First published 2013
The Johnson & Johnson dynasty spans from its late 1800s founders to contemporary figures like billionaire New York Jets owner Robert Wood "Woody" Johnson IV. Jerry Oppenheimer, the New York Times bestselling author behind biographies of the Kennedys, Clintons, and Hiltons, delivers an unauthorized examination of this pharmaceutical empire. Drawing from numerous exclusive interviews conducted on the record, Oppenheimer traces how the family's immense wealth became both intoxicating and destructive across generations. The Johnsons created household staples like Band-Aids and Baby Oil while building a healthcare giant, yet critics have labeled them among the most dysfunctional families in the Fortune 500. Their story mirrors the Kennedy clan in its combination of power, wealth, and repeated personal catastrophes. This meticulously researched account reveals the dark undercurrents flowing beneath one of America's most recognizable corporate empires.
Genres: biography, business, american, non-fiction, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, power-dynamics
Setting: New York
Period: Late 1800s, Contemporary
496 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press