The author discredits herself from the outset by saying Vanguard profited by some $1 billion from the stock-price gains.
Vanguard sponsors and manages mutual funds, ETF’s, and the sort. Shares of these vehicles are widely held in everything from 401k’s, to IRA’s, to kids’ 529 college-savings plans. It is the investors in those funds that profited, not Vanguard itself (except to the extent their management fees are being calculated on assets (stocks) that have appreciated in value themselves.)
Further, Vanguard itself is a client-owned. Investors own their funds which, in turn, own Vanguard. There’s not some evil genius behind it that is scoring big on an upswing in the price of Pfizer shares.
It is sloppy research and writing like this that causes readers to unnecessarily question the veracity of the entire piece.
Beat me to it.
Great comment.
Clearly the writer hasn’t a clue how the stock market and various investments work.
They (anti-vaccine Blogs et al) want, need an Evil Mad Man, an enemy, and prefer one with a name and face.
I guess just saying “the Pfizer CEO” or “Pfizer Executives” doesn’t have the impact it use to for them.