Rescuing companies before it is too late

The longevity of companies is in danger today. It is as much the responsibility of the State as of the stakeholders to prevent their premature death

People invented companies in search of immortality; the companies would live and carry on their legacy. Kongo Gumi, a Japanese company engaged in the construction of temples, lived 1,429 years. There are a few 1,000-year-old companies still around. They are rare, surviving gems of a bygone era.  The average life of an S&P 500 company has declined from 90 in 1935 to 18 years in 2016, according to a Mckinsey & Co report. Recent studies indicate that the average life of a publicly-traded company, considering acquisitions, mergers, and bankruptcy, is about 10 years.  Clearly, the longevity of companies is in