# UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in Manhattan \[breaking news: 2024-12-04\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [December 4, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159 "2024-12-04T16:11:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/123 "2024-12-05T03:08:25Z")
As a whodunit, this is a fascinating case. Of course I sympathize with the wife and children, don’t know enough about the victim to care one way or the other. My theory is a professional hit, but I doubt it was a disgruntled policyholder or family of someone who is dead or impoverished because of the company not covering something. My money is on someone in the business that he screwed over somehow. To pull off something like this in broad daylight in the middle of Manhattan and not be apprehended this many hours after is astounding. But, I think he gets caught before the week is out. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/124 "2024-12-05T03:19:36Z")
I wouldn’t wager we’re in the era of [The Propaganda of the Deed](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_of_the_deed) 2.0. But the organizations looking to make their fortunes suppressing that would just love it. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/125 "2024-12-05T03:23:14Z")
Even in the event the deceased was a [double-crossing corporate greaseball](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Ff6f8mf7ugmy51.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dd7ac2d569d83beb912070ea33cf918600273e4db) it’s more than a little disturbing that as a nation we’re at a point where so many are (and have been for some time!) so prepared for violence against the people we hate (for reasons fair and foul) that it barely merits a reaction. This is NOT a sign of a healthy nation. Further discussion though is probably too political for breaking news. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/126 "2024-12-05T03:29:47Z")
It’s definitely the biggest case of “De mortuis nil nisi bonum” since the recent death of gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi. I found out, via Facebook, that one of my childhood bullies worked in the claims denial department of a health insurance company, and then I blocked her, not being surprised at her occupation. Like I’ve said earlier, I do understand why such a department exists, but yeah, she was probably the type who would do it for kicks and grins. Spoiler (and if you don’t want to read this, the TL : DR is that I considered outing her by name on social media during the #metoo era, something I do regret not doing - and never saw anyone else who wasn’t famous do it): Among other things, she wanted to arrange my gang-rape, with her brothers and other boys too (she was one of 7 kids) so I would get pregnant and have to leave school. Oh, yeah, a lot of adults knew about it, but they didn’t care, or they accused me of doing something to her to make her want to do something like that to me. Now, knowing what I do now, one has to wonder what kind of nightmare scenario a GIRL of 12, 13, or 14 would have had to experience to even think of doing anything like that to another girl, so in that regard, I get it, sort of. Second spoiler: Other kids, when their parents are out, would look for booze, pornography, the good candy, etc. Me? I was looking for a gun so I could take it to school and shoot her, and I really believe that if I had done that, people would have stood in line and taken numbers to defend my actions. I tried to do a spoiler-ception but it didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/127 "2024-12-05T03:31:43Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Considering that the man was undoubtedly very wealthy with a very cushy job that paid him tens of millions in salary and stock options, I find the likelihood that he was involved in anything really shady in his personal life to be quite improbable. Remember how many wealthy and powerful people were tied to Epstein’s notorious “pedophile island”? Just because he was wealthy doesn’t mean that he wasn’t involved in something horrific, even outside of his profession (which is awful enough to provoke somebody). And of course it could just be something perfectly mundane like a killing over an extramarital affair. Although in that case they’re a lot more likely to be able to find the person responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/128 "2024-12-05T03:41:40Z")
[UHC has the worst record for claim denials](https://www.valuepenguin.com/health-insurance-claim-denials-and-appeals) While the CEO isn’t responsible for denying specific claims, the corporate cultue usually starts with him ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/129 "2024-12-05T03:46:29Z")
I just created a spin-of thread > [@The ethics of health insurance](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ethics-of-health-insurance/1011177): > > Continuing the discussion from [UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in Manhattan [2024-12-04]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-2024-12-04/1011159/113): So … United healthcare has a very bad reputation, and perhaps that’s true of it. But as best as i can tell, the people who invented the HMO (which i think was related to [Kaiser Permanente](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Permanente), the health insurance company) really believed they were going to improve people’s health and save money doing it, by preventing expensive complications. And i kinda think the folks who founded [the Blues](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Cross_Blue_Shield_Association) (the large… And i think that’s a better place to discuss those issues than this breaking news thread. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/130 "2024-12-05T04:00:17Z")
First of all, the joking and “he deserved it” mentality is not a good sign for this country. Very MAGA, in fact. Many people work for companies that exist primarily to maximize the wealth of their shareholders. And when that is the goal, there will always be people that feel wronged. Victims of capitalism. And let’s also remember that “for profit” medicine is something that Americans could have voted away for decades. No, we (collectively) chose to keep medicine private, even as “for profit” medicine makes our medical care more expensive and less successful than in most other modern democracies. What would be interesting is if the reason was coverage denial, but that it wasn’t even UHC’s fault. Many large companies “self-insure” their medical coverage, which basically means they pay all the bills. For these companies, insurers such as UHC only administer their plans. Decisions on complex claims are typically made by the company itself, and the administrator, such as UHC, is just communicating the decision. That would be a sad case of “shooting the messenger”. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/131 "2024-12-05T04:05:09Z")
