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> that does not mean there isn't a financial kickback behind the scenes to upper executives that is not on the books

This is a very serious accusation to make, especially without tangible (as opposed to circumstantial) evidence.

Have you ever worked closely with upper management? I have personally worked with 3 CTO's at medium-to-large companies who have taken advantage of external relationships with partners to personally profit. I mean cash and benefits deposited in their individual hands, not the company's coffers. It's amazing how far executives in power will go to pad their pockets with extra dollars. Perhaps more incredible is how much you observe when you gain the trust of such people - I've never really understood why I find myself in a position to see these events taking place.

So yes, my personal observations over the years have made me extremely critical of any "business deal" wherein there is supposedly no "deal".

That just means that those 3 examples made you cynical. It doesn't mean that ALL upper management is corrupted.

And as others pointed our, their financial statements are public.

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