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You might see the headline and recoil, thinking, well … we had pharoahs with tombs of gold, and we had robber barons, so there’s no way we’re greedier now, right? I’m not so sure. Consider some stuff from Judd Legum’s newsletter this morning:
W.K. Kellogg, the founder of Kellogg’s, was an innovator in more ways than one. He famously invented Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, and other popular cereals. But he also was committed to ensuring that the immense wealth produced by his company benefited his employees and the country. “I’ll invest my money in people,” Kellogg said.
His factories offered, free of charge, a “kindergarten, nursery, and day care center for the children of working mothers.” All employees and their families were provided with comprehensive “medical, dental, and nutritional” benefits. Surrounding the plant was a “ten-acre, well-coiffed garden” that was available for “the enjoyment and recreation of workers.” Most importantly, “he paid good wages to his factory workers, his executives, and his support staff.”
OK. So this dude seemed to be ahead of his time as a scaling-company leader. Good, good.
And now we have the modern day:
Kellogg’s unionized workforce reports that today, factories are “purposely understaffed” with workers routinely required to clock “72- to 84-hour…
