UnitedHealth CEO Pay Approved Amid Crises, Probes

UnitedHealth Group shareholders narrowly approved a compensation package for returning CEO Stephen Hemsley, which includes a $1 million annual salary and a $60 million stock option award vesting over three years, with only 60% support. The slim approval margin reflects heightened investor concerns following a sharp market cap decline, a rare earnings miss, a major cyberattack, and the murder of a top executive. UnitedHealth faces additional pressures from federal investigations into alleged Medicare fraud and a shareholder lawsuit connected to the executive's murder. While the company described the compensation as performance-based, Institutional Shareholder Services criticized the lack of performance-vesting criteria. Hemsley, who previously led UnitedHealth from 2006 to 2017, has pledged to restore investor trust and announced comprehensive policy reviews. The compensation approval and Hemsley's return come amid a critical turnaround effort for the company.