As an aside, I'd love to find a book on the history of Bell Labs. As the story was told to me, Bell Telephone had a deal with the government that they wouldn't be broken up as a trust but they had to invest a significant portion of their profits into research and development. That translated into massive budgets for Bell Labs and an attitude of 'do whatever you want, we have to spend all this dough'. Yes they did things like look into how to make switches work better but a lot of fundamental basic research.
A lot of people know they came up with the transistor (and what has shaped society more than that?) But they did a lot of other things too. For example they were the first to demonstrate the wave nature of electrons, they invented the concept of radio astronomy, the foundations of digital signal sampling / encoding / processing, physics of materials, so much more. Overall to date NINE Nobel prizes in Physics or Chemistry came from this corporate lab. They produced a unique combination of totally practical yet revolutionary engineering innovations and leading edge physics and chemistry discoveries.
But eventually Bell telephone did get broken up and the lab, which still exists, isn't quite as 'anything is up for study, money is no object' is used to be. But they literally changed the world over and over and over.
+1
The money is shoveled over to bankers, MBAs, lawyers, and D.I.E. consultants instead.
And to pay severance to Carly Fiorina?
*And*, “10% for the Big Guy” no doubt.