{{short description|American whistleblower, tobacco company executive (born 1942)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox person |birth_name = Jeffrey Stephen Wigand |image = Jeffrey Wigand (178631094).jpg |image_size = |alt = |caption = Wigand in 2006 |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|12|17}} |birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. |death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> |death_place = |death_cause = |resting_place = |nationality = |citizenship = |other_names = |known_for = Whistleblower on the tobacco industry |education = MA/PhD |alma_mater = University at Buffalo |employer = |occupation = Expert witness, consultant |years_active = |spouse = Hope Elizabeth May |children = |awards = |signature = |website = [http://jeffreywigand.com JeffreyWigand.com] |footnotes = }}

'''Jeffrey Stephen Wigand''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|aɪ|ɡ|æ|n|d}}; born December 17, 1942) is an American biochemist and tobacco industry whistleblower.

He is a former vice president of research and development at Brown & Williamson in Louisville, Kentucky, who worked on the development of reduced-harm cigarettes and in 1996 exposed tobacco tampering at the company. This was adapted for 1999 film ''The Insider'', with Russell Crowe portraying Wigand.<ref name=WHO>JONES, B. The fight to stub out tobacco. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, [s. l.], v. 90, n. 9, p. 640–641, 2012. DOI 10.2471/BLT.12.030912. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=7e5c01e0-d8b2-35c8-9b4b-0c71665769ad.</ref>

He currently lectures around the world and serves as a consultant for various tobacco issues.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.jeffreywigand.com/bio.php | title=Jeffrey Wigand : Biography }}</ref><ref name=WHO/>

==Early life, military service and education== Wigand was born in New York City and grew up in the Bronx and later Pleasant Valley, New York. After a brief time in the military (including a short assignment in Vietnam), he earned a Master's and a PhD from the University at Buffalo in Biochemistry.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jeffrey Wigand : Education|url=http://jeffreywigand.com/education.php|website=jeffreywigand.com|access-date=2020-05-09}}</ref><ref name=award>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWidwDGKvps Jeffrey S. Wigand - University at Buffalo - Alumni Association Achievement Awards 2014]</ref><ref name=WHO/>

==Career== {{expand section|date=April 2025}} Prior to working for Brown & Williamson, Wigand worked for several health care companies, including Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. In addition, he was employed as General Manager and marketing director at Union Carbide in Japan, and as a senior vice president at Technicon Instruments.<ref name=award/><ref name=WHO/>

== Tobacco industry whistleblowing == In late 1995 The State of Mississippi subpoenaed Wigand to testify in the state's lawsuit against thirteen major tobacco companies ('Big Tobacco'). The state contended the companies' products led to the tobacco-related deaths of Mississippi residents. The state sued because it had to spend state funds to treat their illnesses.<ref>NELSON, H. Intrigue surrounds tobacco-industry informer in USA. Lancet, [s. l.], v. 346, n. 8989, p. 1549, 1995. DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(95)92069-2. Disponível em: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=4ac9d69f-f8a3-38df-b594-7fc8f672d83c.</ref>

Wigand later became famous as a whistleblower, when he appeared on the CBS news program ''60 Minutes'' on February 4, 1996. He stated that Brown & Williamson had intentionally manipulated its tobacco blend with chemicals such as ammonia to increase the effect of nicotine in cigarette smoke.<ref name="vanity" /> According to Wigand, he was subsequently harassed and received anonymous death threats.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=1999-10-30|title=Tobacco Firm Assails Film's Allegation|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-30-mn-27824-story.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-16|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=WHO/>

Wigand had begun to work for Brown & Williamson in January 1989. He was fired on March 24, 1993. He says that he was fired as a whistleblower because he knew that high-ranking corporate executives knowingly approved the addition of additives to their cigarettes that were known to be carcinogenic and/or addictive, such as coumarin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jeffrey Wigand : Jeffrey Wigand on 60 Minutes|url=http://www.jeffreywigand.com/60minutes.php|website=www.jeffreywigand.com|access-date=2020-05-09}}</ref><ref name="vanity">{{Citation |last=Brenner |first=Marie |title=The Man Who Knew Too Much |newspaper=Vanity Fair |date=May 1996 |url=http://www.mariebrenner.com/PDF/TheManWhoKnewTooMuch.pdf |access-date=July 2, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010102623/http://www.mariebrenner.com/PDF/TheManWhoKnewTooMuch.pdf |archive-date=October 10, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=WHO/>

Brown & Williamson undertook a concerted effort to discredit Wigand, which included hiring Terry Lenzner's company Investigative Group International, to produce a 500-page dossier on Wigand, which was distributed to the media. The dossier backfired, as news outlets examined the claims in it, finding many claims of misconduct to be unsubstantiated or trivial.<ref name=":0" />

== Post-whistleblowing career ==

Following this he taught physical science, biology, and Japanese at duPont Manual Magnet High School in Louisville, Kentucky, in which job he was named the 1996 Teacher of the Year for the state of Kentucky.<ref name=WHO/>

Wigand no longer teaches high school and instead lectures worldwide to a variety of audiences including children, college, medical and law students, and a diverse group of policy makers.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}} He has consulted with governments throughout the world on tobacco control policies.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}}

==Media depictions== He was portrayed by Russell Crowe in the 1999 film ''The Insider'' directed by Michael Mann.<ref name=WHO/> Crowe was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Wigand.

==Personal life== He met his first wife, Linda, in 1970 while attending a judo class.<ref name="VanityFair">{{cite magazine |last1=Brenner |first1=Marie |title=The Man Who Knew Too Much |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/1996/05/wigand199605 |magazine=Vanity Fair |access-date=9 August 2021}}</ref>

Wigand is now married to Hope Elizabeth May, an American philosopher, author, and lawyer<ref>[http://cwmemory.com/2008/10/19/a-very-special-wedding/ A Very Special Wedding]. Cwmemory.com (2008-10-19). Retrieved on 2012-06-03.</ref> who is a professor at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where they both now reside. They met when May requested he speak for a university event.<ref>Hope May, 08/25/2025</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100518145541/http://ethicstalk.cmich.edu/ITUNES/files/c1d635caf5b05bf90497da3642a4e668-50.html From Knowledge to Action: An Interview With Dr. Jeffrey Wigand] January 12, 2010 * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110405162046/http://ethicstalk.cmich.edu/ITUNES/files/43ea3a684e397211207a896db549c6a9-53.html An Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Wigand: Part 2] January 19, 2010 * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoorUAf0DV4 Newslaundry Interviews - Dr Jeffrey Wigand]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wigand, Jeffrey}} Category:American biochemists Category:American whistleblowers Category:American business executives in the tobacco industry Category:University at Buffalo alumni Category:Businesspeople from Louisville, Kentucky Category:American high school teachers Category:American science teachers Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War Category:People from Pleasant Valley, New York Category:Businesspeople from the Bronx Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:Brown & Williamson Category:Scientists from New York (state)