Untangling America’s love-hate relationship with corporate power
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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Days after the arrest of Luigi Mangione in connection with the assassination of a health-insurance executive, “wanted" posters appeared in New York City targeting healthcare and Wall Street heads. Alongside them popped up posters portraying Mangione as a saint, with the words “Free Luigi." The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive officer initially unleashed outrage over denied medical claims and an airing of agonizing personal experiences with insurance companies.
But that response has expanded into a broad referendum on big business after years of high inflation. Some on social media have cast Mangione as a modern-day Robin Hood, calling him a hero for allegedly killing someone they think indirectly harmed thousands by denying them insurance. Even those who condemn the assassination of the executive, Brian Thompson, are urging a re-evaluation of what they see as a rigged system in which corporations profit at their customers’ and employees’ expense.
“Luigi has a point," said one TikTok user. “I just hate the way capitalism makes me feel." Americans’ current relationship with corporate power is complex. Capitalism, entrepreneurship and the drive for wealth are embedded cultural values; business leaders are admired and brands beloved.
Many Americans who voted for Donald Trump cite his image as a successful business leader as a primary reason for their support. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the owner of X, has 207 million followers on the social-media platform and the ability to launch national debates on everything from fertility to the federal budget. Thousands of investors every year flock to Omaha, Neb., to hear from Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive of
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