>NB that "returning money to the shareholders" is ultimately what companies are for That's debatable in many instances of the modern economic system. Of course

>NB that "returning money to the shareholders" is ultimately what companies are for That's debatable in many instances of the modern economic system. Of course, some instances of capitalism focus on that particular goal you've mentioned, but that wasn't always the case and it still isn't, depending on the socio-economic circumstances.