Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

by Patrick Radden Keefe

With her dissertation in hand, Jaseleen Ruggles became Joss Sackler. She might have looked the part of a billionaire’s wife—slim and blond and very fit, with lips that puffed and puckered. But she was no mere trophy, she insisted. She started a club for young rich women who drink wine, or, as she referred to it, a “members only, female-led collective celebrating the intersection of art, wine, fashion, and culture.” She was a trained sommelier (“Level II”) and called the group Les Bouledogues Vigneronnes, the “winemaking bulldogs.” LBV for short. “Joss is a threat assessor by training and her research focuses on the risk assessment of violent threats made by the Mexican Cartels,” a biography (since removed) on her website declared. She was also “an avid adventurist,” “a target shooter, a rock climber, and a mountaineer” who spoke “English, French, Spanish and Farsi.”