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United States Who was Brian Thompson? UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in New York City
Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan early Wednesday, according to police.
Thompson, 50, was shot in the chest near the New York Hilton, which was scheduled to host the company’s annual investor conference. The event was canceled after reports of the shooting emerged.
Thompson was transported to Mount Sinai West hospital in critical condition, but was later pronounced dead. A search for the gunman continues.
Who was Brian Thompson?
According to his bio on the Minnesota-based company’s website, Thompson was named the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021, after having previously served as the CEO of UnitedHealthcare's government programs, which include Medicare & Retirement and Community & State.
In 2004 he joined the company, which is under UnitedHealth Group — ranked 8th in Fortune's 2024 list of the world’s 500 largest companies. Initially, he specialized in mergers and acquisitions.
Before that, Thompson was a practicing CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, serving as a manager in the transaction advisory services group of the company’s audit practice, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Iowa. He graduated in 1997.
He was a husband and father of two children.
Family, lawmakers mourn Thompson’s death
A police officer stands near the scene where the CEO of United Healthcare Brian Thompson was fatally shot in Manhattan Wednesday (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Thompson lived in Maple Grove, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis.
His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that her husband told her he had been receiving threats.
"There had been some threats," she said. "I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."
“He was a good person and I am so sad,” Elena Reveiz, Thompson’s sister, told the New York Times
In a post on X, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called Thompson’s killing “horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota.”
“Minnesota is sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team,” Walz added.
"This is a horrifying and shocking act of violence," Sen. Amy Klobuchar wrote on X. "My thoughts are with Brian Thompson’s family and loved ones and all those working at United Healthcare in Minnesota."
