Suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione, the man who was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after the murder of Brian Thompson, has been linked to a bizarre incident in Japan. According to a report by the New York Times, Mangione made jokes about paying for services with Pokémon cards during a self-described ‘Zen’ trip to Osaka, months before the alleged killing of Thompson in New York. The joke, which included a reference to paying a ‘mob boss’ with ‘pornstar Pokémon’ cards instead of yen, has raised questions about the suspect’s mental state and intentions.
The report details Mangione’s trips across Asia, which included visits to Thailand and India. In Japan, he spent time in a mountain village called Tenkawa for a spiritual retreat, and in Thailand, he met with an author who had written about the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. His time in Thailand was also marked by a reported incident where he lost a fight to seven ‘ladyboys,’ which he later described as an event that occurred months before the alleged killing of Thompson. These accounts, while seemingly trivial at first glance, have been cited in the context of trying to understand the motivations behind the murder.
Mangione was last seen in San Francisco, California, before returning to New York City, where he allegedly waited to ambush Thompson. The murder, which occurred on December 4, 2024, led to a significant police response, with surveillance video capturing the moment the hooded gunman approached Thompson and fired multiple shots. The murder weapon, along with a manifesto critical of the health insurance industry, was reportedly found with Mangione after his arrest. The case has sparked widespread interest and concern over rising assassination risks, particularly among business leaders and the public, as law enforcement and legal experts prepare for a high-profile trial.