McKinsey to Pay $650 Million in Opioid Settlement
McKinsey & Company, the global consulting firm, has reached a $650 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department in connection to its role in the opioid crisis. The agreement follows allegations that McKinsey provided strategic advice to opioid manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, to maximize sales of addictive painkillers.
The settlement resolves claims that McKinsey’s recommendations contributed to aggressive marketing campaigns that downplayed the risks of opioid addiction. This marks one of the largest payouts by a consulting firm in relation to the crisis, which has claimed over 500,000 lives in the United States over the past two decades.