“Frankly offensive”: UnitedHealth CEO responds to “aggressive” media interest in Johnson murder

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty is appalled by the reaction to the murder of his company’s head insurance man Brian Johnson. 

The UnitedHealthcare CEO was gunned down in New York City on Wednesday, in a seemingly targeted assassination that was caught on camera. The extensive media coverage and at times gleeful response to the murder on social media were too much for the exec. He called the tone of coverage “frankly offensive” in a video message to employees that was leaked to journalist Ken Klippenstein.

“I’m sure everybody has been disturbed by the amount of negative and in many cases vitriolic media and commentary that has been produced over the last few days, particularly in the social media environment,” he shared in the video, which doubled as a warning to employees to keep mum when journalists come calling. “People are writing things we simply don’t recognize [that] are aggressive, inappropriate and disrespectful.”

Witty told employees of the multinational corporation to block out the occasionally celebratory tone seen on social media and the posters’ plaudits directed at Johnson’s still at-large assassin.

“I’d encourage you to tune out that critical noise that we’re hearing right now. It does not reflect reality,” he said. “What we know to be true is the health system needs a company like UnitedHealth Group.”

Elsewhere in the leaked message, Witty said that there were “very few people” who had a “bigger positive effect” on the U.S. healthcare system than Thompson and reiterated the necessity of insurance giants like UHG. 

“We guard against the pressures that exist…for unnecessary care,” he said.

Watch a clip of Witty’s message below: