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You don’t forge a multibillion dollar burger empire without breaking a few eggs, or at least smashing a few patties.
Jerry Murrell, the CEO and founder of the fast-food chain Five Guys, seemed to allude to the possibility of being shot by a Luigi Mangione-style vigilante when explaining why he was giving his employees a $1.5 million bonus — suggesting that after the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, big wigs are considering controversial business decisions through a whole new lens.
The off-color remarks came in a recent interview with Fortune magazine, during which Murrell addressed his not-quite fatal decision of running a promotion on Five Guy’s 40th anniversary that led to its locations across the country being overwhelmed.
“I didn’t want anybody shooting me in the back or anything after the first day, because we really screwed it up,” Murrell said. “We had no idea that we were going to get that kind of response.”
Extolling his genuine concern for his own employees, Murrell added he decided to apologize to his workforce, and the public, directly for manufacturing the logistical nightmare. The bonus was key to that.
“I was gonna buy my wife a new fur coat, and I spent it on [the bonus] instead,” Murrell said, dryly. “She still looks at me like I’m stupid. But I thought it was worth it. They worked so hard. They were so overwhelmed.”
Mangione is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare boss Thompson in front of the New York Hilton in Midtown Manhattan in December 2024. Since then, he’s become equal parts meme and icon — and, we should add, heart throb. Jokesters invoke his image like a Bat-Signal whenever a member of the business elite says or does something dismissive of the rubes they lord over, like many a CEO firing their workers while pivoting to AI.
Will Murrell’s bonus be enough to stave off his fear? According to Fortune, he wrote 1,500 checks amounting to $1,000 per store. Now divide that by the number of employees at each of those locations, and you have to wonder if it’s even enough to buy one of Five Guy’s infamously pricey meals.
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