Kyocera founder Kazuo Inamori criticizes U.S. CEO excesses

— -- Q: The 20th century ended with the greatest prosperity in human history. Doesn't capitalism deserve the credit?

A: Capitalism was able to bring previously unknown levels of prosperity to humankind. We have now fallen into an unprecedented recession brought about by capitalism. With humankind's unlimited desire to earn more profits and live more affluent lifestyles, financial institutions launched new instruments, such as derivatives, using advanced mathematics and statistics. They created enormous profits by leveraging funds that were 10 times larger than their assets. This human desire caused the economic collapse. While the past prosperity resulted directly from the achievements of capitalism, the present difficulties have resulted from capitalism's excesses.

Q: Leverage has not always been bad. Won't there be times when Kyocera competitors will do far better because they are willing to take a risk with leverage?

A:You are right. It's easy to outperform companies like Kyocera. Companies make huge profits by leveraging their capital. However, if society and employees need a company, then it has to be maintained so it can grow for a long time. This is a company's mission, to maintain and expand for the long haul. The correct way to manage a company is to have a firm financial foundation that is capable of overcoming economic downturns rather than making a significant profit in the short term. I will continue to aim for stable management even though we are facing harsh economic challenges.

Q: Is the USA abandoning its laissez-faire roots and going to Europe's version of capitalism with more governmental intrusion?