UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson was fatally shot outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning in what authorities believe was a targeted attack, according to a person familiar with the matter, report CNBC.
Thompson, 50, who led the nation's largest private health insurer, was shot in front of 1335 Avenue of the Americas. Emergency medical services rushed him to Mount Sinai West Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
Thompson's wife, Paulette Thompson, said that her husband had received threats related to insurance coverage issues, though she was not aware of specific details. Despite these threats, she said he maintained his regular travel schedule. "I can't really give a thoughtful response right now," she said. "I just found this out and I'm trying to console my children."
The suspect, described as a white male, allegedly used a firearm with a silencer and was wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black sneakers with white trim, and a gray backpack. NYPD is offering up to $10,000 reward to anyone who can give meaningful information regarding the homicide.
The shooting occurred just hours before UnitedHealth Group's scheduled investor day at the Hilton, which was subsequently canceled. Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty addressed the situation briefly before ending the event.
"I'm afraid that we – some of you may know we're dealing with very serious medical situation with one of our team members," Witty said during the investor day. "And as a result, I'm afraid we're going to have to bring to a close the event today, which I'm sure you'll understand."
Thompson, a resident of Maple Grove, Minnesota, had worked at UnitedHealth for over 20 years, joining in April 2004 after nearly seven years at PwC. He became CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021 after leading the insurance unit's government programs. A graduate of the University of Iowa, where he was valedictorian, Thompson is survived by his wife and two children.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the killing "horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community" in a post on X.
UnitedHealth Group, with its roughly $563 billion market cap, is the largest healthcare conglomerate in the United States by revenue. UnitedHealthcare, under Thompson's leadership, generated more than $281 billion in revenue last year, representing over two-thirds of UnitedHealth Group's annual revenue for 2023.
The company is currently dealing with the aftermath of a February ransomware attack on its subsidiary, Change Healthcare, which compromised the protected health information of at least 100 million people.
