UnitedHealth Group’s CEO announced his shock resignation on Tuesday less than a week after alleged UnitedHealthcare shooter Luigi Mangione’s legal defense fund surpassed $1 million in donations. Andrew Witty has managed the conglomerate since 2021 and handled the fallout after 27-year-old Mangione allegedly shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in broad daylight in Manhattan last December. Now, as Mangione’s legal defense ramps up and his fans send in countless donations, Witty is leaving the company for “personal reasons.” He will be replaced by the firm’s former CEO Chris Hemsley. Witty is departing just as the share price of UnitedHealth slumps 10 percent and other health insurers are also facing economic downfalls. UnitedHealth warned shareholders last month that there were “unanticipated changes” in the healthcare industry and earnings were falling for the first time in nearly two decades. Thompson’s killing in 2024 came with a wave of frustration from angry patients who said they were hurt by the insurer’s policies, which caused its stock to plummet. Then, in April, UnitedHealth shareholders launched a lawsuit against the company for allegedly hiding how the backlash hurt the business.
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