ABSTRACT
Capitalism is a growth system. In the face of ongoing technological advance, and competition by rivals, business firms adapt and expand. The engine of growth is investment. Businesses are going concerns and need ever-growing markets. New products and modifications of older vintages are part of a cycle of innovation and obsolescence. Saturation of markets is an ever-present threat, particularly for large firms in mature markets. Apart from profit-maximizing pricing requirements, this necessity for ongoing growth pushes aside all other factors that might intercede. Investment depends on the willingness of the wealthy and their agents to invest in pursuit of profit. The corporate ecosystem also extends into government expenditures and procurement of revenues. Free cash is the cash left over after new business investment. From a societal perspective, free cash measures how much remuneration the wealthy receive after carrying out their social role in providing employment and income through investment. Finally, this chapter also provides an overview of this book.
