History PlayingWith / CorruptCorporateExecutive

** The CEO is TheSociopath who goes on mass murder sprees ForTheEvulz and gets away with it because of [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney his insane wealth]].

* '''Straight''': The CEO of TropeCo/TropeCo underpays and overworks the employees while awarding himself huge bonuses, uses unethical methods to drive competitors out of business, makes corporate decisions based on short-term profit rather than the long-term financial health of the company, and [[EvilIsPetty cheats]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking at golf]].

** 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, has no problem wrecking the world ([[GreenAesop in every possible meaning of the word]]) to obtain a buck, runs the corporation as a giant {{Ponzi}} scheme, and [[BadBoss hunts down employees for sport]] when he is not [[HumanTraffickers literally selling them for additional money (any amount -- even a single cent will suffice)]].

** Trope Co's CEO is a villain, [[LivingADoubleLife but his villainous deeds are completely unrelated to his business practices]].
** Trope Co's CEO is [[AffablyEvil nice]], benevolent to his employees, and doesn't do any sketchy business practices, but his company still engages in [[EvilInc malevolent economic niches like warmongering and addictive pharmaceuticals]].
** Trope Co's CEO is not actively cruel to his employees or trying to screw over the common man, but his "legal shortcuts" and sketchy budget planning to get his way and make sure his company succeed, tends to leave some damage in their wake.
** Trope Co's CEO is a KnightTemplar or other villain with non-financial motives, who merely uses Trope Co as a source of OffscreenVillainDarkMatter.
** Trope Co's CEO provides a good product and efficient service to his customer base, and significant profits to his shareholders, but both of these are dependent on mistreating and exploiting his employees in the name of "efficiency".
** Trope Co's CEO is willing to bend the rules and resort to legally questionable methods, [[EvenEvilHasStandards but has a point where he draws the line]].

** Alternatively, the CEO of Trope Co is utterly ruthless out of a fanatical dream to [[VisionaryVillain use his company to remake the world in the image of something he holds dear,]] [[KnightTemplar whatever the cost.]] Or alternatively if the setting is AfterTheEnd or something close TO it, because he HAS to keep anything functioning or otherwise doing anything worthwhile.
** The CEO of Trope Co got his job through nepotism, and doesn't know or care how to run a business legitimately or ethically.
** The CEO of Trope Co is like this because he finds sadistic pleasure in being able to have so much power over those who work for him, and the ability to cause great harm to those who he deems "lesser" than himself while [[KarmaHoudini being able to avoid the consequences of his actions due to his money and influence.]]

* '''Subverted''': The heroes think the CEO of Trope Co is a CorruptCorporateExecutive, but he is actually an honest and thrifty person who runs the company according to strict ethical and legal guidelines.

** The CEO of Trope Co is a [[PointyHairedBoss pointy-haired]] jerk who keeps relying on silly [[MissingStepsPlan schemes]] without seeing that he can make [[CutLexLuthorACheck lots and lots of even more money with mundane means]], but [[IncompetenceInc nobody in Trope Co seems to notice, because they are all distracted by the Get Rich Quick promises.]]
* '''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 is 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.

* '''Exploited''': The corrupt CEO's personal assistant uses her boss' malfeasance to hide her own embezzlement, secure in the knowledge that he will be blamed for any illegal actions.

** The CEO of Trope Co made his way to the top by ruthlessness and greed, but discovers once he is up there that his wealth is hollow, and that he has no actual friends, only [[YesMan 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 does not. 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 GenreSavvy realize that there was really no way that buying good publicity could work ''forever''.

** The CEO is reminded that life at the top is pretty cool after all, and he can ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney to buy new friends and get the government off his back.

* '''Played For Laughs''': The CEO is convinced that he is a VillainWithGoodPublicity just because he is a well-known figure in general; everyone else, including many of the employees, are aware of his corruption and rightfully treat him as a scummy PointyHairedBoss.

** Alternatively: "We need a major [[TheUnfettered Unfettered]] antagonist with no restrictions whatsoever except {{Greed}}. Executives who desire profit are {{Acceptable Target}}s. Let's use one of those."

** Trope CO’s CEO is a {{jerkass}}, but otherwise [[HonestCorporateExecutive non-malicious]].

* '''Straight''':
** The CEO of TropeCo/TropeCo underpays and overworks the employees while awarding himself huge bonuses, uses unethical methods to drive competitors out of business, makes corporate decisions based on short-term profit rather than the long-term financial health of the company, and [[EvilIsPetty cheats]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking at golf]].

** Trope Co's CEO is nice, benevolent to his employees, and doesn't do any sketchy business practices, but his company still engages in [[EvilInc malevolent economic niches like warmongering and addictive pharmaceuticals]].

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

** The CEO of the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Super Race Foundation]] uses ThoseWackyNazis to support his (very literally) hostile takeovers of companies or get rid of any whistleblowers, or people who try to get in the way of his schemes, or who plain piss him off.

