Story perspectives

Shareholder Activism Quadruples, Undermining Product Quality Amid Record Profits

8/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

Shareholder activism against CEOs has more than quadrupled since 2018, according to a December 2025 Conference Board report.
Corporate profits hit a record $3.9 trillion annualized in Q1 2025.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen says shareholder pressure erodes product quality and that he is trying to buy back the brand from Unilever’s Magnum.
Columbia law professor Dorothy Lund links the decline to a pro-shareholder rights movement that has enlarged investors and weakened founders’ quality commitment.

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Story summary

Shareholder activism against CEOs has more than quadrupled since 2018, according to a December 2025 Conference Board report.
Corporate profits hit a record $3.9 trillion annualized in Q1 2025.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen says shareholder pressure erodes product quality and that he is trying to buy back the brand from Unilever’s Magnum.
Columbia law professor Dorothy Lund links the decline to a pro-shareholder rights movement that has enlarged investors and weakened founders’ quality commitment.