Culture | Many happy returns?
What firms are for
The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book
Who owns a company? The usual answer is that shareholders do. Yet they do not own it in the same way they might own, say, an umbrella. The umbrella’s owner has acquired some rights: to possess it, use it and receive any income from renting it out, for instance.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “What firms are for”
Culture January 18th 2025
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