Most people and companies don’t start off wanting to be asshats. No one wakes up in the morning and says, “I can’t wait to be stupid.” No one walks into their office and says, “You know, today I’m going to screw everybody and go through people like they’re disposable. I’m going to lie and cheat everyone and take as much money as I can for me.” The fall usually comes from temptation, desperation, or hubris, and usually over time. Even Bernie Madoff was in business for almost two decades before his Ponzi scheme took shape. Then he changed his business model to one that served no one but him.
