It is sad to hear about the mistrust and losses caused by...

It is sad to hear about the mistrust and losses caused by unscrupulous CEO's. I've met a few of these too, those only interested in running their company to pick up their monthly salary, generally with significant bonuses and options!

On the other hand though, some contacts that I have had with CEO's have be very positive.

I think the trick is to find companies with a clear plan to near-time success that is based on fundamentals and not just pipe dreams. Once you find a company, you then need to be patient and see it through to the target you desire, but also be ready to dump if fundamentals change for the worse.

Never fall in love with any company.