Jonathan Wackrow, Managing Partner at J2 Strategies and a CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, explains how online violence targeting ultra-high-net-worth individuals has changed the executive protection game.
A 2025 study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab found that 31% of Americans believe it is “somewhat justified” to target high-profile figures like Elon Musk with violence, and to the extreme, murder them (NCRI, 2025).
This disturbing trend underscores a rapidly evolving threat landscape for corporate executives and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs), fueled by the normalization of ideological violence across digital platforms.
The study, Assassination Culture: How Burning Teslas and Killing Billionaires Became a Meme Aesthetic for Political Violence, reveals how online communities are transforming violent rhetoric into viral content, turning threats into entertainment and amplification tools.
In this context, executive protection is no longer a passive risk-management function – it is a business-critical function.
Assassination culture has moved beyond fringe discourse to become a digitally enabled ideology-fueled phenomenon.
Following the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024 by Luigi Mangione, extremist communities online valorized the act, sharing memes and slogans like “Deny, Defend, Depose” that blur the line between satire and incitement.
This fusion of irony, glorification and violent intent creates a permissive environment for real-world action.
What used to be extremist fantasy has entered the mainstream discussion: the assertion that violence against elites is not just acceptable, but imperative.
More respect for violence derives from the perception that the wealthy and powerful must be taken down – along with the current order.
These emerging threats echo past ideologically motivated violence – ecoterrorism, anti-abortion extremism and animal rights extremism – that framed violence as morally essential.
Today’s ‘assassination culture’, however, marks a dangerous evolution: where past movements targeted property, this paradigm openly advocates killing individuals, particularly business leaders and UHNWIs.
Additionally, today’s movements are digitally native, using social media to spread and normalize violence in ways that were not possible in previous eras.
For corporate executives, the implication of their role significantly increases their personal and professional risk.
When threats are ideologically motivated and stoked by moral absolutism and fierce ideological outrage, they are difficult to foresee or deter.
UHNWIs are similarly vulnerable, with layered threats that include financial targeting, reputational exploitation and kidnapping and ransom incidents.
Whether a corporate leader or a UHNWI, the consequence of converging physical, digital and reputational threats demands a new model for corporate security and executive protection.
Traditional security measures, such as perimeter defenses, a static guard force or reactive protocols, are increasingly inadequate for today’s volatile threat landscape.
Effective risk management now requires a multidimensional approach that addresses physical, digital and reputational risks with speed and precision.
While physical security remains foundational, the digital domain is becoming the primary vector for emerging threats, demanding integrated strategies to counter cyber-threats, social media-driven violence and reputational risks.
We have seen how quickly radical ideas can gain traction online, especially on platforms where content spreads faster than facts.
Executives can become the targets of coordinated misinformation campaigns, coded threats and viral memes designed to incite action.
These dynamics require real-time monitoring, contextual threat analysis and digital threat intelligence to spot emerging risks before they escalate.
Reputational risks also require constant attention.
Online narratives – whether rooted in truth or falsehood – can rapidly spiral into public relations crises or brand damage.
Crisis management must now include strategic communications, legal preparedness and pre-incident scenario planning.
For high-net-worth individuals, personalized risk assessments for executive protection are essential.
These include monitoring financial vulnerabilities, transactional security and geopolitical risk exposure.
Despite warnings of this dynamic landscape, many organizations remain reactive.
Corporate security organizations often have either too limited a staff or are isolated within their functional silos.
C-suite and Board engagement on security strategy is usually intermittent and compensation committees still tend to consider executive protection an ancillary issue.
But following the assassination of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare (UNC) and the loss of billions in UNC market capitalization (Reuters, 2025) directly related to the incident, there has been increased investor focus and governance oversight.
What was previously perceived as a discretionary “perk” is now considered vital to business continuity, stability and shareholder value.
Moving forward, I anticipate that greater focus will be placed on the value of executive protection within organizations, recognizing that by protecting its leaders, an organization reinforces its commitment to operational resilience; thus, safeguarding its reputation and the confidence of employees and stakeholders.
With a heightened appreciation of the value and necessity of the executive protection function, resources and funding will naturally expand to meet its growing needs.
Executive protection is no longer a luxury; it is a strategic necessity.
To navigate the evolving threat environment, organizations must embrace agile, forward-looking executive protection solutions.
This includes deploying real-time digital monitoring tools, investing in advanced threat intelligence and integrating protective services across business functions.
The goal is not simply to react faster, but to anticipate better.
Cultural and psychological analysis is also critical. With the assistance of behavioral specialists, companies and those who protect UHNWI can better understand threat origins, especially ideologically extremist-based threats.
Community and business-to-business collaboration, along with law enforcement partnerships, can help mitigate broader societal pressures before they reach an executive’s doorstep.
For UHNWIs, executive security strategies must extend to their families, homes and financial affairs, particularly as online actors become increasingly sophisticated in targeting wealth.
The rise of assassination culture is not just a theoretical shift – it’s a reality-defining trend for those who protect organizations and individuals.
As violence becomes normalized and digitally incentivized, corporate leaders stand at the center of a new kind of conflict.
The threats are bold, and our response has to meet them head-on, without hesitation.
It is no longer a matter of if, but how organizations will reimagine their approach to executive protection.
Inaction not only risks personal danger but also possible systemic weaknesses that can adversely affect brand reputation, investor confidence and sustainable value.
By investing in proactive, integrated security and protective intelligence programs, organizations send a powerful signal: that they are well-positioned to counter today’s threats and are prepared to forge ahead into the future with resilience and agility.
Jonathan Wackrow is Managing Partner at J2 Strategies and a CNN Law Enforcement Analyst.
A former US Secret Service agent and member of the Presidential Protective Division, he is a recognized expert in executive protection, corporate security and risk management. Jonathan advises Fortune 500 companies, ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) and global organizations on risk, resilience and crisis preparedness.
This article was originally published in the June edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.