Jillian Sackler, Arts Patron Who Defended Husband’s Name, Passes Away at 84

Jillian Sackler, a devoted arts philanthropist who worked to protect the reputation of her husband, Arthur Sackler, by differentiating him from his younger brothers and their descendants implicated in Purdue Pharma’s aggressive marketing tactics that fueled the opioid epidemic, passed away on May 20 in Manhattan. She was 84.

Her death was due to esophageal cancer, according to her health proxy, Miguel Benavides.

Arthur Sackler, a psychiatrist and medical researcher known for pioneering pharmaceutical marketing strategies, acquired Purdue Frederick, originally based in New York City, during the 1950s and shared ownership equally with his brothers. The company later became Purdue Pharma in 1991, now headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.

Arthur Sackler died in 1987, nearly a decade before Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin, a potent opioid pain medication. Following his death, his estate sold his stake in the company to his brothers, Raymond and Mortimer, for $22.4 million.

Purdue Pharma’s misleading promotion of OxyContin as nonaddictive contributed to widespread overprescription starting in the 1990s, resulting in addiction and devastation for countless individuals.

In 2021, Purdue Pharma proposed a bankruptcy settlement under which members of the Sackler family agreed to pay $4.2 billion over nine years to resolve civil lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, while seeking protection from future legal claims.