Wal-Mart is currently the largest company in the world. It has seen continued growth and financial success since its founding in 1962. Today it lives on a former reputation for sound ethical business practices that are no longer exercised. Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-mart, was considered "strangely cheap... Cost cutting was an obsession in the Wal-mart culture... on business trips, everyone, including the boss, flew by coach and hotel rooms were always shared.” (reclaimdemocracy.org. 2006) This was only part of the reason for Sam Walton's success. He was also considered charismatic. He communicated directly with his employees (associates) and expected customers to be treated like guests when they entered his store . "Mr. Walton has always worked hard to shape his workforce, using cheers, rap songs and pay policies to urge employees to be frugal in their work and friendly to customers. Bonuses were paid to all store employees where theft and other inventory losses were kept below 2 percent of sales. Scholarships have been established at universities in the names of employees who have created better ways to handle merchandise. (nytimes.com, 1992). Today this is no longer the case. Since Sam Walton's death in 1992, the company's reputation has been in continuous decline. Wal-mart is no longer an ethical company; has had a negative impact on the communities in which it exists. It mistreats its employees and negatively impacts the nation's overall economy. Ethical business practices are not the way of life at today's Wal-mart. A previous marketplace firm used by Wal-mart (GSD&M) warned Wal-mart about public image problems they were facing and had not addressed, even though they had been aware of them for over two years. GSD&M wrote in a review of the company that "unfortunately, after two years of empty rhetoric and ineffective publicity stunts, we now know that Wal-Mart has not only needlessly harmed its associates and their families, but has needlessly damaged Wal-Mart's image and the success that Sam Walton has built.” (wakeupWalMart.com, 2007). Wal-mart has acted in a way that is confusing with the theory of selfishness. This theory “focuses on benefit, pleasure or the greatest good for oneself alone”. edu, 1997). “Egoists use personal advantage… as a standard for measuring the rightness of an action.” (Shaw, 2008, p. 45). and not considering the disaster he is leaving around him..