Executive Chairman of HSBC on Capitalism & Sharholder value creation

I wonder, therefore, whether it is fair to draw a distinction – as many Europeans do – between Anglo-Saxon capitalism, which elevates individual self-interest, and Calvinist capitalism, which emphasises the collective good?

“I am a European,” says Green, with passion, “And so are you.” He sees the British as European, and as a committed pro-European he believes there should not be a distinction. I stand reprimanded. But I still want to explore whether Green believes in the innate superiority of different capitalist models, particularly the Anglo-Saxon emphasis on shareholder value. He says: “Shareholder value cannot and should not be elevated to the exclusion of all else. It is a by-product of providing goods and services. When the by-product becomes the end, then we distort the whole market. The market is necessary but not sufficient. So ‘No’ to market fundamentalism.”