Many (most?) businessmen these days are closer to a Gramsican Marxist mentality than that of the 19th century industrialists. They love (and optimize) their high incomes but many vote on the far left. Within most major (e.g. Fortune 500) corporations, the PC garbage runs thick and deep. Hard core anti-sovereign mentality, particularly aimed at the US, is common. And, I hasten to add, the tendancy to appease the PRC as well as numerous other enemies of America is rampant. Treason is well thought of and it is considered very politically incorrect to use geopolitical criteria in decision making regarding both supply chain design as well as market investment. While a number of these things have sprung from the installation of folks who got educational deferments (and did dope, burned flags, spit on GIs, etc...) into the halls of power since the 1980s, some of it goes back as far as the 1920s. Witness the dirty (and ultimately treasonous) dealings of GE and Ford (among others) with National Socialist Germany; dealings that anyone with half a brain would have cut off way back around 1934.
I think you can see that my biggest criticisms of corporate leaders have more to do with issues of patriotism than with issues of personal compensation.
"Gramsican" s/b "Gramscian".
You make some good points. I saw an article once about some rich dudes back in the 30's who tried to supplant FDR with Nazis or something. I'll try to find it. parsy.