‘He was a serial killer’: Americans have no tears to shed for murdered CEO who denied patients life-saving care

You would think that the internet would react with sympathy when a person is murdered. But when that person is the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, fury and barely restrained joy are filling social media.

While the world was preoccupied with who and why shot Thompson, some X users thought about his legacy. UnitedHealthcare is the kind of insurance company that scams people, but we hardly ever hold it accountable. Well, some people on the internet haven’t forgotten about the company’s past.

We don’t think they are just hating or exaggerating for clicks. This is a genuine reaction to an ongoing lawsuit accusing UnitedHealthcare of using a flawed AI algorithm to deny care to elderly patients. The families of two deceased Medicare Advantage beneficiaries allege that UnitedHealthcare knowingly deployed a faulty system to cut off payment for medically necessary care prematurely. Calling a murdered CEO a “serial killer” is not that outrageous when you take this into account.

The lawsuit describes how the AI model, “nH Predict,” didn’t get it wrong occasionally—it allegedly had a 90% error rate. A 90% error rate is wild; that’s not a rounding error; that’s a disaster. But we are not talking about car insurance here. We are talking about lives. Elderly patients were kicked out of care facilities or drained their family’s savings to keep receiving the care their doctors prescribed.

Because of UnitedHealthcare’s history, people think that this was business as usual. Some argue that under Thompson, the company weaponized AI to boost profits, knowing most policyholders wouldn’t challenge denied claims. “Only 0.2% of policyholders appeal,” the lawsuit claims. It’s that easy for UnitedHealthcare to pocket premiums while shirking payouts. Thompson didn’t just run a healthcare company; he oversaw a system that allegedly left people to die. For a lot of people, the idea of mourning his loss feels absurd.

But these are only allegations, and it’s a single case; it’s not like UnitedHealthcare was doing this all the time, right? We wish that were true. A famous doctor on TikTok, Dr. Glaucomflecken, took the time to explain why UnitedHealthcare is an evil corporation. He details some of the company’s evil doing, like holding the record for the most denied claims. But he also offers a piece of good advice on how to look at the entire situation.

Police have also discovered the shooter carved “deny, defend, depose” on his bullet casings. These words refer to the tactics insurance companies use to deny people coverage. So, it won’t be surprising if the murderer turns out to be someone who was frustrated with the way UnitedHealthcare treated them. Or worse, a family member of some of the elderly people who didn’t get the proper care because of an algorithmic error.

Dr. Glaucomflecken said it best. Let’s not pretend this story is just about one man. Thompson might have been the CEO, but the reactions online aren’t just for him—they’re for an entire healthcare system that feels less like care and more like The Hunger Games.