Inside a corporate nation

Three of the world’s top five companies by market value – Apple, Microsoft and Google – today run like nations unto themselves. Each has a utopian headquarters – home base for an army of employees with global reach and influence. Their aim is wealth creation both for employees and shareholders, but their products also help businesses grow, adding value to the global economy. Increasingly, it is the un-elected leaders of these influential entities who are changing everyday lives in the far-flung corners of the globe. The failed or failing states in our region should look to the boardrooms of Apple, Microsoft and Google for inspiration on how best to develop rather than pinning our hopes on mimicking the ballot boxes in the United States or Europe. If properly calibrated, an authoritarian system can be a good thing. For proof, we can look to the value creation in the United Arab