UnitedHealth executive shot dead in New York ahead of investor day

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A senior executive at US healthcare company UnitedHealth Group was fatally shot ahead of an investor event in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Brian Thompson, 50, who had served as the chief executive of the Minnesota-based group’s UnitedHealthcare insurance division since 2021, was pronounced dead at hospital after being shot outside the New York Hilton Midtown, the people said.

The New York Police Department said officers responded to a call at 6.40am on Wednesday and found a 50-year-old male unconscious with a gunshot wound outside the sprawling hotel in one of New York’s busiest business and tourism districts.

The person was rushed to nearby Mount Sinai Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the NYPD added. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the crime and investigations are ongoing. The NYPD said the victim’s identity would not be announced until his family was informed.

UnitedHealth did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The company cancelled its investor meeting, which kicked off at 8am. Thompson was due to speak at the event later in the day, alongside other leaders including group chief executive Andrew Witty.

Witty ended the event on Wednesday morning after reports of the incident emerged. “I’m afraid that . . . some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members and as a result I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today,” he said.

Thompson, who has worked at UnitedHealth since 2004, has held multiple roles within its UnitedHealthcare insurance division, including working in corporate development and serving as finance chief of its Medicare and retirement division.

UnitedHealth, which has a market value of $566bn, generated nearly $372bn in revenues last year, making it the fourth biggest publicly traded US company by sales. UnitedHealthcare — the biggest US health insurer, which Thompson ran — contributed about 75 per cent of the group’s revenues.