The firm has denied the accusations and Gorsky declined to be interviewed.
Given the economic realities many people face, burnishing the image of modern capitalism will take some work.
Since 1973, real income for the median U.S. household has grown 0.4% annually, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. The S&P 500, meanwhile, has seen annual increases of 10% in that time, and CEOs in the index received on average $13.8 million in 2018. That’s about 300 times more than their median workers -- a ratio that’s multiplied in recent decades.
Growing inequality helps explain why many young people in the U.S. are embracing ideas like universal health care and tuition-free college -- and why many people are skeptical that corporate priorities are really going to change.
“If these CEOs aren’t going to back up their words with real action to help workers, their words are meaningless,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic candidate for the presidency, who’s proposed making companies legally required to look out for all major stakeholders. “We need fundamental change now.”