Who is UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's wife? Paulette Thompson was reportedly separated from him and lived in different houses

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was outside his hotel in midtown Manhattan in New York when he was shot dead at around 7 am local time on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, as reported by several media outlets. He was reportedly in town for an investor meeting for UnitedHealthcare's parent company. While outside the Hilton hotel, a gunman shot him from behind, and after he had fallen to the ground, the killer shot him again.

This incident played out in a security video, which showed that Brian Thompson's alleged killer was reportedly masked and fled the crime scene on a bicycle. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

Brian Thompson's wife is Paulette Thompson, but according to reports, they have been separated and were living in different houses before the murder. The Wall Street Journal reported on December 5 that both lived in Maple Grove, Minnesota, but in different houses and that the separate living arrangement had been the norm for years.

Paulette "Pauley" Thompson is an Iowa native and reportedly works as a physical therapist at the Park Nicollet Health Services. According to Times Now, her Instagram bio reads:

"I love spending time with my two boys and taking them to all of their activities. I also love boating, spending time with family and friends, playing piano, biking, and traveling."

She graduated from the same college as her late husband, the University of Iowa, where she got her Masters degree in physical therapy.

---

Brian Thompson's wife says that the UnitedHealthcare CEO received death threats before his murder

Following Brian Thompson's murder, his wife Paulette Thompson shared some context about his husband to NBC News on December 4. She claimed that the UnitedHealthcare CEO had been receiving death threats before his murder. She said:

"Yes, there had been some threats basically."

When she was asked about the reason for the death threats, she said:

"I don't know, a lack of coverage? I don't know [the] details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

Brian Thompson's wife further mentioned that despite her estranged husband knowing about people wanting to do him harm, he still went ahead with his trip to New York City. However, she didn't elaborate on anything else, saying:

"I can't really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out and I'm trying to console my children."

Paulette Thomson's comments about the death threats coincide with the police statements after the UnitedHealthcare CEO's death. The New York Police Department said in a statement, per CNBC, that Thompson's killing outside the Hilton hotel seems "a brazen, targeted attack." During the news conference on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Jessica Tich further said:

"I want to be clear at this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack... This does not appear to be a random act of violence."

Per the reports, a 911 call was made about a person shot in front of the Hilton hotel at 6:46 am Eastern Time, and two minutes later, officers arrived. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said that officers found Brian Thompson on the sidewalk with two gunshot wounds, one on his back and the other on his leg. He was brought to Roosevelt Hospital but was announced dead at 7:12 am.