
September 15, 2020
Friedman, Profits and Treasury’s Role in Stakeholder Capitalism
50 years after Milton Friedman’s landmark essay on profits, treasurers are trying to embrace stakeholder capitalism responsibly.By Joseph NeuMilton Friedman’s essay, “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits,” turned 50 this past Sunday. Many commentators are seeking to mark the occasion with efforts to either square stakeholder capitalism with Friedman’s view—helping stakeholders is good for long-term profitability—or call him out as myopic to the more equal, inclusive and sustainable future that young people—and others—now want. Milton Friedman…