John Vibes

June 2, 2015

(ANTIMEDIA) For over a year, there has been a very noticeable string of deaths among high-ranking members of the banking industry, with new cases popping up on a regular basis, nearly all of them unexplainable. This week, Ed Gilligan, President of American Express mysteriously died on a flight from Tokyo to New York, making him one of the most high-ranking bankers to die thus far, and certainly under some of the most suspicious circumstances.

There are few details known about the circumstances surrounding his death. The only information that has been made public at this time is that on May 29, Gilligan became ill on a return flight from a business trip to Japan, and that the corporate jet was forced to make an emergency landing in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

An anonymous source has said that flight attendants performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the 55-year-old AmEx president, but to no avail.

American Express CEO Ken Chenault made the following statement to his employees concerning the death:

With the heaviest of hearts, I must share some devastating news. Ed Gilligan – President of our company and friend and inspiration to many inside and outside American Express – became seriously ill on a flight home to New York this morning and has passed away. This is deeply painful and frankly unimaginable for all of us who had the great fortune to work with Ed, and benefit from his insights, leadership and enthusiasm. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Lisa, and their four children – Katie, Meaghan, Kevin and Shane. He was a proud husband and father, and his love for his family was evident in all that he did. Ed also loved American Express. He devoted his entire career to this company, starting as an intern 35 years ago and moving steadily up all the way to Vice Chairman in 2007 and President in 2013. His contributions have left an indelible imprint on practically every area of our business, from Commercial Card and Travel to International, Consumer, Small Business, Merchant Services, Network Services and, most recently, the group forging our digital partnerships and driving payment innovations. Ed was a living embodiment of our values, embracing both our heritage of service, trust and integrity, as well as our entrepreneurial spirit that has helped continually transform this company through the years. For the time being, I have asked Ed’s direct leaders to report to me. The mark of a true leader is followership, and Ed won the hearts and minds of many thousands. He was a champion of diversity and employee development, and his mentorship has helped create a legacy of strong leaders wherever he went. We mourn his loss, and we will have opportunities to share our memories of him more fully in the coming days.

According to Bloomberg, Gilligan suffered an embolism and subsequent heart attack. However, with high profile cases such as this, it is important to thoroughly investigate other possible alternatives to see if there is more to this story than meets the eye.

Anti-Media will have more updates on this developing story as they become available.

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John Vibes is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war. In addition to his writing and activist work he organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference, which features top caliber speakers and whistle-blowers from all over the world. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can find his 65 chapter Book entitled “Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance” at bookpatch.com.