"Chief executives, who themselves own few shares of their companies, have no more feeling for the average stockholder than they do for baboons in Africa"

This quote by T. Boone Pickens is a criticism of the disconnect in between business executives and the typical investor. He is recommending that business executives, who frequently own couple of shares of their own business, lack empathy for the average stockholder. He is suggesting that they have no more sensation for the average stockholder than they provide for baboons in Africa, which is to say, none at all. This quote is a plain tip of the power imbalance in between business executives and the typical shareholder, and the need for higher responsibility and transparency in the corporate world. It is likewise a call to action for stockholders to take a more active role in holding corporate executives accountable for their decisions.