In Part 1 you saw why classical companies with shareholders and family bosses or state ownership are structurally flawed. Here comes the alternative: the BEcompany (BEC), a company that belongs to no one and still works brilliantly.
A real example illustrates the idea. The Swabian natural cosmetics manufacturer Wala („Dr. Hauschka“) transferred its ownership rights to a foundation in 1987. Since then, there have been no private shareholders, only a supervisory board that appoints and monitors the executive board. Profits remain inside the company and in a charitable foundation for medical research.
The BEcompany takes this idea one step further. It does not need a foundation at all. It is ownerless from day one. It belongs only to itself, just like a human being who does not belong to anyone else.
How the BEC works
The BEC must remain financially healthy and generate profits, but these profits do not flow to investors. They go
• to employees as a share of the company’s success
• into investments that secure the future and sustainability
To prevent people from benefiting at the expense of others, the supervisory board decides on the profit quota and its distribution. If profits exceed a reasonable level an excess profit tax (tba) applies so fairness outranks greed.
Who controls the BEC?
Unlike in the capitalist market system, the supervisory board is not filled with owners. It is made up of representatives of society. Which stakeholder groups are included?
• management and industry experts
• financial experts
• employees
• local residents
• NGOs including climate and social organisations
• consumer representatives
• citizens selected by lot
No one is bound by capital interests or party discipline. Decisions arise from shifting majorities. Dynamic, plural, democratic.
A new style of leadership
The BEC needs another type of executive. Not bonus-chasers but purpose-driven leaders. People who measure success by social value, not stock prices. Leadership here means responsibility instead of return, public value instead of shareholder value.
BEcompanies need managers who focus on their social impact—not the stock price.
A market without dogma
The BEC exists in a cooperative economy. Competition remains but not as an ideology. Coopetition replaces competition mania: cooperation where it saves resources and competition where it drives innovation.
An independent competition authority similar to a scientifically expanded antitrust agency defines how many BECs per sector make sense. Example:
• infrastructure sectors such as fiber networks need only a few providers because cooperation is more efficient
• innovation sectors such as pharmaceuticals benefit from multiple specialised players
More than big companies
The BEconomy is built on diversity. Alongside BECs exist
• cooperatives for example in housing or energy
• regional alliances between farmers and consumers
• sharing models on a non profit basis for digital platforms for example car sharing or temporary housing
This keeps the economy locally embedded, socially legitimised and digitally connected.
- The BEconomics Company (BEC) belongs to itself. Profits flow to employees and into investments.
- The supervisory board represents society, not owners.
- BECs are complemented by cooperatives and sharing models.
© The Economics Coach 2026 (Cover photo: Rawpixel/Envato)
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