2. Stealing and speculative attacks
2.1. A simple static model
Consider the following simple model, which is related to LLSV (1999b)
although they assume a di!erent timing for expropriation relative to investment.
As in Jensen and Meckling (1976), the con#ict of interest is between insiders
(managers) and outsiders (equity owners in our simple model). The manager
owns share a of the "rm and outsiders own share 1!a. Retained earnings are
denoted by I. The manager steals S*0 of retained earnings and obtains utility
of S from them. We use `stealinga as shorthand for more general forms of
expropriation by managers.