Signal AI’s Shann Biglione lays out what the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shows the corporate world about the state of consumer trust. Is there a path back?
Here’s the harsh truth: The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the subsequent glorification of his killer, Luigi Mangione, isn’t just a random flashpoint. It’s the symptom of a deeper, festering wound – growing public distrust toward corporations, particularly those in sectors where life and livelihood are at stake.
What’s happening
Thompson, a respected executive and father of two, is being eulogized as a rare leader who genuinely cared about reforming a system that many believe is fundamentally broken. Yet, instead of universal outrage at his murder, we’re witnessing something far more disquieting – a rising wave of sympathy, even adulation, for his killer.
Mangione’s manifestos – now dissected and disseminated across social media -paint a picture of deep anger at a healthcare system that many view as predatory. The raw numbers don’t make the contrary case: US adults owe at least $220bn in medical debt, while insurance and pharmaceutical giants rake in billions in profits annually.
But the real headline?
A staggering 41% of Gen-Zers polled by Emerson College found the murder of Thompson either “completely” or “somewhat acceptable.” When nearly half of an entire generation views cold-blooded murder through a lens of justification, we’re no longer talking about an isolated crime – we’re talking about a societal indictment.
The argument
This isn’t just about one CEO or even one industry - it’s about erasing corporate trust across the board. For decades, corporations have played a balancing act between profit maximization and public goodwill. But when profits keep climbing while wages stagnate, and basic needs like healthcare become unaffordable, the scales tip toward resentment.
People aren’t stupid - they see record-breaking earnings juxtaposed with personal bankruptcies caused by medical bills. They hear hollow corporate slogans like ‘Here for what matters’ while fighting to get insurance to cover basic care. The result? Cynicism, followed by anger, followed by acceptance of radical actions – actions that, in another era, would have been universally condemned.
This is a leadership crisis, plain and simple. Not just at UnitedHealthcare but across industries. Corporate executives increasingly find themselves in a no-man’s land between shareholders demanding returns and a public demanding accountability. And when that gap widens enough, people stop seeing executives as individuals – they become symbols of a system they despise.
The broader implications
Looking at Signal AI data, UnitedHealthcare has received 89% negative sentiment out of their total media coverage in the last 90 days, a flashy red spotlight brought by this tragic event. But healthcare is just the latest front in a broader war of distrust. Big Tech, Big Oil, and Big Pharma are all potential targets for this growing wave of disillusionment. And if this event shows us anything, it’s that glossy corporate PR and well-funded lobbying can’t buy trust. Trust is earned through actions – transparent pricing, fair policies, real accountability – and rebuilt slowly over time.
The question is: Who will step up?
Which company will be the first to turn this around and lean toward empathy and real reform instead of defensiveness and damage control?
Until that happens, slogans like ‘Delay. Deny. Defend’ will outperform ‘Here for what matters.’
Turning this around
First, we know that for-profit companies can’t escape the constraints of the “shareholder value” paradigm, which is why partnerships matter.
Pharma companies that genuinely collaborate with governments and NGOs to improve global access to lifesaving treatments can enhance public perception and move closer to their mission of improving health outcomes. But partnerships alone aren’t enough – there’s a systemic issue at play.
The US spends more on healthcare than any other country, yet lags in key health outcomes. Addressing this requires broad systemic reform that touches all actors. The federal government had taken initial steps by negotiating lower prices on 10 commonly used drugs, signaling a shift toward greater accountability. During recent US Senate hearings involving pharma CEOs, our data shows that Bristol–Myers Squibb and its CEO, Chris Boerner, came out ahead of peers at Johnson & Johnson and Merck by openly acknowledging the flaws in the system. Boerner’s message?
Admit there’s a problem, recognize that patients are bearing the brunt, and get to work for a system that works better for them. The question, obviously, is whether that line of thinking will be seen in actions or even persist with the incoming administration…
This is a pivotal moment - not just for UnitedHealthcare but for every industry teetering on the edge of public trust. Leaders need to take a hard look at their priorities: Are they serving shareholders only or also society?
History shows us that trust, once lost, isn’t easily regained. So, how will executives learn from this and lead the way? Or will it be about bunkers and security details? One thing is clear – business as usual, will struggle to generate different results.
This article was originally published by The Drum. Authored by Shann Biglione, SVP of Corporate Strategy and Intelligence, Signal AI