In a shocking turn of events, Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was brutally murdered outside a New York City hotel.
Thompson, aged 50, was in Midtown Manhattan to participate in the company's Investor Day conference when he was fatally shot by a masked assailant in the early hours of the morning. The incident has sent shockwaves through the health insurance industry, where Thompson was a prominent figure, having served as CEO of United Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, since 2021.
According to the Daily Mail, comedian Bill Burr likened Thompson to a 'gangster' and suggested a possible 'motive' behind the murder. Burr, 56, initially expressed sympathy for Thompson and his family, but his sentiments changed as he delved deeper into the circumstances surrounding Thompson's career. "I was sitting there reading an article, and a guy was like, 'Oh my god, he's such a great guy; he had a wife and kids, and he's such a great guy,'" Burr recounted. "And then you find out, he and the other guys he's working for are getting sued for $121 million for dumping a stock, and not letting the other people know."
Burr was candid about his views on corporate misconduct. "It's like there's your motive," he said, referring to the targeted killing. "They're gangsters, dude. And then one of them gets whacked or something, they're like, I was good, he was such a good guy. It's a dirty game." The lawsuit Burr referred to accuses Thompson and other executives of insider trading. The allegations suggest they sold off company stock before public disclosures that negatively impacted share prices, leaving other investors uninformed.
As the investigation into the murder entered its fifth day, detectives grappled with a paradox: they had a wealth of evidence, yet the shooter remained elusive. One thing they were certain of was that it was a targeted attack, not a random act of violence. The shooter ambushed Thompson at 6:44 a.m. as he arrived at the Hilton for his company's annual investor conference, using a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to euthanize animals without creating a loud noise. The ammunition found near Thompson's body bore the words "delay," "deny," and "depose," echoing a phrase used by insurance industry critics.
The shooter's knowledge of the UnitedHealthcare group's conference at the hotel and the route Thompson might take suggested he could be a disgruntled employee or client, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. Over the weekend, police divers searched a pond in Central Park, where the killer was believed to have fled after the shooting. Officers found his backpack in the park, but they did not immediately disclose its contents.
The investigation is ongoing, with hundreds of detectives sifting through video recordings and social media, vetting public tips, and interviewing potential informants, including Thompson's family and coworkers. The investigators caught a break when they found security camera footage from the hostel where the shooter stayed, showing his face in an unguarded moment. Using surveillance video, police retraced the gunman's steps, suggesting he left the city by bus shortly after the shooting.
The high-profile search has expanded across state lines, with the FBI offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, supplementing the NYPD's reward of up to $10,000. Police believe the suspect acted alone. Despite distributing images of the suspect to news outlets and on social media, they have been unable to identify him using facial recognition, possibly due to the angle of the images or limitations on the NYPD's use of the technology.
The murder of Thompson, a key figure in the healthcare industry, has raised serious questions about corporate misconduct and insider trading. As the investigation continues, the hope is that justice will be served, and the truth behind this tragic event will be revealed.
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