Overview

Kathe Sackler (born 1948) is the daughter of Mortimer Sackler, one of three physician brothers who purchased Purdue Frederick Company in 1952, and half-sister of Richard Sackler (son of Raymond Sackler). She served on Purdue Pharma's board of directors during the period when the company aggressively marketed OxyContin while knowing the drug was being widely abused and was highly addictive. Court documents revealed the Sackler family extracted approximately $10.7 billion from Purdue Pharma between 2008 and 2018, transferring enormous wealth to family members and offshore accounts even as the company faced mounting lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis that has killed more than 500,000 Americans since 1999. Internal emails showed board members including Kathe Sackler were briefed on rising abuse rates and participated in decisions to continue aggressive marketing. She was one of eight Sackler family members named as defendants in the 2018 wave of state lawsuits, including the Massachusetts Attorney General's comprehensive complaint. In 2019, Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy as part of a proposed settlement. The Sackler family offered $6 billion (later increased) in exchange for a shield from future civil lawsuits, a provision the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in June 2024 in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, ruling that bankruptcy courts cannot release non-debtor third parties from liability without consent of the claimants. On January 23, 2025, the Sackler family reached a final $7.4 billion settlement, $6.5 billion from the family over 15 years. No member of the Sackler family has faced criminal prosecution.

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Controversies & Concerns

Related Investigations (3)

Known Associates & Connections

Sources & Documentation

4 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports