Funding the Future Profit without purpose = market failure
Nov 18, 2025
Profit is vital, but it should serve society rather than just fill corporate coffers. The obsession with shareholder value often leads to greed and short-term thinking, harming workers and the environment. Many companies focus more on money extraction than genuine innovation. Richard Murphy argues for a redefined concept of profit that emphasizes stewardship over exploitation. He calls for regulations to promote ethical investment and engage listeners in a conversation about the moral foundations of capitalism.
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Profit Must Reflect Social Value
- Profit signals success only when it arises from meeting societal needs.
- When profit is detached from purpose it becomes a measure of exploitation, not value.
Extraction Replaces Production
- Modern large companies prioritise extracting money over producing value or meeting needs.
- Shareholder-value ideology has licensed greed and corrupted business priorities.
Short-Termism Shifts Costs Publicly
- Short-termism drives pollution, low pay and tax avoidance because private gain depends on public loss.
- Profit detached from responsibility increases social costs and erodes the legitimacy of limited liability.