US Firms Increase Spending by 16% To Protect Top-Level Executives Amid Rising Threats

Corporate America is ramping up security measures after a series of high-profile shootings targeting executives exposed deepening societal fractures. United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson's December assassination marked a turning point, laying bare simmering class tensions as wealth inequality reaches record levels.

Security budgets surged 16% year-over-year to $106,530 per firm, with multinationals doubling plainclothes protection details. The trend accelerated after last week's Manhattan shootings claimed four lives, including Blackstone veteran Wesley LePatner. Financial institutions now grapple with operational disruptions - Goldman Sachs chairman Rich Friedman described conducting business via Zoom while offices remain shuttered.

The security spending spike reflects a grim new reality: executive suites have become flashpoints for broader economic discontent. Protective measures once reserved for political figures now extend to C-suites as companies hedge against unpredictable violence.