Summary

Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot in a premeditated attack outside the New York Hilton Midtown before speaking at an investor conference.

The gunman, still at large, fired multiple times, leaving shell casings marked with the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.”

Authorities suggest Thompson was targeted but remain unclear on the motive. His wife confirmed prior threats against him.

Analysts speculate a possible vendetta tied to his company. The case raises questions about executive security, as Thompson lacked personal protection despite known risks.

  • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    7 days ago

    You know what I find disgusting? Defending people who by their very nature and existence bleed people dry for every dollar they can. At least I hope your guy gets it quick. You hope I bleed my whole life however. Cruel is what you are.

    • oxjox
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      13
      ·
      7 days ago

      I’m not defending anyone. I’m saying that it’s disgusting to wish death upon someone else. I’m calling you out for being a horrible human for thinking such a thing.

      Tell me how “by their very nature and existence” a “billionaire” bleeds people dry for every dollar they can. Just a general thought would be fine.

      Then tell me how this applies to the person this entire topic is related to - the guy who was worth less than $50 million.

      I know billionaires who have built hospitals, created organizations to help child cancer patients, donated millions to public schools, created organizations to get homes for the homeless; just to mention a few things.

      If you want to roll with “billionaires shouldn’t exist”, you have to look at what we would lose if they were gone and how we would replace them. Should we tax the wealthy enough so government is run more efficiently? What agency in what level of government is going to organize the creation of the things we’ve lost? Does our government have the will or knowhow to create such programs? How are you going to tax “billionaires” who don’t have billions of dollars of liquidity?

      I hate to use the guy as an example but look at Musk. Do we need electric cars, reusable space rockets, residential batteries, satellite internet? Could someone else have done it? How long would it have taken NASA to get where SpaceX has? How do you start a car company if you don’t have the collateral to back it up? Heck, even Trump built his empire on the lie that he was a billionaire (not that casinos are worthy of this conversation).

      • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        7 days ago

        Elon musk didn’t build a reusable rocket. The people he underpays and overworks did. Case closed. Thanks for proving the point.

        • oxjox
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          9
          ·
          7 days ago

          How much are they being underpaid and overworked?

          • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            7 days ago

            See here’s the thing. Your trying to bait into a numbers game. I’m telling you the numbers game inherently by its nature underpays it’s workers. There can’t be a billionaire without the workers producing billions that they don’t get back. As for overworked, it’s Elon god damn musk. Famous for overworking his employees, especially his migrant workers who depend on his employment for their visas. Talk about not understanding how money and business works.

            • oxjox
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              6
              ·
              7 days ago

              You’re telling me something that sounds like an uninformed opinion. Do you have numbers or are you getting your news from TikTok?

              • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                5
                ·
                7 days ago

                Here. Lemme not be pedantic for 5 seconds and im going to ask simple questions and expect simple answers.

                A worker works in a widget factory and makes a widget. Turning some raw material into the widget. At the end of the day, is the worker paid the value he produced, meaning minus the raw material cost because obviously.

                • oxjox
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  6
                  ·
                  7 days ago

                  Are you asking if a worker is paid 100% of the profit made from a single thing?

                  I would certainly hope not. A business has countless more expenses outside the cost of the worker to make the widget. The worker may very well be the cheapest overhead for the production of that widget. After things like rent, electric, taxes, waste disposal, maintenance, the cost of raw materials, the salaries of the entire company, etc., I would hope that a manufacturing company would retain as much profit as possible to ensure the business could stay open, employing staff without laying them off, even during a time of slow sales.

                  Now, if that “widget” were something like software, or a CGI artist, I would like to think that ratio would be nearly reversed. Aside from computer hardware, you’re paying that worker for their raw talent, education, and expertise with little other overhead for that department aside from management.

                  • SmilingSolaris@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    5
                    ·
                    6 days ago

                    Mhm and after paying cost of materials, rent, taxes, electric, waste disposal, maintenance and other operational employees required for the procurement and sale of that widget, is the worker ever paid for the value of that widget minus those things? No, because at the end there is a lil goblin on top sucking the excess profit. Not for the good of the business, not for future savings and preparedness for slower times. Just a guy who said “I make dis salary”. Or in a corporation its a gaggle of goblins. Tell me, what work does jeff bezos do to deserve his salary? what did this united CEO do that earned him his wage that justified what he took from his workers. That money has to come from somewhere and thats part of the excess profit. In short, You missed somethin in your list of things the company has to pay for. The goblin skimming off the top.