shareholder primacy

Colorful 16-bit arcade-style pixel art title screen showing a powerful corporate executive holding bags of money, factories and GE-style buildings in the background, stock charts, buybacks, layoffs, and workers below, inspired by The Man Who Broke Capitalism.

The Man Who Broke Capitalism examines how Jack Welch’s management philosophy reshaped American business, embedding shareholder primacy and short-term optimization into corporate culture. David Gelles traces how these ideas spread across industries, contributing to financialization, weakened labor relations, and long-term instability, making this book essential reading for anyone serious about governance, leadership, and sustainable value creation.

shareholder primacy

Books

The Man Who Broke Capitalism Book Review David Gelles