Many others have achieved our size by offering ownership in their companies to the public. We have resisted and will continue to resist that status. In the early days, we did not offer stock for sale because l could not predict how fast the company might grow or what dividends we might pay to anyone who might invest. Additionally, I'm afraid the directors, if we had a bad year, might tell me I'm old-fashioned and fire me.
Many people who are creating and running companies couldn't care less about anything but their personal bottom lines. If the stock goes down the tubes after they've sold their options, they say that's just the risk an investor takes... If I had a widow invest her savings in Chick
/ii-A and the company didn't pay the return she expected,