Who was Brian Thompson, healthcare CEO gunned down in New York?

Brian Thompson, the US health care insurance CEO who was gunned down in an apparent targeted attack in Manhattan on Wednesday, had been receiving threats related to medical "coverage", according to his widow.

"There had been some threats," Paulette Thompson told NBC. "Basically, I don’t know, a lack of [medical] coverage? I don’t know details."

"I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

Mr Thompson, who worked at UnitedHealth for several decades before rising to chief executive, was shot in the back by an unknown assailant who is now the target of a police manhunt.

The suspect used a silencer attached to a pistol as he arrived at a hotel in Midtown Manhattan to speak at an insurance conference.

Police have not identified the killer or announced any suspected motive. The killer fled into Central Park following the attack and is still at large.

'Loving father' and 'respected colleague'

Mr Thompson's death was mourned by family and colleagues.

“We are shattered to hear about the senseless killing of our beloved Brian," his sister-in-law said in a statement issued on behalf of the family.

"Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives," she said.

She also added that he was "an incredibly loving father" to the couple's two sons.

UnitedHealth Group said it was "deeply saddened and shocked" by his death.

"Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the company said in statement.

"We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and all who were close to him."

CEO of the US's largest private health insurer

Mr Thompson, who lived in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was named chief executive of UnitedHealth in April 2021.

He made $10.2m (£8m) from the company last year. In 2022, he made $9.8m and in 2021 he made $9.6m.

He started at the health insurance provider in 2004, and has held multiple leadership roles, including CEO of the company’s government programmes division.

UnitedHealth is the largest private insurer in the US.

Prior to starting at UnitedHealth, Mr Thompson was a manager at PwC for a number of years, according to his LinkedIn account.

He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 with a bachelor's in business administration, it adds.

Allegations of fraud

Mr Thompson had been facing insider trading allegations.

A class-action lawsuit filed by a pension fund in May 2024 alleged that Mr Thompson sold $15m of his UnitedHealth shares when he knew that the company was under investigation by the US Department of Justice.

Officials were looking into whether the company violated US antitrust law, according to an investigation made public by a report in the Wall Street Journal in February.

The BBC has contacted UnitedHealth for comment.

UnitedHealth is a huge company with interests in insurance, health care providers, pharmacy services and health data. In 2023 it had more than $371bn in revenues.

According to court documents, the company has purchased more than 35 healthcare companies over the last 10 years. Justice department investigators have been looking into whether it used its market power to reduce competition, hurting customers and employees.

The Wall Street Journal reported that officials interviewed healthcare industry representatives, and were asking questions about “possible effects of the company’s doctor-group acquisitions on rivals and consumers”.

The City of Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund initiated a complaint against Mr Thompson and other executives, accusing them of failing to tell investors about the investigation before selling a total of more than $117m in company stock.

As long-term investors who buy large amounts of stock, pension funds often take action on behalf of shareholders, and proposed a class-action lawsuit against UnitedHealth.

The lawsuit remains active.