Sackler—the name has become a cautionary tale for family businesses. Over the last 18 years, the Sackler family enterprise has faced intense scrutiny for their role in the opioid crisis. What started as a lawsuit against the family’s company, Purdue Pharma, turned into lawsuits filed against individual family members.
One aspect of the Sackler’s situation that is often overlooked in the media: the descendants of one of Purdue Pharma’s founders weren’t owners of the business at the time of the crisis. Yet they received criticism and blame for the actions of their father’s company.
This is a powerful reminder. In a family business, everyone bears the weight of the company’s actions, whether or not they’re directly involved in the business. That’s why family members should stay informed, hold each other accountable, and speak up when the business’s practices don’t align with their own values.
For three additional takeaways from the Sackler case, read this article.
Read about what all families can learn from the Sackler case here.
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