The Louis Theroux Podcast

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S7 EP6: Patrick Radden Keefe on the opioid crisis, criminal career longevity and why access is overrated

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Apr 6, 2026

Guest

Patrick Radden Keefe

Patrick Radden Keefe, award-winning investigative journalist and author of Empire of Pain, explores the Sacklers and the opioid crisis. He probes how professional criminals sustain long careers and why journalistic access can mislead. He also teases his new book London Falling and reflects on institutional erosion and investigative craft.

01:26:37

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INSIGHT

Private Tragedy Reveals London’s New-Money Culture

Patrick Radden Keefe found London Falling through chance conversations and used a single family's private tragedy to illuminate wider shifts in London wealth and culture.
The Brettlers' 19-year-old son Zach faked an oligarch identity, linking intimate family rupture to conspicuous new-money landscapes.

insights

INSIGHT

Media And Algorithms Feed Teenage Rogue Aspiration

Keefe traces teen performance of wealth to visible London excess and cultural media like The Wolf of Wall Street and American Psycho.
He notes algorithms amplify this by feeding impressionable teens more aspirational ‘rogue’ content on Instagram.

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ANECDOTE

Career Criminals Trade Secrets For Longevity

A former Met detective told Keefe that professional criminals survive by becoming informants or building reciprocal cop-crook relationships.
Unsophisticated criminals who refuse such deals flame out quickly and end up jailed.

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Origin and premise of London Falling

04:08 • 1min

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Zach Brettler's secret life and persona

05:30 • 4min

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Internet, media and the allure of rogues

09:17 • 3min

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Institutional hollowing and cop-crook ties

12:27 • 4min

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Cynicism, institutions and modern lawlessness

16:29 • 3min

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Profiles of sigma types and elite behavior

19:25 • 6min

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How I discovered the Sacklers story

25:15 • 6min

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Systemic causes behind Empire of Pain

31:11 • 3min

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Sacklers' wealth, lawsuits and settlements

34:36 • 5min

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Why access is overrated in journalism

Working at The New Yorker and influences

51:09 • 5min

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Wind of Change and CIA cultural influence

56:02 • 6min

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Finding satisfying narrative conclusions

01:02:31 • 2min

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Advice for young journalists

01:04:41 • 3min

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Interview ethics and relationships with subjects

01:08:07 • 14min

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Final reflections on access and journalistic purpose

• Mentioned in 78 episodes

Say Nothing

A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland

Ariel Font Prades

Patrick Radden Keefe

The book delves into the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath, focusing on the lives of key figures such as Dolours Price, Brendan Hughes, Gerry Adams, and Jean McConville's children. It explores the civil rights movement, the Provisional IRA's bombing campaign, the 1981 hunger strike, the peace process, and the post-conflict struggle to understand crimes like McConville's murder. The narrative also incorporates the Belfast Project, a secret oral history endeavor that collected stories from former IRA members. The book is a panoramic history that captures the complexities and tragic consequences of the Troubles.

#1073

• Mentioned in 38 episodes

Empire of Pain

The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty

Ricard Gil

Patrick Radden Keefe

Empire of Pain is a comprehensive and damning narrative about the Sackler family, who built their pharmaceutical empire through aggressive marketing and questionable ethics. The book traces the family's history from their early success with tranquilizers like Librium and Valium to the devastating impact of OxyContin, which contributed significantly to the opioid crisis. Keefe's work is based on extensive research and exposes the family's ruthless business tactics, their influence on medical and governmental bodies, and their attempts to evade accountability for the harm caused by their products.

#38

• Mentioned in 297 episodes

Hillbilly Elegy

A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

JD Vance

In 'Hillbilly Elegy,' J.D. Vance recounts his life growing up in a dysfunctional family in Middletown, Ohio, with roots in Kentucky's Appalachia. The book details his experiences with poverty, addiction, and family violence, as well as his journey to joining the marines and eventually graduating from Yale Law School. Vance provides a personal and insightful look into the decline of the white working class in America, exploring themes of family, culture, and the loss of the American dream. The memoir also touches on the political swing of the region, particularly in relation to the 2016 presidential election and the appeal of Donald Trump to this demographic.

