That is a very charitable interpretation of the original intention of corporations. For all intents and purposes, the earliest corporations were the shipping companies in Holland and England of the 16- and 1700s that were made to distribute the risk of colonial trading operations. Chartering and regulation came much later, when the various governmental structures of the time recognized the vast profits that were being made and decided to use their standing armies to get some of that money for themselves. The earliest corporate law is only from ~1798, almost 2 centuries after the founding of the VOC.
The original intention of corporations was to make more money for their owners and that is pretty much still the case. Chartering and regulation were introduced later, to curb the worst excesses of human greed. Arguably, this very discussion thread and the push by governments to curtail tax evasion is proof of that ongoing process.
The original intention of corporations was to make more money for their owners and that is pretty much still the case. Chartering and regulation were introduced later, to curb the worst excesses of human greed. Arguably, this very discussion thread and the push by governments to curtail tax evasion is proof of that ongoing process.