The Egg Bandit Calculus: Why a $17 Million Fine Is Just the Cost of Doing Crime
The egg price-fixing fine of $17 million is less than 0.1% of the $1.7 billion in illegal profits extracted from consumers. This ‘Egg Bandit Calculus’ turns antitrust penalties into a mere cost of doing crime, encouraging repeat offenses. Structural remedies like breaking up dominant firms are neededโnot symbolic fines that amount to a licensing fee for theft.