Social media is brimming with posts about people harmed by the Los Angeles wildfires, but the name of a CEO is starting to rise to the top: Jon Farnes, the head of State Farm, the country’s largest property and casualty insurance company.
Users are name-dropping the State Farm CEO after the company, according to Newsweek, canceled 1,600 insurance policies for homeowners in the Pacific Palisades months before the deadly wildfires that are ravaging the area began.
In 2023, State Farm announced it would not be accepting new applications for home insurance in California, saying that though the company supported the state’s “wildfire loss mitigation effort,” it was “necessary to take these actions now to improve the company’s financial strength.”
In April 2024, it then canceled policies on 72,000 homes in the state, again citing wildfire risk, with the Pacific Palisades neighborhood hit particularly hard.
Actor James Woods, who evacuated during the fires and posted a viral video of his neighbor’s home burning, alluded to this, saying in a tweet that one major insurance company “canceled all the policies in our neighborhood about four months ago,” although he did not mention the company.
State Farm CEO criticized online
But posters online started calling out the agency and its leadership.
“Who is the CEO of State Farm?” asked one user in a post on X that has garnered 25,000 views.
That tweet quoted a thread by journalist Michael Thomas, who claimed State Farm had dropped 70% of its Pacific Palisades customers, which the inferno decimated.
As users replied with Farnes’ name and his picture, others brought up Luigi Mangione, who was charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thomas in December 2024—a public shooting that won the internet’s sympathy, stirred frustrations over a problematic healthcare system, and, at times, inspired thirst tweets for Luigi’s abs.
“The fact that State Farm removed their fire policies for certain zip codes in California weeks or months before the fire hit is unbelievable. People are left without means to rebuild or any access to financial support. I understand Luigi Mangione now,” a viral post read.
Anticipating public rage, one user said that the State Farm CEO “better watch his back,” while another joked that they hope no one confuses Jon the CEO “with Jake” from State Farm, the company’s celebrity spokesperson.
“You guys clearly didn’t get the memo. Send Jon Farney my regards!!!” said one user, posting cartoon art of Luigi Mangione pointing a gun with three bullets that each say “deny,” “defend,” and “depose,” the words reportedly written on the bullets used to shoot the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Another posted a picture of Luigi depicted as a saint in response to the policy cancellations: “St. Luigi would like a word with him.”
But while State Farm is under siege online, it says it still cares.
In a post that might further fan the flames, State Farm said it is “here to help California customers impacted by wildfires,” in a Jan. 8 press release. “The scenes from the area are heartbreaking, and our thoughts are on the individuals and communities impacted, as well as those that remain under threat.”
While it mentioned how customers affected by the wildfires could file claims, it did not say what to do if their policy had been canceled.
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