What drove Luigi Mangione to allegedly kill UnitedHealthcare CEO
Ivy League graduate Luigi Mangione has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione was arrested on December 9, 2024, from a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, ending a five-day manhunt after the December 4 shooting in New York City. When arrested, Mangione was found with a weapon matching the one used in Thompson's murder and a manifesto criticizing health insurance companies.
Mangione's health struggles and criticism of US healthcare
According to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by US media, Mangione was driven by animosity toward what he considered "parasitic" health insurance firms. He had spent time in a surfing community in Hawaii but left due to terrible back problems, according to individuals who knew him. It is, however, unclear how much his own health issues influenced his perceptions of the medical industry.
Mangione's surgery and post-operative experience
RJ Martin, founder of Surfbreak, a co-living space in Hawaii where Mangione lived, said his condition was severe. Martin said Mangione's back issues impacted his personal life, making dating or physical intimacy impossible. Mangione had undergone spinal fusion surgery last year to treat his condition, and online posts associated with him detailed his health struggles and surgery experience. A Reddit post mentioned that he had an L5/S1 spinal fusion after conservative treatment failed.
Mangione had left his previous employer Truecar
He claimed to be pain-free post-surgery but emotionally drained. In another 14-page handwritten document verified by Sky News, Mangione stated that he suffered a back problem known as an L5-S1 isthmic spondylolisthesis, in which one of the bones in the spine slips forward and presses on the vertebra below it. The back problem was also confirmed by a former colleague, who told Reuters that he took a two-month sabbatical in the middle of 2023 due to back-related issues.
Mangione's manifesto and criticism of US healthcare
At the time of his arrest, Mangione carried a handwritten manifesto criticizing the US healthcare system. The document denounced health insurance companies for prioritizing profit over patient care. New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny noted that Mangione wrote about "his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry." According to NYT, the manifesto singled out UnitedHealthcare by name. "These parasites had it coming," it reportedly said, adding, "It...had to be done."
Mangione's academic background and family estrangement
Three bullet casings with the words "deny," "defend," and "depose" were also found at the crime scene. Law enforcement sources believe this is a reference to the "three Ds of insurance," which are tactics employed by corporations to reject payment claims by patients. Per local media, Mangione hails from a well-known Baltimore family that owns country clubs, nursing homes, and a radio station. Mangione earned bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020.
