There have been many studies to determine the return on investment when governments subsidize private companies. AFAIK the time the ROI was positive was when th

There have been many studies to determine the return on investment when governments subsidize private companies. AFAIK the time the ROI was positive was when the subsidy enabled trade to an “outside” partner that would not have happened otherwise. Think international airport or shipping port that created a new trade route. Of course if that trade route already exists in a different form, then you are throwing away money.