For publicly traded companies the role of the CEO is clear: Maximize shareholder value. That's all, nothing more.

Business 101 teaches that the customer is always right. Which is to say, you give the people what they want (versus what the company wants).

I dare say the consumer driven market is dead, replaced by the mob. If that is true, what does that tell us about the power of the mob, or more importantly, behind the mob. That a CEO would abandon the core task afforded CEO's (shareholder value) they have to know that crossing "the mob" is a far worse option than protecting shareholder value.

What is it that they know? Rigged? Red scarves? Blackmail?