Dear Chairman: Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism

New York: HarperColins Publishers, 2017. T2 - A 2nd printing hardcover book SIGNED and inscribed by Jeff Gramm to previous owner on the title page in good condition in good dust jacket that is mylar protected. Dust jacket has some wrinkling and chipping on the edges and corners, label adhered, water soiled patch and some notes written on the back, some scattered light smudges/stains, light discoloration and shelf wear. Book has some bumped corners, wrinkled on the upper right corner on some inside pages, underlining and some notes written on some inside pages, light tanning and shelf wear. A sharp and illuminating history of one of capitalism's longest running tensions - the conflicts of interest among public company directors, managers, and shareholders - told through original letters from some of our most legendary and controversial investors and activists. 9.5"x6.5", 291 pages. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Disputes between shareholders and major corporations make daily headlines. But the struggle between management and those who own stock has been going on for nearly a century. Mixing never-before-published original letters from Wall Street icons - including Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, Ross Perot, Carl Icahn, and Daniel Loeb - with masterful scholarship and professional insight, Dear Chairman traces the rise in shareholder activism from the 1920s to today, and provides an invaluable and unprecedented perspective on what it means to be a public company, including how they work and who is really in control. Gramm analyzes different eras and pivotal boardroom battles from the last century to understand the factors that have caused shareholders and management to collide. Throughout he uses the letters to show how investors interact with directors and managers, how they think about their target companies, and how they plan to profit. Each is a fascinating example of capitalism at work told through the entertaining voices of its most colorful, influential participants. A hedge fund manager and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School, Gramm has observed public companies that are poorly run, and some that willfully disenfranchise their shareholders. He pays tribute to the ingenuity of public company investors, but also exposes examples of shareholder activism at its very worst. Ultimately, he provides a thorough, much-needed understanding of the public company-shareholder relationship for investors, managers, and everyone concerned with the future of capitalism.. Signed by Author. 2nd Printing. Hardcover. Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.