick, a small pharmaceutical company. Mortimer and Raymond became the principal operators of the company, while Arthur developed a separate career in medical advertising, marketing, publishing, and art collecting. Arthur promoted pharmaceutical products through campaigns aimed directly at physicians and through endorsements by prominent medical professionals. His marketing methods were influential in the development of modern prescription-drug promotion, although later criticism of the Sackler legacy has focused especially on Purdue's promotion of opioid medicines. After Arthur died in 1987, his estate sold its option in Purdue-Frederick to Mortimer and Raymond. The business subsequently became Purdue Pharma. In 1996, Purdue introduced OxyContin, a controlled-release formulation of oxycodone. The product was promoted extensively to the medical profession and became a major source of Purdue's wealth. Critics, public officials, and plaintiffs in thousands of lawsuits argued that Purdue and members of the family helped expand the use of powerful prescription opioids while minimizing or obscuring their addiction risks. The family has disputed aspects of these allegations, and Elizabeth Sackler, Arthur's daughter, has maintained that her branch was not involved in or enriched by Purdue's OxyContin business. The family also owned or controlled Mundipharma, a separate pharmaceutical enterprise with substantial international operations, including in China. Unlike Purdue, Mundipharma operated outside the United States and was associated with the international commercialization of pain medicines and other pharmaceutical products. The family has periodically explored or pursued changes to its business holdings, but no current public ownership structure is asserted here. The Sacklers were prominent cultural and educational philanthropists. Institutions that received donations or carried the family name included the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, Yale University, Cornell University, the University of Oxford, Tel Aviv University, King's College London, and the Louvre. From the late 2010s onward, museums and universities faced pressure to remove Sackler naming and refuse future donations because of the family's association with Purdue Pharma and OxyContin. Several institutions subsequently removed the name or ended their relationships with members linked to Purdue. The family's reputation deteriorated sharply as state, local, tribal, and private plaintiffs pursued claims related to opioid prescribing, marketing, and alleged corporate misconduct. Purdue entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2019, and a proposed restructuring sought to dissolve the company and dedicate a successor organization to opioid-abatement programs. A settlement involving payments by the family and broad civil-liability protection was challenged by states and later rejected by the United States Supreme Court in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P. in 2024. In January 2025, the family and Purdue reached a reported $7.4 billion settlement with states and individuals; the family agreed to pay $6.5 billion over 15 years, while Purdue agreed to contribute $900 million. The settlement's implementation and legal effects remain matters for the relevant courts and authorities. The Sackler story has been examined in books, documentaries,…
History
The Sackler family emerged from the medical, advertising, and pharmaceutical work of brothers Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond Sackler. Their parents were Galician Jewish immigrants, and the brothers grew up in Brooklyn during the 1930s. Each studied medicine, and they worked together at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens. Their professional collaboration combined clinical knowledge with commercial interests in pharmaceutical products. In 1952, the brothers acquired Purdue-Frederick. Mortimer and Raymond concentrated on operating the pharmaceutical company, while Arthur became a leading figure in medical advertising and pharmaceutical promotion. He developed methods for communicating directly with physicians and used professional endorsements to promote prescription products. Arthur was also a significant art collector and donor, giving works and money to cultural institutions internationally. His influence extended beyond business into museum philanthropy and the institutional naming practices that later made the family name highly visible. Arthur died in 1987. His estate sold its option in one-third of Purdue-Frederick to Mortimer and Raymond, and the company was subsequently developed as Purdue Pharma. This ownership transition is important to later disputes because Arthur's descendants, including Elizabeth Sackler, have argued that his branch was separated from Purdue before OxyContin was introduced and did not share in OxyContin proceeds. Purdue launched OxyContin in 1996 as a controlled-release formulation of oxycodone. The drug was marketed heavily to health professionals and became central to Purdue's commercial success. Public-health authorities, journalists, plaintiffs, and government investigators later argued that the company promoted expanded opioid prescribing while understating the potential for addiction and dependence. Purdue and Sackler family members became targets of investigations and litigation as opioid-related deaths and addiction increased across the United States. The family also owned Mundipharma, an international pharmaceutical group with major activity outside the United States. Its operations gave the family a global business presence, including substantial activity in China. The family has additionally been associated with substantial property holdings and major charitable giving, although the precise assets and ownership interests have changed over time. Beginning in the late 2010s, the Sackler name became increasingly controversial at museums and universities. Protesters, artists, journalists, and public-health advocates argued that institutions had accepted money connected to opioid-derived wealth while failing to acknowledge the associated human costs. The National Portrait Gallery, Tate, NYU Langone, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art were among institutions that declined future donations or removed the family name. The Louvre removed Sackler-related signage in 2019, Oxford ended its association in 2023, and Tel Aviv University removed the Sackler name from its medical faculty in the same year. The British Museum also announced the renaming of rooms and a wing associated with the family. Purdue filed for bankruptcy in 2019 amid a large body of opioid litigation. A proposed restructuring would have dissolved Purdue, created a successor organization for opioid-abatement purposes, and required the family to contribute billions of dollars. The proposal also sought releases from civil claims. After legal challenges, the United States Supreme Court rejected the settlement structure in 2024. In January 2025, Purdue and the family announced a new $7.4 billion settlement, including a reported $6.5 billion family payment over 15 years and a $900 million Purdue contribution. The family's historical role, the treatment of non-Purdue family branches, and the final implementation of the settlement remain subjects of legal and public scrutiny. The family's history has been documented in investigative reporting and popular media, including Patrick Radden Keefe's book Empire of Pain, the documentaries Crime of the Century and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, and the scripted series Dopesick and Painkiller. These works have contributed to the family's transformation from a relatively private philanthropic dynasty into a globally recognized symbol of contested pharmaceutical marketing and corporate accountability.
