Kapitalists

Kapitalists are individuals or organizations that own and control substantial capital assets with the aim of earning profits through investment in productive enterprises or financial ventures. In capitalist economies, capitalists may own the means of production, such as factories and machinery, or participate as financial capital holders, supplying funds through banks, venture funds, or equity ownership. The term is used in economic theory and political discourse to distinguish owners of capital from workers who sell their labor.

Historically, the rise of industrial capitalism from the 18th to 19th centuries led to a distinct social class—the capitalist class or bourgeoisie—comprising factory owners, merchants, and financiers. In Marxist analysis, capitalists accumulate wealth by employing labor and extracting surplus value; in liberal or libertarian views, they drive innovation and economic growth through capital allocation and risk-taking.

Role in economy: Capitalists allocate resources, decide which projects to finance, and influence employment and wages through investment decisions and capital markets. Their access to capital affects firms' size, structure, and global reach. Large-capital owners include corporations, private equity firms, banks, and sovereign wealth funds; smaller capitalists include individual entrepreneurs and family businesses.

Criticism and defenses: Critics argue capitalists' incentives can produce income inequality, market power, and business cycles. Defenders contend that well-functioning capital markets fund innovation, productivity, and consumer choice, with profits aligning with efficient production.

See also: capitalism, bourgeoisie, worker, class, investment.