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UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty recalled slain colleague Brian Thompson as “one of the good guys” and encouraged employees to “honor his life” by helping patients and their families in a new memo Wednesday, according to reports.
“Brian was one of the good guys,” Witty wrote, according to a memo obtained by Newsweek.
“He was certainly one of the smartest guys. I think he was one of the best guys. I’m going to miss him. And I am incredibly proud to call him my friend.”
The note to workers comes a week after Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, was gunned down on a midtown Manhattan street ahead of an investor conference in the Big Apple.
Luigi Mangione, 26, has been charged with his murder after he was captured on Monday inside a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
The cold-blooded slaying has sparked scrutiny toward the health insurance industry, and some have even heartlessly celebrated Thompson’s violent death because of his position.
“I know this has been an extraordinarily difficult week,” Witty said in the letter, which was also obtained by ABC News. “Our company remains in a state of mourning.”
Witty stressed that “many have said that we’re all a little better for knowing Brian,” per Newsweek.
“As we begin to move forward, the best way to honor his life and all that he stood for is to carry on his legacy — continuing to do right by the people who’ve entrusted us with their care and those who are counting on us to take care of their loved ones,” he said.
“We owe it to Brian to make good on our promise to make health care work better for everybody, in every way,” Witty continued. “That job never stops.”
What we know about the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
- Brian Thompson, the CEO of insurance giant UnitedHealthcare, was gunned down Wednesday outside a luxury Midtown hotel in a “brazen, targeted attack,” police said.
- Thompson was named CEO of UnitedHealth in April 2021. He joined the company in 2004. He was one of several senior executives at the company under investigation by the Department of Justice.
- Thompson’s wife, Paulette, said her husband had been getting threats before he was killed.
- Thompson’s shooting led to sick support online, and even spurred a tasteless lookalike competition in NYC.
- A person of interest has been nabbed by police officers inside a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa.
- The suspect has been identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, originally from Towson, Md. He’s an Ivy League graduate who hated the medical community.
Follow along with The Post’s live updates on the news surrounding Brian Thompson’s murder.
He said he was “super proud” to work at UnitedHealth Group “that does so much good for so many” and lauded employees as some of the “most compassionate, most dedicated and truly brilliant people in healthcare,” according to ABC News.
Witty stressed to his staff that their work “really, really matters” and noted that even though “these days have been dark, our patients, members, customers are sending us light.”
The Post sought comment from UnitedHealth Group late Wednesday night.