UNILEVER CEO: The top 2% of society should help the other 98%

Inequality "undermines the fabric of society," according to Unilever CEO Paul Polman. Unilever has a market cap of around $130 billion and owns household brands like Axe, Hellman's, Dove, Knorr, Ben & Jerry's, and Vaseline.

"Inequality is probably the biggest prohibitor that we face to creating a sustainable and equitable future for all of us," he said in a video posted on the Ford Foundation's website.

Public figures ranging from musician Elton John and writer Gloria Steinem have also posted videos as part of the foundation's #InequalityIs campaign.

"If you belong to the lucky 2% of [the] population that, frankly, can do what they want, you have to put yourself to the service of the other 98%," said Polman.

Watch for yourself:

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In a separate video on the same site, Martin Whittaker, CEO of Just Capital, a nonprofit set up by legendary hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones, reflects on the beginnings of the capitalist philosophy.

He said:

If you go back to the beginning of capitalist philosophy with Adam Smith, you see a deep sense of justice in how markets should function. We are so focused on the invisible hand of the market, we'd forgotten about this idea of justice and this moral dimension of markets.

Just Capital published the results of a huge survey last year. It found that Americans of all ages, incomes, and political leanings believe that corporate America is headed in the wrong direction.

They also want to buy from, invest in, and work for companies that they consider to be just, and they consider employment issues to be the primary determinant of whether or not a company is just.

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