&gt; buy back their own stock so they make themselves rich while screwing ordinary investors and employees and companies<p>I&#x27;m not sure how this is valid reasoning... Aren&#x27;t stocks &quot;bought-back&quot; on the public market? If so, then buybacks would push up the stock price, which would benefit arbitrary investors directly (those who were willing to sell at a slightly higher price) and <i>all</i> investors indirectly.