Study identifies Jeronimus Cornelisz as potential first corporate psychopath

A study published in the Asian Journal of Business Ethics suggests that Jeronimus Cornelisz, a merchant manager for the Dutch East India Company, may represent one of the earliest documented cases of a “corporate psychopath.”

Research conducted by Clive Boddy of Anglia Ruskin University analyzed historical records following the 1629 shipwreck of the Batavia near the coast of Western Australia. After the vessel wrecked, leaving approximately 200 survivors stranded on isolated islands, Cornelisz assumed a high-ranking position among those remaining while senior officers sought help.

The study notes that Cornelisz displayed ten core characteristics associated with corporate psychopathy, including using charm to gain trust, establishing a climate of fear, and removing challengers to consolidate power. Under his leadership, approximately 100 men, women, and children were murdered, and reports indicate instances of sexual violence. Researchers suggest these findings indicate that individuals motivated by power and wealth have been present in commercial enterprises since the early days of global capitalism.