NEW YORK (AP) Despite being in charge of one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, millions of people who were impacted by his choices were mainly unaware of Brian Thompson.
Police describe the Wednesday shooting death of the CEO of United Healthcare on a sidewalk in midtown Manhattan as a targeted killing, which brought the executive and his company into the public eye.
Thompson, 50, has been employed for 20 years at UnitedHealth Group Inc., a major player in the health care industry, and had been in charge of the insurance division since 2021.
In his capacity as CEO, Thompson oversaw a company that offers health insurance to over 49 million Americans. For individuals 65 and older, United is the biggest supplier of Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately administered variations of the federal government’s Medicare program. Along with administering health insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state and federally supported Medicaid programs, the corporation also provides individual insurance.
The portfolio Thompson oversaw was the largest business of UnitedHealth Group, situated in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with $74 billion in revenue in the most recent quarter. He was one of the highest-paid executives in the corporation, with an annual remuneration package of $10.2 million that included bonuses, stock options, and salary.
Outside of the industry, the University of Iowa alumnus who started his career as a certified public accountant was not well-known. CEO Andrew Witty, a British triathlete who has testified before Congress, was the public face of the parent firm, even to investors who held its stock.
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