The Brian Thompson family story starts on a farm between the small town of Jewell and the even tinier town of Stanhope, not in a Manhattan boardroom. How does a kid who walked soybean rows end up running America’s largest health insurer? And who was waiting for him at home?
This profile follows the Brian Thompson family through his own words, a family-written obituary and on-the-record reporting. It sticks to what’s documented and leaves private matters alone.
brian thompson family in Brief
Brian Robert Thompson was born July 10, 1974, in Ames, Iowa, and grew up on a farm near Jewell. He met Paulette “Pauley” Reveiz at the University of Iowa, and the couple raised two sons in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Thompson died at 50 on December 4, 2024, after running UnitedHealthcare since April 2021. His wife, two sons and mother survive him.
brian thompson family Roots: A Farm Between Jewell and Stanhope
Thompson’s father, Dennis, worked for decades as a grain elevator operator. His mother, Pat, was a beautician, according to family friends. Dennis died in 2023 at age 75, according to Newsweek’s reporting.
Brian was the younger of two sons. His brother, Mark, appears in the obituary alongside Mark’s wife, Kelly. A 2023 obituary for their father said he loved to fish with his two sons.
Summers were simple. Friends told The Washington Post that Brian fished at the local lake and “walked beans,” which is farm talk for weeding soybean fields. So the work ethic came early.
School made him a local name. He graduated as valedictorian of South Hamilton High School in 1993. He was also class president and homecoming king, and played basketball and golf. His family’s obituary adds that he was a two-time All-State trombonist.
Childhood friend Taylor Hill supplied the best small story. Hill’s father once listed Brian as Hill’s brother on a par-three golf membership so the boys could play cheaply. Hill also called Thompson the smartest person he had ever known.
Jewell is tiny. It’s a farming community of just 1,183 people. After the shooting, the Stanhope mayor said the town would stand by Thompson’s mother, Pat.
How Brian and Paulette Thompson Met: What’s on the Record
Thompson earned his University of Iowa degree in May 1997, majoring in accounting, with special honors. Newsweek reported that he met his wife, Paulette, at the university. She studied business administration there around the same time. She later earned a master’s in physical therapy, in 1999.
Paulette is originally from Webster City, Iowa. Her late father was Eduardo Reveiz, and her mother is also named Paulette. Her sisters, per the obituary, are Ana Lisa Haberman, Maria Reveiz, Elena Reveiz and Karime Westrum.
Neither Brian nor Paulette has described the courtship in any interview I found. No podcast, no profile, no memoir. That silence is the finding here, and it’s worth respecting.
The obituary lists the survivors this way:
- His wife, Paulette (“Pauley”), and two sons
- His mother, Pat Thompson, and brother, Mark (Kelly)
- His grandmother, Margaret Thompson
- His mother-in-law, Paulette Reveiz, and four sisters-in-law
- Many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins
His father, Dennis, and father-in-law, Eduardo, preceded him in death.
What This Relationship Means to Them, In Their Own Words
Thompson rarely spoke publicly about his marriage or his sons. So the family’s own words carry most of the weight. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Paulette called him a “loving father to our two sons” and asked for complete privacy.
She told KARE 11 he was a person with “a big heart.” The family’s obituary calls him “BT to everyone who knew him.” It also says the role that mattered most to him was father.
Paulette’s own workplace profile gives a fuller picture of home life. She wrote that she loves time with her two boys, driving them to activities, and also boating, piano, biking and travel. That reads like a household built around two busy teenagers.
Thompson’s most useful on-record line isn’t about marriage at all. He told employees he didn’t separate work from life. In his words, “I didn’t grow up in a setting where these things were separate.” He tied that outlook to growing up on an Iowa farm.
The obituary fills in the rhythm of family time. He and the boys often attended Twins, Timberwolves and Vikings games. The family also made time for special dinners, birthdays, holidays, lake days and vacations.
What Reporters Found That Wasn’t in the Interview
Reporters added several details the family never stressed. First, school and sports ties surfaced. Both sons attended Wayzata High School, one a current student and one a 2024 graduate. A lacrosse assistant coach said Brian and Paulette were supportive of their son and present at team events.
Second, E! News reported, citing public records, that the couple had been living in separate homes. The family hasn’t addressed that report. Their statements describe Paulette as his wife, and she’s his widow in every account.
Third, small labeling differences appear. HealthPartners’ own statement called Pauley a colleague, while People, citing a local station, said she practices with Park Nicollet. Neither detail changes the picture.
Finally, Paulette told NBC News her husband had mentioned threats tied to coverage disputes. She said she didn’t know the details.
Raising Two Sons in Maple Grove, Minnesota
The family lived in a non-gated Maple Grove neighborhood, roughly 15 miles from the Minnetonka headquarters. The sons were 19 and 16 when their father died. Both grew up in the same suburb their father picked for family life.
Teenage years meant a packed calendar. There were lacrosse games, school events and pro-sports outings. The Wayzata principal called the boys’ father a parent of one current and one graduated student in an email after the news broke.
