U.S. Banking Giants Sharply Increase CEO Security Spending After New York Shooting

On Dec. 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, chief executive of UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare unit, was shot dead in Manhattan, prompting the financial industry to focus closely on security risks facing senior executives. As political, geopolitical and social tensions rise, banks increasingly view home protection, private flights, chauffeured vehicles and digital security as part of safeguarding their operations and confidential information.

Filings released on April 10, 2026, showed that Wells Fargo spent $556,000 on security for CEO Charlie Scharf in 2025, nearly seven times its 2024 outlay. American Express increased security spending for Stephen Squeri to nearly $3.5 million from $317,000. Capital One raised its spending to $53,000 from $15,000, while Goldman Sachs increased security costs for David Solomon by 15% to about $96,000.