It turns out that there is no legal requirement that firms maximize profit—that is, maximize value for shareholders. Really. None. If you look at the state codes that set the terms for incorporation, they don't mandate this. The codes just vaguely state that the purpose of a business is to be a business. If you look at case law, you can see that the courts don't mandate it either. While people who want to spread the myth like to trumpet certain old court cases, it's very hard these days to get a manager or director of a company found liable for a breach of duty. All they have to do is show they had a reasonable business purpose for their actions. And the courts generally interpret such purposes broadly, to include long-term factors and the interests of employees, suppliers, other groups, and the larger community.