#1255

• Mentioned in 34 episodes

Killers of the Flower Moon

Eric Roth

A non-fiction book by David Grann, adapted into a film.

#3482

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

The journalist and the murderer

Janet Malcolm

The book delves into the relationship between journalists and their subjects, using the case of Joe McGinniss and Dr. Jeffrey R. MacDonald as a central example. Malcolm argues that journalists often engage in a form of seduction and betrayal, gaining the trust of their subjects only to betray them in their writings. The case involves McGinniss's book 'Fatal Vision,' which portrayed MacDonald as a pathological liar and cold-blooded killer, despite McGinniss's initial pretense of supporting MacDonald's innocence. The book explores the broader implications of journalistic ethics and the power dynamics between journalists and their subjects.

#6691

• Mentioned in 8 episodes

Nazi Billionaires

The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties

David de Jong

In this landmark work of investigative journalism, David de Jong reveals the true story of how Germany’s wealthiest business dynasties, including those controlling firms like BMW, Daimler-Benz, IG Farben, Siemens, and ThyssenKrupp, amassed untold money and power by collaborating with the Nazi regime. De Jong uses previously untapped sources to show how these tycoons seized Jewish businesses, procured slave laborers, and increased weapons production to support Hitler’s army. The book also exposes how America’s political expediency allowed these billionaires to avoid punishment for their crimes, leaving a lasting impact on the German and global economy.

#3398

• Mentioned in 15 episodes

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Amy Chua

In this memoir, Amy Chua recounts her strict parenting methods, which she terms 'Chinese parenting,' and how these methods affected her relationship with her daughters, Sophia and Lulu. The book explores the cultural differences between Chinese and Western parenting styles, highlighting the intense academic and extracurricular expectations Chua placed on her daughters. It delves into the conflicts and rewards of this approach, including the daughters' achievements and the challenges they faced in adhering to their mother's demanding standards.

#99715

Rogues

True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels

Patrick Radden Keefe

Rogues brings together a dozen of Patrick Radden Keefe's most celebrated articles from The New Yorker. The book explores various themes such as crime and corruption, secrets and lies, and the boundaries between legal and illegal worlds. Keefe delves into stories including the forgery of vintage wines, the expose of money laundering at a Swiss bank, time spent with Anthony Bourdain in Vietnam, and the pursuit of an international black market arms merchant. His work is known for its meticulous reporting and engaging narrative style, offering a deeply human portrait of both criminals and those who oppose them.

#19828

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Some People Need Killing

Patricia Evangelista

#4790

• Mentioned in 11 episodes

London Falling

A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth

Patrick Radden Keefe

London Falling chronicles the true story of 19-year-old Zac Brettler, who fell to his death from a luxury apartment building on the Thames in November 2019. His grieving parents discovered that Zac had been leading a secret life, posing as the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch and becoming entangled with dangerous criminals. Patrick Radden Keefe masterfully reports on the family's desperate quest to understand their son's death while exposing the seedy truths behind London's glamorous facade of wealth, corruption, and money laundering by post-Soviet oligarchs.

Joining Louis in the studio today is award-winning writer and investigative journalist, Patrick Radden Keefe. Patrick tells Louis about his investigation into the Sackler family's involvement in the opioid crisis, how professional criminals keep career longevity, and why he thinks access is overrated. Plus he discusses his latest book, London Falling.

Warnings: Strong language and adult themes.

Links/Attachments:

Book: London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, Patrick Radden Keefe (2026)

https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/patrick-radden-keefe/london-falling/9781035056279

Book: Say Nothing, Patrick Radden Keefe (2019)

https://www.waterstones.com/book/say-nothing/patrick-radden-keefe//9780008159269?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=259955&awc=3787_1770820651_da19805aca482f3e2f7cdd8da31aca44&utm_source=259955&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Genie+Shopping+CSS

Book: Empire of Pain, Patrick Radden Keefe (2022)

https://www.waterstones.com/book/empire-of-pain/patrick-radden-keefe//9781529063103?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=863943&awc=3787_1770820691_38f3f451369dd9c047c37137a0cb0d42&utm_source=863943&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.octer.co.uk%2F

TV Show: ‘Say Nothing’ (2024) - Hulu

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/say-nothing

Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/