The situation is largely the same in the US, especially around gig economy companies. They provide a service that a large percentage of the population can't aff

The situation is largely the same in the US, especially around gig economy companies. They provide a service that a large percentage of the population can't afford to use (many who can't afford the service wind up as the workers), and in some cases even issue debt as a carrot to get workers in the door. Uber is a perfect example of this. Not only did they create a market that they controlled all the levers to in order extract the value, they started partnering with auto lenders to get drivers into nicer cars with the promise of earning extra through their premium service. So they effectively became the lender and the employer, which is frankly unconscionable in a modern and free society. The suicide rate of rideshare drivers is a severely under-reported crisis in the US. But to your point, the big money doesn't care about that.