The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the US’s largest insurers, was killed on Wednesday morning in midtown Manhattan.
The police have described the killing as a “brazen, targeted attack” by a shooter outside a hotel where the company was holding a conference.
They said the gunman was at large and they were still investigating a motive.
Here’s all we know about him.
Who was Brian Thompson?
Thompson, 50, led one of the biggest health insurers in the US.
He was the Chief Executive of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance wing of parent company UnitedHealth Group Inc.
He had worked at the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company for two decades and led its insurance division, which employed about 140,000 people, since 2021. Before that, he ran the company’s Medicare and retirement business.
As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain.
He was one of the company’s highest-paid executives, with a $10.2 million annual compensation package.
Thompson maintained a low profile as Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group Inc., assumed a more visible position that included appearing before Congress and testifying.
However, the 50-year-old did often garner attention due to his influence on how Americans receive medical treatment. During an investor meeting last year, he described his company’s move to “value-based care,” which involves paying physicians and other carers to look after patients’ health rather than just treating them once.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/brian-thompson-unitedhealthcare-ceo-shot-dead-nyc-hotel-13841761.html.
