It's one of those criminal soap operas that enthralls America, but this one is also creating deep unease. The alleged killer of Brian Thompson, CEO of the US's leading health insurance company, UnitedHealthcare, was arrested on Monday, December 10, in a Pennsylvania McDonald's after six days on the run. Luigi Mangione, the son of a well-off Delaware family and a graduate of a prestigious Ivy League university, appears to have radicalized over the past six months. Aged 26, he was carrying a pistol, a silencer, forged identity papers and a three-page manifesto, claiming his deed: "It had to be done." Charged with murder, he contested his extradition to New York. His six days on the run revealed new cracks in an American society plagued by physical and verbal violence.

First, an assassination in the heart of Manhattan, in front of one of New York's largest hotels, executed in such cold blood that many initially thought a hitman had done it.

Secondly, the nature of the target: A CEO. Political leaders have already been targeted –Donald Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts during the campaign – and celebrities, but never the bosses of major corporations, who have suddenly drastically increased their protective measures. Only a quarter of the CEOs of America's 500 biggest companies have off-duty security. Meta spends the most: $25 million a year, mainly on founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The murder was allegedly politically motivated. On the shell casings found at the scene were three words engraved by the killer: "Deny," "defend," "depose," words used by insurance companies to deny prior requests for care in the US. Every non-emergency procedure must be authorized, and insurance companies reject around 10% of requests.

Social media users took the killer's side, giving rise to an underestimated hatred of insurance companies, to the point where UnitedHealthcare had to close Thompson's condolence page, which was besieged by 77,000 smiling emojis.

Social media users expressed their hatred or sarcasm, using the language of insurers, against the father of two. "Can't send condolences since insurance has to authorize my claim before I move forward," said one on TikTok. A "Deny Defend Depose" cryptocurrency has been created and T-shirts with these three words put up for sale on Amazon.

All the media has jumped on this debate, revealing a malaise. The Wall Street Journal saw the causes as Obamacare, the health insurance introduced by former Democratic president Barack Obama, and Americans' declining satisfaction with their insurers. The New Yorker recalled that Thompson had an annual compensation package of $10 million, including shares.

You have 38.03% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.