- 2025
A new $7.4 billion opioid settlement is announced
[5]The family and Purdue announce a settlement with states and individuals, with reported contributions of $6.5 billion from the family and $900 million from Purdue.
- 2024
The Supreme Court overturns the proposed settlement
[2]The Supreme Court rejects the bankruptcy court's authority to approve the proposed broad releases for non-debtor Sackler family members in the case before it.
- 2021
Purdue is dissolved in a restructuring
[3]The company is dissolved under a restructuring intended to direct resources toward opioid-abatement programs.
- 2019
Purdue Pharma files for bankruptcy
[3]Purdue seeks bankruptcy protection while facing extensive litigation over opioid marketing and distribution.
- 2015
The family appears on the Forbes richest-families list
[6]The Sackler family is included in Forbes' coverage of America's richest families.
- 1996
Purdue introduces OxyContin
[4]Purdue launches OxyContin, an extended-release oxycodone product that later becomes central to opioid litigation and public criticism of the family.
- 1987
Arthur Sackler dies and his Purdue interest is sold
[1]After Arthur's death, his estate sells its option in Purdue-Frederick to Mortimer and Raymond Sackler.
- 1952
The Sackler brothers acquire Purdue-Frederick
[1]Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond Sackler acquire the pharmaceutical company Purdue-Frederick, beginning the family's direct ownership of the business that later becomes Purdue Pharma.
Products and positioning
Historically positioned through pharmaceutical ownership, prescription-drug commercialization, and high-profile cultural philanthropy rather than through a consumer-facing family brand. Public perception is now dominated by the Purdue Pharma and OxyContin controversy, opioid litigation, and debates over philanthropic reputation laundering.
Controversies
2024
Supreme Court invalidates the proposed bankruptcy release
The Supreme Court overturns the proposed settlement structure that would have provided broad civil-liability protection to Sackler family members who were not themselves bankruptcy debtors.
2020
Congressional scrutiny of Purdue and the family
The United States House Committee on Oversight and Reform holds a hearing examining Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family's role in the opioid epidemic.
2019
Cultural institutions distance themselves from the Sackler name
Museums and galleries reject future donations, remove signage, or reconsider naming rights amid criticism that philanthropy helped cleanse the reputation of wealth associated with opioid sales.
2018
State opioid litigation names Sackler family members
Multiple Sackler family members are named as defendants in lawsuits brought by states and other governmental plaintiffs alleging that Purdue's opioid marketing and related conduct contributed to the opioid epidemic.
Brand decisions
2025
New opioid litigation settlementOtherBackground
A previous Purdue bankruptcy settlement was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2024, requiring a revised resolution of claims.
Action taken
The Sackler family and Purdue agreed to a reported $7.4 billion settlement with states and individuals.
Aftermath
The family was reported to have agreed to pay $6.5 billion over 15 years, while Purdue would contribute $900 million. The settlement's final legal and administrative implementation is subject to applicable proceedings.
Reported settlement contribution. $7.4 billion total settlement; $6.5 billion from the family and $900 million from Purdue (Announced January 2025)
2019
Purdue bankruptcy restructuringOtherBackground
Purdue faced thousands of opioid-related lawsuits and sought a court-supervised resolution.
Action taken
Purdue filed for bankruptcy and proposed a restructuring that would dissolve the company and establish a successor organization focused on opioid-abatement work.
Aftermath
The proposal led to years of litigation over creditor recoveries, corporate dissolution, and releases sought for Sackler family members.
1996
Launch of OxyContinProduct launchBackground
Purdue sought to commercialize a controlled-release oxycodone product for treatment of serious pain.
Action taken
Purdue introduced OxyContin and promoted it to prescribers as an extended-release opioid analgesic.
Aftermath
OxyContin became a major commercial product and a central subject of investigations and litigation concerning opioid addiction, prescribing, and marketing.
Sources8 sources
- 1Sackler familyen.wikipedia.org
- 2Harrington v. Purdue Pharma L.P.supremecourt.gov
- 3Justice Department resolution concerning Purdue Pharmajustice.gov
- 4FDA information on OxyContinfda.gov
- 5Sackler family and Purdue settlement reportingreuters.com
- 6The family appears on the Forbes richest-families listforbes.com
- 7Cultural institutions distance themselves from the Sackler nametheguardian.com
- 8Congressional scrutiny of Purdue and the familyoversight.house.gov
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