# Richard Sackler **Richard S. Sackler** (born March 10, 1945) is the son of [[Raymond Sackler]] and [[Beverly Sackler]], and the most-named Sackler in [[OxyContin]] litigation (Raymond's family, "Side B" in the bankruptcy). Yale Medical School graduate (MD); no significant clinical practice. He joined [[Purdue Pharma]] in 1971, rose through senior positions in the 1980s and 1990s, and served as **President of Purdue Pharma from 1999 to 2003**, then co-chair of the board afterward. Richard is the central operational figure in the OxyContin story. He drove the development and 1996 launch of the drug, the design of the marketing campaign, and the post-1996 escalation strategy. The internal documents released through state-AG investigations and the bankruptcy contain a remarkable series of Richard's communications: - **1996 launch celebration**: "We have to hammer on abusers in every way possible. They are the culprits and the problem. They are reckless criminals." - **1997**: Arguing that the launch had created "a blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition." - **2001** (in response to early signs of the epidemic): characterized OxyContin abusers as "criminals" rather than victims of the drug. - **2008** (post-plea, on growth strategy): "We have run out of patients to put on opioids. Future growth requires increasing dosage in existing patients." These communications became central exhibits in the Massachusetts (AG [[Maura Healey]], 2018), New York (AG [[Letitia James]]), and Connecticut state-AG cases, and were among the most quoted documents in *[[Empire of Pain]]* and the broader investigative-journalism coverage. Richard was not personally criminally charged in either the 2007 or 2020 federal pleas (which were corporate, not individual). He is named in **all major civil cases** and is one of the eight board-member heirs in the 2025 $7.4B settlement. ## See Also - [[Sackler Family]] — the dynasty - [[Purdue Pharma]] — the company - [[OxyContin]] — the product - [[Opioid Crisis Timeline]] — the chronological story - [[Harrington v. Purdue Pharma]] — the 2024 SCOTUS ruling - [[Raymond Sackler]] — father - [[David Sackler]] — son