UnitedHealth executive fatally shot in NYC on investor day

Brian Thompson, a longtime UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive, was fatally shot in midtown Manhattan early Wednesday morning, the New York Police Department said.

Thompson, 50, was shot in the chest before 7 a.m. outside the New York Hilton Midtown, where the company was hosting an investor day, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Early reports suggest that the attack was targeted, the person said. Upon Thompson’s arrival, the alleged attacker was waiting for him and shot the executive from about 20 feet away before fleeing on foot. The alleged shooter was still at large as of mid-morning, the person said.

Thompson had a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to Mount Sinai West in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead. NYPD said there are no arrests at this time and the investigation is active and ongoing.

The suspect was described as White man wearing a cream-colored coat, black and white sneakers, grey backpack and a black face mask, according to NYPD.

A 20-year veteran of UnitedHealth, Thompson was one of the company’s most senior executives. He went by the nickname “BT” and regularly presented at investor events and on earnings calls. The insurance unit he oversaw is expected to bring in $280 billion in revenue this year, and is the country’s largest health insurer.

In 2021, he took over as CEO of the UnitedHealthcare insurance division after working in finance positions across the business. A certified public accountant, Thompson graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in business in 1997. He worked at PwC in the Twin Cities before joining UnitedHealth.

At the investor day Wednesday morning, UnitedHealth executives continued their presentations until about 9:10 a.m., when the company addressed the crowd.

“We’re dealing with a very serious medical situation,” Chief Executive Officer Andrew Witty said before abruptly halting the company’s investor day.

The company didn’t respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the New York Hilton Midtown said “we are deeply saddened by this morning’s events in the area and our thoughts are with all affected by the tragedy.”

Michelle Fay Cortez and Katherine Chiglinsky contributed to this report.