CEO Murder Spotlights Executive Security Spending

No one is ever likely to again question the money companies spend on executive security. Wednesday’s shocking murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Brian Thompson, as he walked to a company investor conference in midtown Manhattan was a good reminder of why companies such as Meta Platforms, Snap, Coinbase and Tesla spend millions to protect their most senior people.

Securities filings for UnitedHealthcare’s parent company make no mention of the company paying for executive security. It would be understandable if the healthcare giant didn’t cover such expenses, as none of its executives—including Thompson—are as high profile as people like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk. But it’s a good bet that all big public companies will start rethinking their approach to security in the wake of the shooting.