Culture | Many happy returns?

What firms are for

The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book

A worker takes down a sign saying "shareholders", immediately after the UBS General Assembly which followed the emergency takeover of Credit Suisse
Photograph: Mark Henley/ Panos PIctures.

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”

From the January 18th 2025 edition

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