NEW YORK (AP) — Although Brian Thompson led one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, he was largely unknown to the millions of people affected by his decisions.
Wednesday Deadly shooting The United Healthcare CEO’s incident on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk — which police are calling a targeted killing — has thrust the CEO and his company into the spotlight.
Thompson, who was 50, ran the insurance arm of health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. Since 2021 and has worked at the company for 20 years.
As CEO, Thompson led a company that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and manages health insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state and federally funded Medicaid programs.
The portfolio managed by Thompson generated $74 billion in revenue last quarter, making it the largest subsidiary of Minnetonka, Minn.-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual compensation package, including salary, bonuses and stock options, made him one of the highest-paid executives at the company.
The University of Iowa graduate, who began his career as a certified public accountant, has had little fame outside of the industry. Even for investors who own its shares, the public face of the parent company belongs to CEO Andrew Whitty, a knighted British athlete who has testified before Congress.