That companies optimize for profit is afaik a pretty modern (1900+) phenomena. VC didnt do any good in that process.
Companies should hold a responsibility for it's owners, it's employees, it's customers and theyr envrionment (socially and environmentally) in equal parts. Unfortunately thats wishful thinking, especially with the multinational industries.
Companies/merchants have sought profit forever. It really doesn't seem much different at all in ancient Rome, for example [1], except everything was smaller scale - they sought capital investment and contracts for mining operations with the goal of squeezing as much profit out as efficiently as possible.
Should, sure, but it's a competitive disadvantage so if you want the free market as the fitness function, you'll end up with companies choosing profit over externalities like that.
