In the days following the
Multiple news outlets shared videos and images of the posters (mostly blurred out), while un-blurred images of the posters spread widely on multiple social media platforms, including X, Reddit and Instagram (Snopes is not linking to the latter posts due to reports of ongoing threats against the targeted executives). Many of the posters appeared partially removed or torn. One of the posters included a photo of Thompson with a red "X" through it.
"Are these actually real? And if so were they posted before or after," one Reddit user commented.
Several
As ABC News first reported, the NYPD released a bulletin on Dec. 10, 2024, that mentioned the posters and highlighted social media posts that were "emphasizing that it [each poster] is a hit list and that CEOs should be afraid."
While we can confirm the posters exist, and images of them were not fundamentally altered, it is unclear who created them or for what purpose. They're not real in any official capacity — the CEOs identified were not actually "wanted" by law enforcement.
The small text of the posters included the words "Deny," "Defend" and "Depose," three words engraved on bullet casings left behind after Thompson's killing. "When the rich rob the poor, it's called business. When the poor fight back, it's called violence. FIGHT BACK," each poster read. And below the CEOs' names and positions: "Health care CEOs should not feel safe."
The words "Deny," "Defend" and "Depose" echo the title of the 2010 book "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It." According to the AP, "Delay, deny, defend" is the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment. The Merriam-Webster definition of "depose" is: "To remove from a throne or other high position."
In sum, credible news outlets have documented visual proof of the posters, and the NYPD confirmed that they are aware of them. However, it is unclear, as of this writing, who created the posters and why.