UnitedHealth Sued Over CEO Killing Fallout, Denies Claims

UnitedHealth Group is facing a class action lawsuit from shareholders who allege the company concealed the negative impact of public backlash following the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The lawsuit claims UnitedHealth artificially inflated its stock price by maintaining optimistic profit forecasts, despite shifting away from controversial claim denial strategies after regulatory scrutiny and criticism. The company lowered its 2025 profit outlook in April, leading to a 22% drop in stock price and erasing about $119 billion in market value. Investors argue UnitedHealth failed to disclose the profitability risks of abandoning aggressive 'anti-consumer' tactics, especially following a critical U.S. Senate report. UnitedHealth has denied any wrongdoing. CEO Andrew Witty and CFO John Rex are also named as defendants in the case, which seeks damages for shareholders for the period from December 2024 to April 2025.