Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, who was fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday in what New York police called a “brazen, targeted attack,” was a longtime leader in corporate America, a model student and star high school athlete — and he had been caught up in a high-profile insider trading lawsuit this year.
Thompson, 50, lived in Minnesota and was visiting New York for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investors conference before he was killed.
Here’s what to know:
Career: Thompson was appointed chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in 2021 and had been at the company since 2004. Prior to being named chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, Thompson worked as CEO of the company’s government programs business, which includes its Medicare and retirement businesses. UnitedHealthcare is part of UnitedHealth Group, America’s largest insurance company.
Education: Thompson graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in accounting. He graduated as valedictorian, according to his LinkedIn. He was a Collegiate Scholar, Carver Scholar, State of Iowa Scholar and Faculty Scholar. Thompson graduated from South Hamilton High School in Jewell, Iowa, in 1993.
Allegations of fraud: Thompson in May was sued for alleged fraud and illegal insider trading. The Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund filed a lawsuit against UnitedHealth Group, CEO Andrew Witty, Executive Chairman Stephen Hemsley and Thompson, alleging the executives schemed to inflate the company’s stock by failing to disclose a US Justice Department antitrust investigation into the company. The lawsuit claimed Thompson knew about the investigation as early as October 2023 and sold 31% of his company shares, making a $15 million profit, 11 days before the Wall Street Journal reported the probe, sending UnitedHealth’s stock sinking 5%.
CNN’s Kara Scannell contributed to this report.