Ex-McKinsey Partner Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Opioid Investigation

Martin Elling admitted to destroying records tied to McKinsey's work for Purdue Pharma, as part of efforts to boost OxyContin sales during the opioid crisis.

• Martin Elling, a former senior partner at McKinsey & Co, pleaded guilty to obstructing justice by deleting records related to the firm's consulting work for Purdue Pharma.
• Elling's actions were linked to McKinsey's 2013 'Evolve to Excellence' strategy, which included intensifying marketing efforts to 'high-value' opioid prescribers to boost OxyContin sales.
• Investigators found Elling had deleted emails and files from his company-issued laptop in 2018, knowing they were relevant to ongoing government investigations into Purdue Pharma.
• McKinsey recently agreed to pay $650 million to resolve related charges, following years of litigation over its role in the opioid epidemic that has claimed nearly 727,000 lives between 1999 and 2022.
• Elling faces up to a year in prison under his plea agreement, with sentencing scheduled for April 4, 2025.

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