The sons are named in the family’s published obituary. We aren’t repeating their names here. The family has asked for privacy, and the boys have stayed out of the spotlight.
Thompson also kept his Iowa friendships alive. Hill said Brian reached out by text in recent years after getting his number through another friend. A busy executive still made time for old friends.
brian thompson family Life Next to a UnitedHealth Career
Work pulled at the schedule, but the path was steady. After college, Thompson worked as a CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining UnitedHealth Group in 2004. He then served as CFO of the company’s three benefits divisions. Next he led Medicare & Retirement, then Government Programs.
UnitedHealth Group named him CEO of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021. The division covered more than 49 million Americans. Our [INTERNAL LINK: Brian Thompson net worth → Brian Thompson net worth report] puts his estimated fortune at about $42.9 million, based on SEC-tracked equity.
Money didn’t change his daily routine, according to colleagues who spoke on the record. Former colleague Matt Burns told Newsweek Thompson had a way of showing appreciation that felt authentic and personal. Still, no one has said how the job affected home life, and we won’t guess.
Giving Back: Golf, Special Olympics and Hawkeye Pride
The obituary says Thompson hosted an annual golf tournament for the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation and other charities. He was also named honorary co-chair of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. The Minnesota announcement came in May 2022, alongside University of Minnesota president Joan Gabel.
At that launch, Thompson spoke for the company. He said UnitedHealth Group was thrilled to sponsor the Games “right here in our hometown.” The Games ran June 20–26, 2026, in Minneapolis.
His love of the Iowa Hawkeyes stayed constant. Colleagues said he could move easily between health policy and Hawkeyes talk. Small-town ease followed him into every room.
December 4, 2024: How the brian thompson family Responded
Thompson was shot outside the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue at about 6:46 a.m. He died at Mount Sinai West hospital. Police called it a targeted attack.
Paulette spoke within hours. She told NBC News she was “trying to console my children.” The family’s written statement then asked for complete privacy while they grieved.
A private funeral followed. Family and friends gathered at a Lutheran church in Maple Grove on Monday, December 9. In lieu of flowers, the obituary asked for donations to a charity of choice.
The brian thompson family in 2026
The past year put the family back in public view. On August 14, 2026, Luigi Mangione pleaded guilty to federal stalking charges in Manhattan. Paulette, Thompson’s mother and other relatives sat in the front row and were visibly emotional.
They didn’t speak to reporters. Instead, the family issued a written statement calling the plea “an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family.” Federal sentencing is set for December.
The state case isn’t finished. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to the state charges. His lawyers moved to dismiss them on double-jeopardy grounds, and the judge postponed the trial and set his next state appearance for December 10. As of October 26, 2026, I found no newer public statement from the family.
The Brian Thompson Family Legacy
The Brian Thompson family record is short on interviews and long on small details. A farm near Jewell, a valedictorian speech, a college romance and a suburban home with two busy sons. His own words say he never split work from life. His family’s words say fatherhood mattered most.
That’s a fair reading of what’s public. The rest belongs to a wife, two sons and a mother who’ve asked for privacy. For the career side of the story.
More on This Topic: Brian Thompson Actor: The Tall Stage Performer Who Became Hollywood’s Go-To Antagonist
FAQ
Who is in the Brian Thompson family?
His wife, Paulette “Pauley” Thompson, and their two sons survive him. So do his mother, Pat, his brother, Mark, and his grandmother, Margaret. His father, Dennis, died in 2023.
Who was Brian Thompson’s wife?
Paulette Reveiz, from Webster City, Iowa, is a physical therapist. She met him at the University of Iowa. They raised their sons in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
How many children did Brian Thompson have?
He had two sons, ages 19 and 16 when he died. Both attended Wayzata High School. The family has asked for privacy, so we don’t name them.
Where did the Brian Thompson family live?
They lived in Maple Grove, a Minneapolis suburb. UnitedHealth Group’s headquarters is in Minnetonka, roughly 15 miles away.
Where did Brian Thompson grow up?
He was born in Ames, Iowa, on July 10, 1974. He grew up on a farm near Jewell and Stanhope. He graduated from South Hamilton High School in 1993.
Is this the same Brian Thompson as the actor?
No. The actor was born in 1959 and works in film and TV. This Brian Thompson ran UnitedHealthcare. See [INTERNAL LINK: Brian Thompson actor → Brian Thompson actor profile] for the actor.
Disclaimer: All information presented derives exclusively from publicly available journalism, public records and family-released obituaries. No individual named herein has verified these details to 2A Magazine, and no content should be attributed to them as a direct confirmation.
Sources: Brian Robert Thompson obituary, Star Tribune Details on the life and career of Brian Thompson, Star Tribune Slain UnitedHealthcare executive is remembered, Star Tribune Brian Thompson was a local farm boy, Des Moines Register via Yahoo UnitedHealthcare CEO laid to rest, NBC News via Boston.com Brian Thompson’s wife speaks out, Fox News Who was Brian Thompson, KARE 11 Mangione pleads guilty, Courthouse News Mangione federal plea, NPR Minnesota wins bid for 2026 USA Games, Special Olympics
