Demystifying Shareholder Activism and Why Some Investors Are Mad at Elon

Activist investors—those who purchase significant stakes in a company—are increasingly influencing major corporations on leadership, strategy, and governance. While activist investing can lead to improved corporate performance, it’s been criticized for prioritizing short-term gains over long-term growth. Some investors are adopting more collaborative approaches, and new regulations are changing activist campaigns.

The world’s greatest investor Warren Buffett read this book when he was 19 years old, and he still calls this “by far the best book about investing ever written.” The Intelligent Investor covers timeless ideas of how the market behaves, how investment is different from speculation, and how to identify profitable investments.

Learn whether you’re a defensive or an aggressive investor, why most trading strategies don’t work, and how to maintain control of your psychology in any type of market condition.

In their 2013 book Conscious Capitalism, co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market John Mackey teams up with businessman Raj Sisodia to introduce an improved version of capitalism. Mackey and Sisodia argue that capitalism is inherently good for people, but conscious capitalism is even better because it benefits all interested parties—including the environment and society at large. According to the authors, conscious capitalism has the potential to unleash unprecedented human ingenuity and solve most, if not all, of the problems we face.

Our guide will cover the philosophy of conscious capitalism and how to practice it—by prioritizing a good cause over profits, practicing enlightened leadership and management, and ensuring that all interested parties benefit from doing business with your company. In our commentary, we’ll compare conscious capitalism with other economic systems, discuss business management advice from other authors, and explore examples of conscious capitalism in greater detail.

Warren Buffett is the world’s most successful investor, but he also thinks of himself as a teacher in the field of investing and economics. Compiled from Buffett’s annual reports to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, The Essays of Warren Buffett provides a glimpse into the mind of a man whose ideas contrast with those of the typical Wall Street mogul. His insights on investing are simple yet difficult to put into practice, while his thoughts on the culture of the wider business world shine a light on the values that shape modern finance.

In this guide, we’ll cover Buffett’s writings on investment, his recommended approaches, and some widely accepted economic practices that he considers to be wrong. We’ll also look at the opinions of other financial experts, both those who agree with Buffett and those who present an alternate view. We’ll place Buffett’s essays in their historical context and look at how well his ideas hold up in the modern world of high finance.

Activist investors—those who purchase significant stakes in a company—are increasingly influencing major corporations on leadership, strategy, and governance. While activist investing can lead to improved corporate performance, it’s been criticized for prioritizing short-term gains over long-term growth. Some investors are adopting more collaborative approaches, and new regulations are changing activist campaigns.

How did one of the wealthiest people in the world come to be defined not by his riches, but by his reputation for honesty and wisdom? In the field of high finance, Warren Buffett stands alone as a man not driven by appearances, ego, or the quest for an easy dollar. But is his homespun persona as authentic as it seems, and what fuels his relentless pursuit of money while keeping his integrity intact?

In The Snowball, business writer Alice Schroeder seeks to answer these questions, and she does so with full access to Buffett’s life, connections, and personal records. In this guide, we’ll look at Buffett’s roots, his drive for personal independence through wealth, and the values of stewardship and honesty that have governed his actions as a financial titan, while framing his life in historical context and in terms of the impact Buffett has on the world.

Activist investors—those who purchase significant stakes in a company—are increasingly influencing major corporations on leadership, strategy, and governance. While activist investing can lead to improved corporate performance, it’s been criticized for prioritizing short-term gains over long-term growth. Some investors are adopting more collaborative approaches, and new regulations are changing activist campaigns.

When two or more people or businesses jostle for dominance and survival, the ones who survive do so because they understand it as an infinite game—constantly evolving and never-ending, with a higher purpose. Those who don’t survive see the game as a finite one—filled with short-term concerns and aimed at a win-or-lose ending point.

In The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek explores the differences between infinite and finite games. He walks you through how to develop an infinite mindset that will put you and your organization on a path for long-term success in business.

In our guide, we’ll review the major points of Sinek’s theories and examine how they compare and contrast to other management books that discuss the same themes. We’ll also look at some specific companies to see how these theories play out in the real world—how they work, and where they might have limitations.

In a span of just 15 years, Netflix underwent four major evolutions to grow from a fledgling DVD-by-mail company to an award-winning entertainment behemoth, boasting over 200 million subscribers across 190 countries. In No Rules Rules, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and business professor and author Erin Meyer detail how the company achieved this level of success by implementing unconventional management practices that empower employees and promote innovation.

In this guide, you’ll learn why Netflix fires adequate employees, why employees need to critique their bosses, and why it pays to give workers unlimited vacation time.

We’ll compare the Netflix culture with other unorthodox workplace cultures—such as those at Pixar Animation Studios and hedge fund Bridgewater—and cite other works to support or offer counter-arguments to the management ideas detailed in the book.