One of the most cited economics papers of the past 50 years is Jensen and Meckling’s “Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure”. They advance the theory of the public corporation as an ownerless entity, made up of only contractual relationships. They build on the ideas of Nobel laureate Ronald Coase who explained how contracts allow firms to act as a cohesive entity making them more efficient than individuals, thereby giving firms their raison d'être.