Study identifies world's first corporate psychopath
New research suggests the same personality traits associated with toxic corporate leaders today may have been present at the very birth of global capitalism 400 years ago.
A groundbreaking study has identified Jeronimus Cornelisz, a merchant manager with the Dutch East India Company, as the world's first documented corporate psychopath. Cornelisz, who lived 400 years ago, exhibited all 10 key traits of corporate psychopathy according to a modern framework. He was able to manipulate and control the survivors of the Batavia shipwreck in 1629, leading to mass murder and creating a climate of fear.
In contrast, a different leader, Wiebbe Hayes, used cooperation and resource management to keep the survivors alive. This case highlights how toxic leadership has persisted throughout history, with corporate psychopaths continuing to pose a significant threat to modern organizations.
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