Luigi Mangione & the CEO Assassination

On December 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed outside a Manhattan hotel. Within days, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione — valedictorian, Ivy League grad, and outspoken critic of the U.S. healthcare system — was arrested and charged with the murder.

This isn’t your typical true crime case. In this episode, we look beyond the headlines to explore who Mangione is, what shaped his worldview, and the manifesto that framed the killing as a symbolic attack on a system he believed was broken beyond repair.

We’ll also dive into the ethical dilemmas this case raises: Can we separate ideology from violence? How do privilege, mental health, and public perception influence the way we view perpetrators — and victims? And why has Mangione inspired both condemnation and a #FreeLuigi movement online?

Content warning: gun violence, political themes