I do not financially support any restaurant that has a Wall-street ticker. I wish more people would do this. There should be no reason to fund some CEO on Wall-street when we can benefit more by funding local communities.
P.S. You have to pay me to use Microsoft products and to engage with Amazon.
If I understood the history correctly, being a "shareholder" was a path to a fractional business ownership for people who could not afford to outright own a business.
It comes from the same mental position as a co-operative.
In these scenarios, a CEO is really just an employee of sorts for the shareholders.
It's quite funny that we see the CEO of a publicly traded company has worse than a sole-proprietor, when profits will go directly to a sole proprietor- but not to a shareholder CEO.
I understand how it has played out, that the largest companies on earth are publicly traded now, and that CEO compensation in those companies is crazy. But it's quite ironic in my opinion how it played out.
Speaking in the same mindset as the parent, we're fine with the profits going directly to a sole proprietor.
In fact, what we want is a name attached to the profits, and a not a role.
We're not anti-profits.
We're anti bland corporate leadership, with no reputational risk and no personal ties to the company (and often no financial risks either, see golden parachutes) - one whose only mission is to maximize profits, product and customers and legacy be damned.
As mentioned though, the irony is in that, once upon a time, the lords and landed gentry were the "bland, soulless overlords" and so buying things would improve their profits... and nobody could become them.
Then the idea of fractional ownership came about and the common man could buy in to an enterprise.
Now of course, everyone is correct that this has been weaponised- but it's often interesting to go back to the original intent (or idea) of something to see how warped it has become.
But sometimes this “corporate bad” mentality is just vapid snobbery. I’m better than you because I don’t support big bad corporate.
Of course, companies aren’t created equal, regardless of size or status of being public or private. Some are run very well and ethically and some are not.
I am sure we can find many mom and pop businesses that do shady things that no public corporation would be caught dead doing.
Did you know, small landlords are exempt from equal housing laws? Mrs. Murphy exemption.
If I go to an Olive Garden I know I’m getting the exact same experience everywhere, I know exactly what amenities and facilities they’ll have, and I know what price I’m going to pay.
Even though Cheesecake Factory is a public company they’re doing more real kitchen prep work and in-restaurant cooking than my local bar and grille that’s reheating premade Sysco food.
At least Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory does better.
