Controversy Over Glorifying Killer of US Insurer CEO as Hero... "Ivy League-Born Muscular Man"

Online Donations and Support Flood In
Souvenirs Like 'CEO Sanyanghun' Hats and T-Shirts Also Appear

Public support is growing for Luigi Manzoni (26), who was arrested on charges of murdering the CEO of the largest health insurance company in the United States, with some praising him as a righteous outlaw or hero. This is interpreted as an outburst of public frustration and anger toward the American healthcare system triggered by the incident, while concerns are also being raised about the trend of glorifying a criminal.

Luigi Manzoni, arrested on charges of murdering Brian Thompson, head of the insurance division at UnitedHealth Group. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

On the 11th (local time), Yonhap News reported, citing major foreign media, that $31,000 in donations had been raised for Manzoni on just one crowdfunding site, GiveSendGo. On TikTok, short-form videos featuring Manzoni’s photos and footage with messages such as "He is an absolute legend" spread widely. Online, websites selling T-shirts and hats printed with Manzoni’s photo also appeared. The T-shirts included phrases like "Luigi Manzoni is a hero," "Free Luigi," and "CEO Hunter."

Earlier, on the 4th, Manzoni fled after killing Brian Thompson (50), CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance division, in the middle of New York City with a silenced pistol, and was arrested five days later. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly carrying a statement criticizing the profit-seeking behavior of health insurance companies.

After his arrest, public support for Manzoni reportedly surged explosively online. One netizen claimed on the online fundraising platform GiveSendGo that Manzoni’s actions were a "justified killing," adding, "Refusing people health insurance coverage is murder, yet no one is prosecuted for such crimes," criticizing private health insurers.

Along with this, a flood of opinions criticizing the flaws of the American health insurance system and the behavior of insurance companies emerged, forming a kind of "fandom" around Manzoni. The release of past photos showing Manzoni’s muscular physique and the revelation that he was an "elite" who graduated top of his class from a prestigious private high school and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engineering from the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania also contributed to the fandom’s formation.

While this public sentiment is analyzed as reflecting long-standing anger toward the American healthcare system, voices of concern are growing. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called Manzoni’s fandom "very shocking," saying, "We do not ruthlessly kill people (like Manzoni) just because we express opinions or resolve policy disagreements." Felipe Rodriguez, a professor at the City University of New York and former police officer, also pointed out, "People have made Manzoni a martyr," adding, "Who hasn’t fought against health insurers? Manzoni is simply a cold-blooded murderer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.