Our most revered institutions hold themselves to an ethical standard that does not allow accepting money from wealthy drug dealers – however tempting the prospect or worthwhile the project. They refuse to become philanthropic money launderers, cleansing dirty reputations by selling prestigious naming rights. There is one notable exception to this institutional honor code: the Sackler family.

The Sacklers have made a fortune from OxyContin, the painkiller blamed for sparking the deadly opioid crisis. They are world renowned donors – despite also being world class drug pushers, responsible for almost as many deaths last year as the drug cartels in Mexico.

The Sackler name is emblazoned on, and disgraces, dozens of the world’s greatest museums, universities, and performing arts centers. So far, none has turned down their donations, none has returned their money already given.

The issue of ethical philanthropy goes far beyond the Sacklers. Charitable giving is a very big business – donations total $400bn a year in the US alone. It is also mostly unregulated, allowing for glaring anomalies like the American and National Museums of Natural History both accepting enormous Koch brother donations that were earned by despoiling our natural and political environments.

Read the full article on the Sackler family's tainted money by Allen Frances at The Guardian