Shareholder Value

Definition:

Used ironically and absurdly to mock the notion that a company's primary purpose is to increase profits for shareholders at any cost

Context:

The phrase "maximizing shareholder value" originated as a legitimate business concept, but through memes & social media, Gen-Z has co-opted it as a sardonic commentary on modern capitalism and workplace culture to highlight the absurdity of prioritizing profits over everything else. The irony comes from treating "shareholder value" as if it were a noble or passionate pursuit, when the speaker clearly views it as a hollow corporate mandate (often employed self-deprecatingly when discussing work-life balance). The phrase has evolved beyond corporate criticism and is now sometimes used for absurd humor by just dropping it into everyday situations where it doesn't belong.

Example:

^{(all names & events in the
following scenario have been made
up)}

Kraig: “Can you believe I have to work weekends??”

Myke: “But think of all the shareholder value you're creating!”