McKinsey Agrees to $650 Million Settlement in Opioid Crisis Investigation

The consulting firm faces unprecedented criminal charges for its role in Purdue Pharma's OxyContin marketing and obstruction of justice.

McKinsey & Company will pay $650 million under a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve criminal and civil investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice into its work with Purdue Pharma.
The firm is accused of advising Purdue on strategies to increase sales of OxyContin, including targeting high-prescribing doctors, despite the growing opioid crisis.
This marks the first time a management consulting firm has been held criminally responsible for advice that contributed to a client’s illegal activities.
Former McKinsey senior partner Martin Elling has agreed to plead guilty to obstruction of justice for destroying documents related to the investigation.
McKinsey has implemented new compliance measures and will face five years of federal oversight as part of the settlement agreement.