McKinsey to pay $650M to resolve federal probe over opioids work

McKinsey & Company has agreed to a $650 million settlement to resolve a Justice Department probe into its role in boosting opioid sales for now-bankrupt Purdue Pharma.

Additionally, a former senior partner has committed to pleading guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying internal company documents related to their work with Purdue.

According to the court documents, the consulting giant recommended Purdue to “turbocharge” sales of its flagship OxyContin painkiller during the opioid epidemic that resulted in nearly 500,000 US deaths between 1999 and 2019.

McKinsey made more than $93 million over roughly 15 years for advising Purdue on the matter.