E-commerce platforms are brimming with merchandise inspired by the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Products on sites like Etsy, TikTok Shop, eBay, and Redbubble range from T-shirts and hoodies to stickers and even Christmas ornaments, many featuring the words "Deny," "Defend," and "Depose"—a message found at the crime scene.
The surge in merchandise has been fueled by online fanfare surrounding the shooting, with some individuals framing the attack as a critique of the health insurance industry. Social media users have shared stories of denied coverage and financial hardship, with some celebrating the shooter, Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murder.
While platforms prohibit items that glorify violence, enforcement has been inconsistent.
An Etsy seller named Michael, who spoke to NBC on the condition that his last name stay private, rebranded the UnitedHealthcare logo into a design featuring the shooter's nickname, "The Adjuster." He said he received over two dozen orders in one day.
"I don't personally believe in violence, but I have a problem with their entire business making money off people suffering and dying," Michael said. "It says something about society that we can relate to the killer more than the billionaire and his family."
While Thompson's net worth is estimated at $43 million by The Daily Beast and he is not technically a billionaire, UnitedHealthcare shared in a news release that its 2024 revenue under Thompson's leadership was at least $450 billion.
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