1792 Exchange launches new database tracking political bias of executives and board members at Fortune 250 companies
Data on companies like Disney shows over 75% of personal political donations from Disney executives going to Democratic candidates
Press Release: JDA Worldwide for 1792 Exchange
DAYTON, OH — Today 1792 Exchange launches a new database tracking the political preferences of key executives within Fortune 250 companies. The Board Bias database examines the political activities and ideological statements from board members and leaders inside C-suites. As part of launching its database, 1792 analyzed Fortune 250 companies belonging to the entertainment industry and found bias favoring liberal ideology.
The release of the Board Bias data and analysis on The Walt Disney Company specifically addresses how current political bias may be behind the company’s intense and costly proxy fight to keep Nelson Peltz off its Board of Directors. Peltz’s Trian Fund Management, L.P. cited “POOR corporate governance” as a key issue in his proxy challenge.
Examination of personal political donations by top leaders at Disney shows that the majority of contributions go to Democrat candidates. Of the $3.7 million in political donations by Disney’s top leadership captured by the Board Bias database, $2.8 million (76%) went to Democrats with just $908,840 (24%) going to Republicans.
1792 Exchange discovered this is not an anomaly. They analyzed the collective political donations by executives for a group of Fortune 250 companies involved in the entertainment business, which include: Amazon, Comcast, Netflix, Apple, Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. To compare, of the $17.6 million in political donations, $13.5 million (76%) went to Democrats with $4.2 million (24%) going to Republicans.
Outside of political contributions, 1792 also researched statements from the leaders of these companies. This research identified the priorities of the companies under their control.
For example, Bob Iger is on the record stating that Disney is “purposely” incorporating “some controversial issues that exist in today’s world” into its storytelling because he “fundamentally believe it’s the right thing for us to do.” And in an TED talk interview, Netflix Founder and Executive Chairman Reed Hastings talks about his company’s hiring philosophy as one not based on merit but as a “cultural evolution.”
“It is clear that the leadership of some companies prioritize ideological agendas over sound strategies focused on what’s best for the company,” said 1792 Exchange CEO Daniel Cameron.” If you’ve ever wondered why a corporation has gotten involved in a specific political debate, our new Board Bias database gives you a better sense of who the people are behind those decisions.”
“We want companies to move away from pushing partisan agendas so they can concentrate on delivering quality products and services for their customers. Hopefully, the database motivates those in positions of leadership to do that,” Cameron added.
More details and analysis on executive leaders from Fortune 250 companies can be found in the new database here: https://1792exchange.com/spotlight-reports/board-bias. 1792 Exchange will continue to analyze their data and periodically release new company reports.
1792 Exchange is a 501(c)(3), educational, non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve freedom by steering public companies back to neutral on ideological issues. They create Spotlight Bias Reports, policies and resources that expose coercion and corporate bias. They protect First Amendment freedoms and ensure all viewpoints have a seat at the table. They help corporate board members and executives maximize shareholder value, respect stakeholders, return to cultural neutrality, and serve customers with excellence and integrity. They also educate Congress, other leaders and the American people about the dangers of stakeholder capitalism to safeguard Free Exercise, Free Speech and Free Enterprise.