I don't think you're wrong, but I do want to push back against this sort of bribery being entirely illegitimate as a signal in business. There's absolutely some

I don't think you're wrong, but I do want to push back against this sort of bribery being entirely illegitimate as a signal in business. There's absolutely something to be said for a company partner that cares enough to know how to bribe you and cares enough about your business. Even if the financial part is 100% bribery, there's a difference between "here's a check so you pick us instead of the competition" and spending the effort to work out what your company/decision makers care about and providing that. It's like saying if I plan a date with someone at a concert I know they're into that I'm bribing them into a relationship. In a literal sense, yes, but having someone care enough to cater to you isn't exactly meaningless in terms of deciding who to pursue a longer-term relationship with, personally or in business.