McKinsey Under Criminal Investigation over Opioid-Related Consulting

Perception of McKinsey and the Opioid Investigation

• Many commenters see the criminal probe as unsurprising given past opioid-related settlements nearing $1B.
• Several expect McKinsey will pay fines without meaningful individual accountability and will continue operating.
• Others hope this becomes a broader investigation into a long pattern of controversial work (opioids, dictators, financial crises, corruption cases).

Consultants as Cover and “Scapegoat as a Service”

• Strong theme: large firms hire McKinsey not just for insight, but to validate decisions leadership already wants (layoffs, risky strategies, harmful policies).
• This provides plausible deniability: “we followed expert advice,” shifting blame from executives to consultants.
• Some dispute this, arguing high-end strategy work is genuinely sought for decision quality, with advice typically kept confidential.

Conflicts of Interest and Government Reliance

• Opioid work while also advising the VA is cited as a prime conflict-of-interest example.
• Broader concern that governments have hollowed out internal expertise and replaced it with consultants, enabling regulatory capture and policy outsourcing.
• Examples raised include U.S. VA, Australian tax policy (PwC case), Canadian immigration policy allegedly shaped by McKinsey.

Ethics, Recruitment, and Culture

• Intense criticism of McKinsey’s moral record; some argue that joining the firm today implies lack of a moral compass.
• Others note many individual consultants are young, credential-focused, and may not fully grasp or control firmwide conduct.
• One current employee describes the firm as decentralized, claiming individuals can decline unethical projects, but is challenged that the overall entity remains responsible.
• Elite-university recruitment is seen as a key source of perceived legitimacy, despite limited real-world experience.

Effectiveness and Value of Big Consulting

• Mixed views on competence: some call McKinsey “useless PowerPoint machines,” others see real utility in cutting through internal bureaucracy and driving change.
• There is debate over whether consulting fees are small or large relative to public budgets and whether fines exceed project revenue.

Structural Critiques of Capitalism and Corporations

• Several see consulting as a systemic flaw in “free market” accountability, letting both management and consultants avoid consequences.
• Broader critiques target MBAs, corporate over-management, and the idea that corporations and consultancies function as high-status, low-accountability schemes.