A merchant who oversaw the murders of 100 men, women and children after a shipwreck 400 years ago may have been the world's first corporate psychopath, scientists say.
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scientists → oversee → shipwreck
New research suggests that Jeronimus Cornelisz, an official with the Dutch East India Company, displayed all the traits associated with modern psychopathic executives.
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Cornelisz → suggest → executives
He was aboard the Batavia when it struck reefs off the coast of Western Australia and sank in 1629.
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it → strike → 1629
About 200 survivors were left stranded across a group of remote islands – but around half were later murdered during a bloody mutiny orchestrated by Cornelisz, who seized power after the disaster.
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who → leave → disaster
Scientists have now assessed his behaviour using a modern corporate psychopathy framework.
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Scientists → assess → framework
And they found the merchant displayed all ten of the core characteristics associated with toxic business leaders.
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merchant → find → leaders
'What makes this case remarkable is that when we analysed Cornelisz using a modern management psychopathy framework, he displayed every major characteristic associated with corporate psychopaths,' Dr Clive Boddy, associate professor of management at Anglia Ruskin University said.
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Boddy → make → University
'The same playbook we see in toxic workplaces today appears in this case from 1629.
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we → see → 1629
He removed opponents, rewarded loyalists, created fear, manipulated followers and pursued power at any cost.'
About 200 survivors were left stranded across a group of remote islands – but around half were later murdered during a bloody mutiny orchestrated by Cornelisz.
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half → remove → Cornelisz
Pictured: A sketch of the fallout
Scientists have discovered Cornelisz displayed all ten of the core characteristics associated with toxic business leaders.
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Cornelisz → picture → leaders
Pictured: A man plays Cornelisz in a production of the Australian ballet Batavia
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man → picture → ballet
The researchers said corporate psychopaths often rely on charisma and manipulation to gain influence, while surrounding themselves with loyal allies and sidelining potential challengers.
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psychopaths → say → challengers
They also tend to create a climate of fear, avoid responsibility for failures and pursue power and personal gain at any cost.
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They → tend → cost
Following the shipwreck, Cornelisz became the most senior corporate figure remaining among the survivors.
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Cornelisz → follow → survivors
In the study, Dr Boddy explains how he quickly consolidated power by replacing council members with loyal supporters, requiring personal oaths of allegiance and isolating potential opponents.
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he → explain → opponents
Under his leadership around 100 men, women and children were murdered, while some women were subjected to sexual violence.
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women → murder → violence
The killings were justified by Cornelisz as a means of conserving food and water supplies, but the murders also removed his perceived rivals.
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murders → justify → rivals
Cornelisz was aboard the Batavia when it struck reefs off the coast of Western Australia and sank in 1629 (artist's impression)
Meanwhile, a group of survivors stranded by Cornelisz on a different island was led by a leader named Wiebbe Hayes.
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group → strike → leader
Hayes organised thorough hunts for fresh water and sustenance, and these searches found two freshwater wells, seabird eggs for food, as well as plentiful fish, wallabies and seals for meat.
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searches → organise → meat
'Perhaps the most striking finding is that another leader facing the same circumstances achieved completely different outcomes,' Dr Boddy explained.
'
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Boddy → face → outcomes
Wiebbe Hayes built cooperation, discovered new resources and kept people alive.
'
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Hayes → build → people
One group prospered while the other descended into murder and abuse.
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other → prosper → murder
The Dutch East India Company is widely regarded as the world's first multinational corporation and helped establish one of the earliest stock exchanges in Amsterdam in 1602.
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Company → regard → 1602
According to the researchers, the case of Jeronimus Cornelisz suggests that people driven by ambition, wealth and personal power were being drawn to major commercial ventures from the very beginnings of modern capitalism.
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people → accord → capitalism
The researchers concluded: 'Corporate psychopaths are found to exhibit a common modus operandi involving the establishment of control, a cowed workforce, and the formation of a climate of fear, marked by abuse, bullying and yelling.
'
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psychopaths → conclude → abuse
Cornelisz exhibited all of these in extremity.
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Cornelisz → exhibit → extremity
Cornelisz also utilised the tactics and strategies that are still used by corporate psychopaths, including presenting a grandiose image, replacing boards of directors with personal appointees, using divide and conquer techniques to divide and confuse potential opposition and using fear and dark humour as a means of control.'
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that → utilise → control
The study argues that corporate psychopaths continue to pose a significant challenge for modern organisations, linking psychopathic leadership to workplace bullying, harassment, reduced employee wellbeing, higher staff turnover and organisational failure.
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psychopaths → argue → bullying
The team said their findings, published in the Asian Journal of Business Ethics, reinforce calls for employers to place greater emphasis on character, ethics and values when selecting senior leaders.
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employers → say → leaders
The Aporia
