Why Are Execs of Bankrupt Companies Being Rewarded With Millions?

Breakdown-7.14
14 July 2020

It’s hard to tell people not to be angry with capitalism when the system is rewarding failure with millions of dollars in bankruptcy bonuses.

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This episode is sponsored by Bitstamp and Crypto.com.

Today on the Brief:

  • A followup on Tesla, corporate earnings and PayPal’s crypto ambitions
  • New COVID-19 shutdowns in California 
  • Small businesses on the brink 

See also: The Real Story Behind Tesla’s Crazy Rally

Our main conversation:

Bloomberg has reported recently bankrupt companies including J.C. Penney and Hertz had provided executives with more than $131,000,000 in bonuses. 

On this episode of The Breakdown, NLW examines:

  • The logic behind these bonuses
  • Why that logic is stupid 
  • How this sort of reward for personal failure in the wake of 2008 led to the rise of populism on the right and left 
  • Why we should allow companies to fail 
  • Why people’s sense that the system is a crony system isn’t wrong

For more episodes and free early access before our regular 3 p.m. Eastern time releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.