Bad analogy. Whether I 'own' the company (equity/etc), if I'm a full time employee, the maintenance/debt needs of the company still affect me. They possibly a

Bad analogy. Whether I 'own' the company (equity/etc), if I'm a full time employee, the maintenance/debt needs of the company still affect me. They possibly affect me more than someone who merely has 'equity' in the company (people may own shares in multiple companies). A 10% drop in the company's revenue might mean I lose my job. If the painters/electricians also lived in the house, and it was their only/primary shelter, the 'owner' isn't the only one 'best qualified' to make maintenance decisions.