Businesspersons and billionaires are more concerned than ever about themselves and their families’ safety, months after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot dead.
In January 2025, French cryptocurrency founder David Balland was kidnapped and held for ransom for two days. His attackers mutilated his finger, according to reports.
These attacks have been associated with a rise in anger towards the wealthy and powerful due to hyper-polarised politics, international conflicts, and income disparity, according to a report in Forbes.
At least 41 per cent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 believed Luigi Mangione’s suspected murder of Thompson was “acceptable,” according to a recent Emerson survey.
Not just that, risk management firm Nisos found that in the six weeks after the Thompson killing, internet threats against CEOs increased by a mammoth 41 per cent. Mangione entered a not guilty plea.
What The Ultra-Wealthy Are Doing
The ultra-wealthy, therefore, are using everything – from elite security squads to secret trackers – to protect themselves and their families.
According to at least 13 firms, the acts of violence against CEOs and founders compelled the wealthiest people in the country to look for personal security at higher prices in recent months, Forbes reported.
Many ultra-wealthy people worry about their children’s safety since they run the risk of being abducted, mistreated by caregivers, or getting into accidents or other situations.
Compared to 2024, the largest private security guard supplier in the world, Allied Universal, reported 1,500 per cent more requests for threat assessments.
The more popular services include: Private drivers with security training ($250,000 to $500,000 for two drivers); residential security, including cameras and armed guards ($750,000 to over $1 million); protection while travelling (prices vary depending on location); and a team that scans online for threats and leaked personal information, according to the report.
According to Forbes’ experts, a complete executive security team usually costs at least $2 million, and often much more, with team members earning $200,000 each.
This also includes part-time bodyguards with medical training and experts who guard premises before a billionaire arrives.
In 2024, Snap spent $2.8 million on protecting its CEO, Evan Spiegel. Alphabet acquired CEO Sundar Pichai’s security for $8.3 million, and Meta spent $24.4 million to protect Mark Zuckerberg and his family.
Famous and wealthy individuals may be more vulnerable to threats, but those who operate in the “pharmaceuticals, energy, healthcare and insurance” sectors are more at risk, said Michael Evanoff, the former head of the US government’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security.