it was a recognizably american class. tycoon the cumulated fortunes but also felt some obligation to the country around them. steel tycoon andrew carnegie build still libraries for the edification of people beneath him. john d rockefeller and others set aside huge portions of their wealth and cases property to make the country better. maybe most significantly in january 1914 henry ford more than doubled the prevailing factory waste to remarkable $5 for an 8 hour day. he didn t have to do that but his company was succeeding and he thought he should. some historians trace the creation of the american middle class to that decision. it is nearly impossible to imagine a big company doing anything like that today. attitudes are too different. private equity isn t built in a
beneath him. john t rockefellers and many other so-called robber barons set aside huge portions of their wealth and their property to make this country better. yellowstone, acadia national park, et cetera. maybe mostar significantly, in january 1914, henry ford more than doubled the prevailing factory wage to a then remarkable 5 for an eight hour day, and he didn t have to do that, but his company was succeeding, and he thought he did. some accredit the creation of the american middle class to that decision. it s impossible to imagine a big company doing anything like that today picker attitudes are just two different. your average finance mobile looks at workers as costs to be reduced or eliminated entirely. private equity isn t building a lot of public libraries these indays. instead, the model is ruthless economic efficiency. buy the company come outsource the jobs, liquidate the assets, fire middle management, and when the smoke is clear, dump