Corrupt Corporate Executive/Playing With: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

'''Basic Trope''': A senior manager, CEO or owner of a major definitely-for-profit corporation who is out to make as much money and gain as much power as possible, by any means available, regardless of who suffers.

* '''Exaggerated''': The CEO of Trope Co uses blatantly illegal methods to drive competitors out of business, actively seeks to destroy the health and livelihood of as many non-corporate executives as possible, runs the corporation as a giant [[Ponzi]] scheme, and [[Bad Boss|hunts down employees for sport]].

* '''Up To Eleven''': The [[Crapsack World|world]] is a [[Dystopia]] where [[There Are No Good Executives|every single business institution]] is a [[Mega Corp]] run by a [[Complete Monster]].

* '''Parodied''':

** The Trope Co Board of Directors hire [[Dastardly Whiplash]] to be their CEO on the grounds that all corporate executives are corrupt, so they might as well hire an outright villain.

* '''Deconstructed''':

** The CEO of Trope Co made his way to the top by ruthlessness and greed, but discovers once he's up there that his wealth is hollow, and that he has no actual friends, only yes men. But he has to keep up his corrupt ways, despite the growing pit of emptiness in his soul, because Trope Co will collapse unless he doesn't. Worse, reformers in government are trying to enforce the law and the investigation is getting very close to him. However, this is all pointless as the costs for PR to cover the villainy & keep people willing to deal with Trope Co mount, consuming more and more of the budget, and the more [[Genre Savvy]] realize that there was really no way that buying good publicity could work ''forever''.

** After the CEO's short-sighted policies and embezzlement nearly drive the company into the ground the board of directors decides to replace the CEO with someone less corrupt.

* '''Zig Zagged''': The CEO of Trope Co seems to be corrupt, but is actually staying within ethical and legal guidelines...until the stock prices fall, at which point he starts using illegal methods, but then he's called out on it by his innocent daughter, so he returns to proper behavior, only to be fired in favor of a more profit-driven CEO.

* '''Averted''': All corporate executives in the story are simply businessmen who do their jobs, without overreaching or using unethical methods.

* '''Enforced''':

** Alternatively: "We need a major antagonist with a lot of power and no morals. Executives are [[Acceptable Target|Acceptable Targets]]. Let's use one of those."

** "The majority of viewers hate their bosses and jobs anyway, so the boss is evil. Besides, [[Ambition Is Evil]], and you've gotta have a truckload of the stuff to climb to the top of the corporate ladder."