I like to think of it as a number reflecting how much of our labour they have reserved for themselves. When that wealth “disappears”, it basically means that we get that labour back for ourselves. So in a way, it actually gets split evenly amongst all of us.
You might see it that way, but it’s not the way it works. A company’s valuation isn’t directly tied to labor output, and the wealth doesn’t just disappear. It’s not something that can be redistributed without nationalizing a publicly traded company (there are pros and cons to this).
“Imaginary” is one way to put it.
I like to think of it as a number reflecting how much of our labour they have reserved for themselves. When that wealth “disappears”, it basically means that we get that labour back for ourselves. So in a way, it actually gets split evenly amongst all of us.
You might see it that way, but it’s not the way it works. A company’s valuation isn’t directly tied to labor output, and the wealth doesn’t just disappear. It’s not something that can be redistributed without nationalizing a publicly traded company (there are pros and cons to this).