That doesn’t answer the question.

However, any money paid to shareholders while accumulating debt, including deferred maintenance, etc was financial smoke and mirrors not actual profit.

▲

blibble 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

yes, paying dividends out of debt is completely illegal

but apparently not if you wrap it in half a dozen companies in various tax havens

(that have no legitimate purpose other than various types of laundering)

▲

VirusNewbie 4 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Does the government not do this?

	▲	thfuran 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		Unless you're trying to ask "is the level of corruption in government nonzero", the answer is unequivocally no because the government doesn't have shareholders.