Aufreiter's Employer Helped a Drug Maker Kill 800,000 People
During Aufreiter's tenure at McKinsey, the firm advised Purdue Pharma on how to aggressively sell OxyContin, directly contributing to the deadliest drug epidemic in American history.
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McKinsey advised Purdue Pharma on how to "turbocharge" sales of OxyContin, recommending how to target high-volume prescribers and combat efforts by drug enforcement agents to curb opioid use. Internal McKinsey documents showed the firm knew the drug was causing overdose deaths but didn’t stop its actions.
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In 2024, McKinsey entered a $650 million agreement with the Department of Justice, the first time a major consulting firm was held criminally responsible for its role in a client's conduct. McKinsey partners discussed destroying documents related to the opioid work, and one pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice for doing exactly that.
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McKinsey’s partnership model means senior partners don't just work there; they own the firm. Aufreiter wasn't a mid-level employee who clocked in and out. She was a Director and Senior Partner whileMcKinsey advised Purdue Pharma on the opioid sales strategy.
SCANDALS AT SCOTIABANK
Nora Aufreiter has served on Scotiabank's board since 2014. During her tenure:
Scotiabank paid $127.4 million in fines to the DOJ and CFTC after traders were caught manipulating prices. Three compliance officers had information about the illegal trading and failed to stop it.
The U.S. Federal Reserve maintained an 8-year enforcement action against the bank to tighten its anti-money-laundering controls, citing “deficiencies relating to the branch’s risk management and compliance.” The bank spent $300 million per year trying to improve but still couldn't get it right.
After an extensive investigation, 34 Scotiabank employees were terminated "egregious misconduct" including unauthorized transactions and fabricated sales, leading to over $1 million in fines and over $10 million to be returned to clients.
The SEC fined Scotiabank $7.5 million for faulty recordkeeping.
AND THEN THERE’S KROGER…
Kroger has spent years building sophisticated surveillance and pricing structures to squeeze as much profit as it can out of shoppers. From electronic shelf labels that can change prices instantly to cameras hidden in store displays and vast profiles built from shoppers’ data, Kroger is watching its customers and ripping them off.
Despite having promised to switch to better eggs, Kroger continues selling low-quality eggs from filthy, cruel conditions that would make anyone’s stomach churn.
A Kroger executive admitted under oath to gouging prices on milk and eggs above inflation during COVID. Kroger has also been found charging customers higher prices in towns where customers have no other store options.
Kroger "Fed the Flames" of the Opioid Crisis
Kroger dispensed massive quantities of addictive opioids with inadequate oversight, destroying countless lives and entire communities in the name of profit. In Kentucky alone, the state alleged Kroger was responsible for more than 11% of all opioid pills dispensed statewide over 13 years. Kentucky's Attorney General said Kroger "tragically fed the flames of the drug addiction fire that rages across every county" of the state.
Kroger paid $1.4 billion to settle lawsuits by states and local governments. As for Nora? She collects over $300,000 a year while victims continue to suffer.
Nora’s not right.
Nora Aufreiter has been on Kroger's board since 2014. Ironically, she even chairs the Public Responsibilities Committee, which supposedly oversees Kroger's ethical commitments and social impact. If any single director has the authority and obligation to hold Kroger accountable, it's Nora Aufreiter.
During Aufreiter’s tenure, Kroger has faced a price gouging investigation, a failed $25 billion merger blocked by the FTC, mass worker strikes, lawsuits for wage theft, and a consumer overcharging scandal. In 2025, Kroger’s CEO resigned over some major ethical violation the company has been secretive about — all under Nora's watch. Kroger is heading in the wrong direction, and Nora isn't the person to fix it.
Paid to Look the Other Way