** 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, has no problem wrecking the world ([[GreenAesop in every possible meaning of the word]]) to obtain a buck, runs the corporation as a giant {{Ponzi}} scheme, and [[BadBoss hunts down employees for sport]] when he is not [[HumanTraffickers literally selling their souls for additional money (any amount -- even a single cent will suffice)]].

** The CEO uses [[PrivateMilitaryContractors mercenaries]] to support his [[CorporateWarfare (very literally)]] hostile takeovers of companies or [[DeadlyEuphemism get rid]] of [[LeaveNoWitnesses any whistleblowers]], or people who try to get in the way of his schemes, [[EvilIsPetty or who plain piss him off]].

** 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, has no problem wrecking the world ([[GreenAesop in every possible meaning of the word]]) to obtain a buck, runs the corporation as a giant {{Ponzi}} scheme, and [[BadBoss hunts down employees for sport]] when he is not [[HumanTraffickers selling their souls for additional money (any amount -- even a single cent will suffice)]].

** 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, has no problem wrecking the world ([[GreenAesop in every possible meaning of the word]]) to obtain a buck, runs the corporation as a giant {{Ponzi}} scheme, and [[BadBoss hunts down employees for sport]] when he is not selling their souls for additional money (any amount -- even a single cent will suffice).

** Entire work is an anti-corporate AuthorTract. [[WriterOnBoard The writer is on board]], and he had an [[ItsPersonal unpleasant run-in]] with corporations in his past.

** The new CEO doesn't engage in blatantly "corrupt" actions like underpaying his employees, but is widely seen as corrupt due to his vocal opposition to ESG.

* '''Conversed''': "Why are there [[ThereAreNoGoodExecutives no good executives]] on this show?" "Because it is hard to convince the audience that there are good CEOs. Plus, the audience likes another jab at capitalism, which never gets old."

** "I think we will find someone at Trope Co's responsible for this outrage. You can never trust corporate types."

* '''Conversed''': "Why are there [[ThereAreNoGoodExecutives no good executives]] on this show?"

** Trope Co's CEO is willing to bend the rules and resort to legally questionable methods, but has a point where he draws the line.

* '''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 is 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.

** 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.
** The CEO fails to realize that he is mortal like everyone else. And despite his highly paid personal militia, he ends up killed by one of the persons whose life he destroyed in his quest for status and money.
* '''Reconstructed''': The CEO is reminded that life at the top is pretty cool after all, and he can ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney to buy new friends and get the government off his back.

** The CEO of the Private Military Company Silverpool uses mercenaries to support his (very literally) hostile takeovers of companies or get rid of any whistleblowers, or people who try to get in the way of his schemes, or who plain piss him off.

* '''Straight''': The CEO of TropeCo/TropeCo underpays and overworks the employees while awarding himself huge bonuses, uses unethical methods to drive competitors out of business, makes corporate decisions based on short-term profit rather than the long-term financial health of the company, and [[EvilIsPetty cheats]] [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking at golf]].

** DirtyCommunists

%%* '''Played For Laughs''': ???

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

** The CEO of Trope Co is a [[PointyHairedBoss pointy-haired]] jerk who keeps relying on silly [[MissingStepsPlan schemes]] without seeing that he can make [[CutLexLuthorACheck lots and lots of even more money with mundane means]], but [[IncompetenceInc nobody in Trope Co seems to notice, because they're all distracted by the Get Rich Quick promises.]]

* '''Subverted''': The heroes think the CEO of Trope Co is a CorruptCorporateExecutive, but he's actually an honest and thrifty person who runs the company according to strict ethical and legal guidelines.

* '''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.

** 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, has no problem wrecking the world ([[GreenAesop in every possible meaning of the word]]) to obtain a buck, runs the corporation as a giant {{Ponzi}} scheme, and [[BadBoss hunts down employees for sport]] when he's not selling their souls for additional money (any amount -- even a single cent will suffice).

** Trope Co's CEO isn't actively cruel to his employees or trying to screw over the common man, but his "legal shortcuts" and sketchy budget planning to get his way and make sure his company succeed, tends to leave some damage in their wake.

* '''Exploited''': The corrupt CEO's personal assistant uses her boss' malfeasance to hide her own embezzlement, secure in the knowledge that he'll be blamed for any illegal actions.

** "I think we'll find someone at Trope Co's responsible for this outrage. You can never trust corporate types."
** "Of course I'm sneeringly evil. Why did you expect to find up here, a nursery crèche and kitten sanctuary?"

** 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, [[YesMan 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 GenreSavvy realize that there was really no way that buying good publicity could work ''forever''.

** The CEO fails to realize that he's mortal like everyone else. And despite his highly paid personal militia, he ends up killed by one of the persons whose life he destroyed in his quest for status and money.

** 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 [[BadBoss hunts down employees for sport]].

* '''Defied''': Trope Co has strict ethical guidelines, and fires any executive that crosses the line.