UnitedHealth Group, a major US healthcare company, is reeling after the murder of one of its top executives, Brian Thompson, who led its insurance division, UnitedHealthcare. In a leaked memo, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty praised Thompson’s legacy and promised employees heightened safety measures. However, the message drew criticism for not addressing public anger over corporate healthcare practices.
Highlights
- Brian Thompson, a top UnitedHealth exec, was murdered; CEO praised him in leaked memo.
- Critics say UnitedHealth memo ignored public anger over healthcare's profit focus.
- Journalist leaks alleged killer's manifesto criticizing corporate healthcare greed.
Thompson was killed last week in New York City, allegedly by Luigi Mangione, who was arrested after a manhunt and reportedly carried a manifesto criticizing the healthcare industry’s focus on profits over patient care.
Taking to his social media pages on Thursday (December 12), independent journalist Ken Klippenstein shared what he claimed to be Witty’s letter to UnitedHealth staff.
UnitedHealth Group, a major US healthcare company, is reeling after the murder of one of its top executives, Brian Thompson
Image credits: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
“UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty just sent a memo to staff (leaked to me) hailing late CEO as ‘one of the good guys’ who had ‘a profoundly positive impact on the lives of so many people’,” Klippenstein wrote.
He further revealed: "Staff are frustrated with how tone-deaf the response has been.”
Image credits: businesswire
In the leaked memo, Witty remembered Thompson’s legacy and encouraged the company’s nearly 400,000 employees through this “extraordinarily difficult week.”
He wrote: “Brian was one of the good guys. He was certainly one of the smartest guys. I think he was one of the best guys.
“I’m going to miss him. And I am incredibly proud to call him my friend.
In a leaked memo, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty praised Thompson’s legacy
Image credits: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
“As we begin to move forward, the best way to honor his life and all that he stood for is to carry on his legacy—continuing to do right by the people who’ve entrusted us with their care and those who are counting on us to take care of their loved ones.”
The message also included statements of support from UnitedHealthcare patients thanking employees for their work and sharing condolences about Thompson’s passing, despite the case having ignited intense debate online. All this occurred with many expressing frustration at perceived systemic issues within the US healthcare system.
“I wanted to let you know that I appreciate all the diligent work [you] did in helping me get a medication that I desperately need,” one anonymous patient message in the memo read.
Image credits: kenklippenstein
It continued: “And to give some positive feedback considering the climate and everything happening at United right now:
“I want to be a member that says there are good people at United. They really do care.”
Witty subsequently encouraged his employees to take care of themselves during this difficult time, and vowed that the company was taking multiple measures to increase safety.
He concluded: “No matter what’s happening, we’re going to be there for the moms and dads who brought one of their kids to a clinic this morning…for the people who need screenings, who need scans, who need surgery.
Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein shared what he claimed to be Witty’s letter to UnitedHealth staff
“Please look after yourselves, your teams, and your loved ones. Be assured we will continue to take every possible precaution to ensure that you feel safe and supported.”
The memo drew divided reactions, as a Threads user commented: “I am applauding the staff that is outing the sh**ty leadership of UHC.”
A person wrote: “Wasn’t he under investigation for insider trading among other things? ‘Only the best people…’”
Image credits: kenklippenstein
Someone else penned: “Tell Andrew and every other CEO: ‘The Call is coming from inside the house’.”
“Wow that's a shitty email, even in a corporate context,” a netizen argued, “No [acknowledgment] of the outpouring of anger against the company.
“No plan of action to improve customer satisfaction, not even to salvage reputation. No mention of any concrete employee support service such as a mental health hotline.
Klippenstein also happens to be the journalist who leaked Mangione’s manifesto in full
“He's a CEO?? My employer-provided health insurance is switching to United Healthcare as of January 1 and I'm seriously concerned…”
An observer shared: “I used to work for United. This sounds on brand.”
A separate individual chimed in: “He was objectively not ‘one of the good guys’.”
Image credits: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
Klippenstein and internet sleuths have argued that following Thompson’s death, mainstream media coverage has painted an almost saintly portrait of the executive, focusing on glowing tributes and a sanitized narrative.
Reports hailed Thompson as a “visionary leader” and “beloved family man,” omitting controversies like his 2017 drunk-driving conviction, estrangement from his wife, and allegations of insider trading and fraud tied to massive financial losses.
A legal document exposed by Klippenstein on his Substack page on Monday (December 9), showed that Thompson pled guilty to drunk driving, for which he served a couple of days in jail at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections facility in Minnesota, and later probation.
Thompson was killed last week in New York City, allegedly by Luigi Mangione, who was arrested after a manhunt
Image credits: BNODesk
“And while much reporting has cast him as some kind of dedicated wife guy, he had been separated from his wife for years and lived in their own houses, property records show,” Klippenstein shared.
Moreover, the late CEO of UnitedHealthcare, faced serious allegations in his professional life, including accusations of insider trading and fraud.
A lawsuit filed by the Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund claimed Thompson sold $15 million worth of stock while aware of a Justice Department antitrust investigation into the company, which later caused a $25 billion loss in shareholder value.
Image credits: waymarking
Additionally, reports suggest Thompson sold $1.5 million in stock on the same day a ransomware attack hit the company, wiping out $46 billion in market value.
“I’ve since spoken with several employees and it’s now quite clear that the major media’s accounts of Thompson being ‘well-liked internally’ might be true of the boardroom, but not the rank-and-file,” Klippenstein wrote.
Police have charged Luigi Mangione with the murder of Thompson, who was shot outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4.
Thompson led UnitedHealth Group's insurance division, UnitedHealthcare
Image credits: unitedhealthgroup
Authorities alleged Mangione, arrested on Monday in Pennsylvania after fleeing the scene, was motivated by anger toward the healthcare industry, as suggested by notes in a spiral notebook found during his arrest.
Evidence included fingerprints on items near the crime scene, a 3D-printed "ghost gun" linked to the shooting, and surveillance footage tracing Mangione’s movements before and after the attack.
Prosecutors are now pursuing premeditated murder charges, citing Mangione’s detailed planning and apparent use of fake IDs and disguises during his stay in New York.
"They weren't a good person," a reader commented
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