> If you look at any shareholder lawsuits Indeed. And you will find that not maximizing profitability doesn't always lose. But if shareholders are suing for no

> If you look at any shareholder lawsuits Indeed. And you will find that not maximizing profitability doesn't always lose. But if shareholders are suing for not maximizing profitability then that indicates that there are no other competing concerns among the shareholders, so no doubt it would be a challenge to defend that. It would be easier to defend more complex cases where there is nuance. As mentioned before, profit is the one thing – and probably the only thing – that is easy to communicate at scale. > They want a return on their investment - not to turn their investment into a charitable donation to make the world a better place. Shareholders want their world to be a better place. Profits are one way to grease that, but not when it is at odds with competing interests. There are countless examples where companies have not sought maximized profits to seek other benefits instead. Shareholders have to live in the world they create after all. Granted, because communication at scale is hard there are unintended consequences to be found.