Thank you @puzzlegal. I was actually just trying to figure out how to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/132 "2024-12-05T04:30:48Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > No, we (collectively) chose to keep medicine private, even as “for profit” medicine makes our medical care more expensive and less successful than in most other modern democracies. Those with the power and the money are very successful at convincing people to vote against their own self-interests. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Famous\_Burrito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_famous_burrito/32/3954_2.png) [@El\_Famous\_Burrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Famous_Burrito)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/133 "2024-12-05T05:34:10Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > I wouldn’t wager we’re in the era of [The Propaganda of the Deed](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_of_the_deed) 2.0. I wouldn’t make that wager either… but I’ll say that I _wish_ we were entering such an era. It would do this country some good. Happy to take further thoughts to the spinoff threads. I think it’s overwhelmingly likely (99%) that the perpetrator is: 1) a pissed-off policyholder/family member of a policyholder, or 2) a disgruntled UHC employee. I’ll give 1% to the other possibilities floated here – gambling debt! business rival! jilted lover! – which, frankly, strike me as fantastical (and a gross violation of Occam’s razor, to boot). And if it proves to be door #1 – pissed off policyholder – let me further hypothesize that The Propoganda of the Deed will indeed turn out to be a secondary motive. (With the primary motive, of course, being the whole pissed off/revenge thing.) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/134 "2024-12-05T05:52:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The passenger list on Thompson’s flight might provide a lead. Those are not publicly available - how would the shooter access that list? ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/135 "2024-12-05T06:26:06Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > > [Social Media Respond Health Insurance CEO Murder With Little Sympathy](https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/health-insurance-murder-reactions-1235192490/) > > I think this might be the most popular killing with the American people since the raid that got Osama. Yeah, I’m wondering if people will start a GoFundMe for the shooter’s legal defense after he gets caught. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/136 "2024-12-05T06:27:29Z")
> [@El\_Famous\_Burrito](#): > > And if it proves to be door #1 – pissed off policyholder – let me further hypothesize that The Propoganda of the Deed will indeed turn out to be a secondary motive. If the killer was a hired gun, which seems likely to me with how well orchestrated the whole thing was, then the only reason to do it in public is if they wanted people to see it. There are much more discreet ways of killing someone. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/137 "2024-12-05T06:48:26Z")
Here’s an interesting detail - the killer apparently carved messages into the bullets. > **[Matt Novak (@paleofuture.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/paleofuture.bsky.social/post/3lcju3hcdt22i)** > > “Written on the shell casings were the words ‘deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose,’ according to sources.” > https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-shot-chest-midtown-manhattan-masked-gunman-large/story?id=116446382 It appears to be a reference to “Delay, Deny, Defend”. [https://siliconvalleylawyer.net/2017/09/22/beware-insurance-company-three-ds-delay-deny-defend/](https://siliconvalleylawyer.net/2017/09/22/beware-insurance-company-three-ds-delay-deny-defend/) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/138 "2024-12-05T07:01:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It appears to be a reference to “Delay, Deny, Defend”. I find it interesting to note that the ABC story carefully avoids mentioning that, Instead there’s a lot of stuff trying to make him look sympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/139 "2024-12-05T07:05:43Z")
As if the Illuminati weren’t threatening enough, now the killers are from the Alliterati. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/140 "2024-12-05T07:13:44Z")
The thing that makes me doubt it was a professional hit is that the shooter apparently left a cell phone behind. That seems like one of the worst things you could possibly do if you didn’t want to get caught. Even if it was a burner phone, if it had been used at all there could be all kinds of evidence in it (or on it if he touched it with his bare fingers). Doesn’t seem like something a professional, or even a clear-thinking amateur, would do. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/141 "2024-12-05T07:15:00Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > that the ABC story carefully avoids mentioning that, Instead there’s a lot of stuff trying to make him look sympathetic. Sorry, could you link to the story you are criticizing? [The ABC story I found on a quick Google search](https://abc7.com/post/united-healthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shot-dead-midtown-manhattan-masked-gunman-large/15622426/) does indeed mention the “Delay, Deny, Defend” matter in the very first sentence. Nor does it seem to go out of its way to “make him look sympathetic.” Yes, it quotes his wife (!) and colleagues as praising him, but isn’t that pretty normal? Did you actually want his grieving widow to say, “yeah, he worked for the health insurance industry, which we all know is evil, so probably he deserved to die”? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2024, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159/142 "2024-12-05T07:32:28Z")
I don’t think GFM allows that sort of thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-in-manhattan-breaking-news-2024-12-04/1011159.md?page=8)