Tragic Loss of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Targeted Manhattan Shooting

Madison Spear is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, and he is now running for his life. Sources indicate that Thompson, suitably the largest health insurer in the United States, with 2005 revenues topping $900 million, is currently residing in a local hotel. Some rumors say Madison Spear or his wife may have arranged the move. Incidentally, Spear is now also seeking another office to name president of Healthcare Trust of America, a UnitedHealthcare subsidiary based in Tempe, Arizona, where he has lived and worked for over five years. An aide to Spear did indeed contact us about possible employment with our publication this past summer. (We declined to respond then too.)

These and numerous other examples show that the "freedom to rebut" has necessarily suffered under Thompson's regime. When he took over the UnitedHealth Group as president and CEO in June 2004, he promised a comprehensive review of all company employees' rights. Within three months, 60 senior employees throughout UnitedHealth were discharged at Thompson's behest—all discharged without any chance to offer their side. This clearly violated the company's own policies—so deeply embedded were they in Thompson's matrix of control. Another twenty employees were dismissed in the succeeding month—also summarily and with yards of severance agreements requiring persistent requests by company attorneys to negotiate returns throughout September 2004.

Thompson himself then began laying off vice presidents, senior managers, and early-career personnel. The rest of us worked for no senior management only because Thompson was busy discharging career employees out of our company. He at one time had a policy where he asked subordinates to deliver a message for him during senior managers. This lasted for a whole year and a few months prior to his being with Paul Minear. Minear was then senior vice president of community services in John Walthoe Health Services, Inc. (another UnitedHealth subsidiary). So we know that at least the way Walthoe women are usually treated and generally received by administration, Thompson clicked his heels in a hurry away from. Minear left John Hancock Health Services three weeks after Thompson joined it as president in anticipation of a move to Minnesota. And he did—to John J. Wright Associates in Minneapolis, where we found him in the first year prior to launching our final business.

Homeless Man Fights for Laptop Witnesses around the Hilton offered little information to fill in that picture. A hot-dog vendor at the scene at the time of the incident, who was near his cart but did not report any sound, merely came to know when the police arrived on time. Similarly, a doorman on his way to work at the hotel at 7 a.m. saw it as "pretty much normal."

The NYPD had indicated Family Devastated by Loss Thompson leaves behind a wife, Paulette, and two children. Paulette confirmed that her husband had recently received threats. She also recalled NYPD officials telling her that the attack was indeed planned. "The violence against him? People said there was some danger of no coverage...or not satisfied in something, but I am not certain at all,” she told NBC News. "So he said that some people came along and were threatening him." But Thompson did not make any changes in his habits of living or traveling according to the threats. A grieving Paulette lamented, "I just found out. My limited energy is all being spent comforting my children. I cannot give you a decent answer."

UnitedHealth Group's Response UnitedHealth Group, a financier holding the largest constellation of American healthcare firms, released a public statement lamenting the loss. The $563 billion valued group, which in 2023 expected to bring in $461 billion in healthcare business and over $2 trillion from all sources, makes two-thirds of its annual revenue off UnitedHealthcare, with receipts amounting to $281 billion. "We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of Brian Thompson," the company declared. "He was a highly respected colleague and friend to everyone who worked with him. Our sympathies go out to Brian's family and all those near him."

During an investigation, UnitedHealth Group promised full cooperation with the NYPD. CEO Andrew Witty also addressed the tragedy during the interrupted investor day, saying, “We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation involving one of our team members. I’m afraid we’ll have to bring the event to a close.”

In Memory of Brian Thompson Thompson had been employed by UnitedHealth Group for over 20 years, joining in April 2004 after a stint at PwC. In April 2021, he was appointed CEO of UnitedHealthcare, where he had previously led government programs for the insurance division. Born and bred in Iowa, Thompson was valedictorian at the University of Iowa when he graduated. He later moved to Maple Grove, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb where he lived with his family. His unexpected death constitutes a loss not only to the business world but also to the community.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the shooting "horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and healthcare communities," according to a post he made on X (formerly Twitter).

Company in Difficulties This tragic event comes at a challenging time for UnitedHealth Group. In February, its subsidiary Change Healthcare was struck by a ransomware attack that compromised the protected health information of over 100 million Americans being processed through medical claims. Despite these setbacks, the company is still by far the dominant force in the healthcare sector. On the day of the shooting, UnitedHealth Group shares were up over 1%.

A Horrifying Wake-Up Call The untimely death of Brian Thompson is a stark reminder of the potential dangers top executives can face. His loss has left the healthcare and corporate worlds to grapple with many questions that still need answering and has sent shockwaves worldwide.

The NYPD is still looking into it and has asked anyone with any information on the shooting to step forward. For an enlightening light history of the motives, the fact remains this tragedy has hills and lows. Those who knew or worked with Brian Thompson will never forget him. Today, constant news broadcasts and thousands of blogs are bemoaning the loss of this brightest light ever at UnitedHealth Group. In the words of Investigator Howard Choe, “Our hearts go out to Brian Thompson's family and to all who were close to him.”

Written by Steve McNair

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