The Wall Street Journal postulates that while capitalism's "ultimate heroes" used to be the people who would scale the corporate ladder over time, these days "we celebrate those attempting to knock the ladder down," who focus on "employing fairer pay policies, adopting social causes and weighing in on politics."
One would assume that this is easier if you're the CEO of a privately held company than a public one, but the Journal story focuses on a corporate leader who even ants to challenge that assumption:
"Pat Brown, the man behind plant-based meat maker Impossible Foods Inc., is becoming a bit of a cult figure in Silicon Valley. He is positioned to be a very wealthy man, but also poised to be a lightning rod for those who think environmentalists just want to take away our gasoline, steaks and styrofoam.
"Mr. Brown is out to change the world through good old-fashion capitalism instead of coercion, and his company’s multibillion-dollar private valuation has Wall Street salivating for an initial public offering. His plant-based products infused with soy leghemoglobin, or 'heme,' replicate the taste of beef. Items like Impossible Whoppers or Impossible Lettuce Wraps are on their way to becoming as well known as Happy Meals.
"Dining on Impossible Burgers and Impossible Pizza at an Italian restaurant on Stanford University’s campus Tuesday, Mr. Brown talked about practices that could be at odds with the desires of investors. He wants to continually cut prices for instance.
"After the plates are cleared, he wonders out loud if there is a way to make sure the Impossiblites working lower-paid jobs are compensated more like the brass. He already pays a 'thriving wage,' but he seems uncomfortable with the idea that some of his employees are using a raise to simply get their head above water while others may be using them to buy a vacation home."
You can read the story here.
