Comedian Bill Burr’s comments about the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO may surprise you

The suspected shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was apprehended by law enforcement on Monday, December 9, nearly a week after Thompson was killed outside his hotel in Manhattan last Wednesday. Until today, the suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, had been at large. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after a worker at McDonald’s recognized him and contacted local law enforcement. Authorities have since confirmed that while they had a photo of the suspect, which was released to the public, they did not have a name and thus their search was slowed considerably.

The shooting has become a major topic of conversation on social media, as well as in group chats of other executives concerned about what the killing means for their own safety. Online, the killing has been met with condolences, along with messages that are far less sympathetic to the victim.

One of the voices that chimed in was comedian Bill Burr, known for his straight-talking and progressive views. In a conversation on his podcast, he explained that after the shooting he was “reading an article” that depicted Thompson as a “great guy” and that he had trouble with that characterization. By no means did Burr suggest that Thompson’s murder was justified, but he called attention to how the pervasive nature of arms in the US coupled with the stress caused by corporations, can lead to tragic outcomes on all sides.

The gun used to kill Thompson was allegedly printed by Mangione using a 3D printer. This type of technology makes any evidence left at the scene fairly useless to investigators as they cannot track the weapon to a retailer which might have the buyer’s information on file.

Thompson was under investigation by the US Department of Justice.

Burr brought up the fact that Thompson, Andrew Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth (the parent company of UnitedHealthcare), and Stephen Hemsley, who served as the Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors, are being sued for $120 million by the City of Hollywood Firefighters’ Pension Fund. The suit alleges that the executives were aware of a US Department of Justice antitrust investigation and failed to inform investors of threats to their assets’ value.

According to the brief filed by the US District Court of Minnesota, the Department of Justice was investigating UnitedHealthcare’s acquisition of Change Healthcare for possible antitrust violations. The executives, including Thompson, allegedly learned of the investigation in October 2023. However, instead of informing their investors—which could have led to a decrease in their stock price—company leaders began selling their stock in secret. Thompson was accused of selling around $15 million worth of his personal stock in the company.

A search for a possible motive

As investigators attempted to piece together a possible motive, the allegations of stock manipulation could not be ignored. Authorities looked into possible investors who may have wanted to target Thompson over these alleged dealings. However, it appears that Mangione was far less motivated by this aspect and was more concerned with the general abuses of corporations and their impact on the lives of Americans.

UnitedHealthcare has come under scrutiny over the past year after a Boston Globe investigation found that the company, which is the largest insurance provider in the U.S., also had the highest rate of claim denials in the industry. While in 2023 the average for all insurance companies stood at around 16 percent, those covered by UnitedHealthcare saw about a third of their claims rejected. Based on writings of Mangione’s found by law enforcement, the suspect was much more motivated by abuses within the healthcare industry and the impact on the public than the lawsuit.

Burr spoke to both the allegations of stock manipulation and the high denial rate for claims, explaining that while he does not believe “what happened should have happened,” he doesn’t understand why some in the media are so surprised that Thompson was targeted. “They are denying claims and people are dying,” said the comedian, attempting to demystify the frustration that many face when struggling to access affordable medical care in the United States.

The comedian also provided a behind-the-scenes look at some of the material he is working on, which turned out to be quite timely. Comparing the corporate leaders of today to the mafia bosses who ran cities like New York in the 20th century, Burr noted that those bosses operated illegally and lived dangerous lives, as other mobs might attempt to take them out. Burr wondered if corporate leaders today were forced to play by the same rules if they would act with the same levels of impunity. As he sees it, these “guys are all on the legal side of stealing” and are supported by politicians who also use their inside knowledge to win big on the stock market. “They are gangsters, and it’s a dirty game. Healthcare is a dirty game,” said Burr when finalizing his argument.

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