'My thoughts and prayers were out of network'
A Health Insurance CEO Was Murdered. The Internet Lashed Out Against Insurers
Social media's grim — and revealing — response to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
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The Lede
On Wednesday, moments after the news broke that Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, had been fatally shot in Midtown Manhattan, social media unleashed a barrage of caustic commentary about his death. In lieu of condolences, Americans from all walks of life shared barbed jokes, grim memes, and personal anecdotes about their own experiences with giant insurers like UnitedHealthcare.
Key Details
- On Facebook, UnitedHealthcare's statement about the murder of its chief executive elicited 46,000 reactions — 41,000 of which employed the laughing emoji.
- The joking language of the internet has become a standard way for Americans to process tragic events, whether the September 11, 2001, attacks or the July 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
- But Thompson's murder sparked something different: an unparalleled public reckoning with one of the country's largest and most profitable industries.
