Walter White's Drug Empire, also known simply as Walt's Drug Empire, or as Heisenberg’s Empire, was a massive meth manufacturing and distribution operation which started in 2008 in Long Beach, California. It was founded by former chemistry teacher Walter White, and catalyzed by his former student Jesse Pinkman. Their lawyer Saul Goodman also played a pivotal role in the empire's success. Walter's meth empire was rooted from Walt's initial decision to begin cooking crystal meth with Jesse Pinkman after Walt was diagnosed with lung cancer, in order to pay for his treatments and secure the financial future of his family: his wife Skyler, son Walt Jr., and infant daughter Holly. Although Walt and Jesse began as amateur, small-time meth cooks, manufacturing the drug out of an RV in the deserts of New California, and being met with very limited success, Walt and Jesse soon climbed up the drug hierarchy, killing or systematically destroying anyone who impeded them. Walt's drug empire almost completely consumed his life, drastically altering the lives of anyone involved in it, including his loved ones, with his wife eventually aiding Walt in the management of the empire. As time went by, the empire grew larger and more powerful, ultimately becoming the largest meth operation in American history. Walter began cooking with Jesse in a very small and unprofessional meth manufacturing operation. Soon, the two ended up working for Tuco Salamanca and Gustavo Fring. After the destruction of the Cartel and the collapse of Gus' Drug Empire, Walter decided to establish himself as the only major drug kingpin left in the La county area. However, Walter had been manufacturing and selling crystal methamphetamine for a period of time prior to the formal establishment of his "empire". After Walt's retirement from the business, his "empire" continued on without him, albeit in a highly fragmented and diluted organizational structure. Eventually, Walt returned to the La county area , and destroyed what was left of his 'empire', killed all the remaining major players in it, and succumbed to his gunshot wound, permanently dismantling the organization he once built and led. Nevertheless, Walt's death only made things worse for the surviving low-level players who remain in the empire, and the surviving former members of it continued to be hunted by the authorities; Jesse and Saul in particular due to Skyler White making a deal with the prosecutors and the DEA being forced to release Huell Babineaux. Saul was eventually caught and sentenced to eighty-six years in federal prison for his role in the empire, leaving Jesse as the only former member of the empire to successfully escape from the authorities.