As Arthur continued to amass his fortune, he and his younger brothers begin to make important philanthropic contributions, donating money to museums and for scholarships.

When the fight to split the assets devolved into acrimony, his children agreed to sell their shares in Purdue Frederick, a small drug manufacturer, to their uncles Mortimer and Raymond.

After Mortimer and Raymond joined the board at Purdue Frederick, the family began to roll out a sales force to sell Oxycodone using techniques pioneered by Arthur in order to influence politicians, government officials and doctors into endorsing the pill.

While the family was eventually sued, the Sacklers used their company to declare bankruptcy, link their personal finances to the fortunes of Purdue Frederick, and ultimately managed to escape any financial consequences at all.

[8][9] New York noted that Empire of Pain differs from other coverage of the Sackler's role in the opioid crisis, calling the book "principally a family history".