UnitedHealth’s new CEO gets $60 million in stock along with hefty annual salary after earnings shortfall

The company, reports the New York Post, has been additionally "plagued by financial losses, reported criminal fraud accusations," as well as that high-profile murder in December. Suspect Luigi Mangione is set to face trial for the murder of Brian Thompson.

In the wake of Thompson's death, Mangione has been celebrated by leftist pundits who applaud the idea of revenge against the CEO over a complicated, expensive, and often dysfunctional health care system in the United States.

Stephen Hemsley, who had been in that position previously until 2017, is back in the role which gives him a salary of $1 million per year. He was named CEO after Andrew Witty stepped down following four years leading the company.

"Steve Hemsley’s compensation is positioned at the median for CEOs of comparable companies and is substantially aligned with the interests of all company shareholders," said a spokesperson.

His return as CEO comes as the company missed its earnings target for the first time since 2008. Its peak market capitalization was in November, but it has lost $250 billion since. Hemsley told shareholders that he hopes to "earn back [their] trust and [your] confidence."

Mangione has pleaded not guilty ahead of a 2026 trial start date. Shareholders in UnitedHealth have alleged that the company has been hiding losses stemming from backlash over the killing of Thompson.

They proposed a class action suit, claiming that "the insurer defrauded them after Thompson’s assassination by shifting away from strategies that led to higher-than-average claims denials, without revealing the impact on profitability," the Post reports. That suit was filed in Manhattan but later withdrawn.