vested interest
Skin in game
A vested interest is a personal stake in something that affects your judgment or behavior.
The phrase often carries a whiff of suspicion—someone with a vested interest in an outcome may not be objective about it: Oil companies have a vested interest in blocking climate legislation.
The term comes from property law, where a vested interest is a right to future ownership that cannot be taken away.
Concern for personal advantage
- profit motiveDrive to earn money
- incentiveReward encouraging action
- stakeSharpened post or share
- skin in the gamePersonal risk in outcome
bottom line · advantage · benefit · payoff · reward · return · mercenary · invested
Unfair favor toward some
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- favoritismPreferential treatment of some
- self-interestConcern for personal advantage
- conflict of interestCompromised impartiality from competing stakes
one-sidedness · partisanship · subjectivity · predisposition · agenda · ulterior motive · hidden agenda · self-serving
Equity owner in corporation
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- ownershipLegal right of possession
- stakeholderParty with an interest
- holdingsProperty one owns
share · financial interest · capital · securities · portfolio · stock · beneficiary · partnership
Advocating to decision-makers
- cloutInformal power or punch
- leverageBorrowed capital for amplified returns
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- swayRock back and forth
pull · advocacy · pressure · manipulation · control · special interest · interest group · political influence
Income exceeding expenses
- returnsProfits from investments
- dividendsProfits paid to shareholders
- earningsMoney gained from work
- capital gainsProfit from asset sales
shareholder value · wealth accumulation · windfall · monetization · lucrative · money-making · revenue · enrichment
self-interest
Concern for personal advantage
- profit motiveDrive to earn money
- incentiveReward encouraging action
- stakeSharpened post or share
skin in the game · bottom line · advantage · benefit · payoff · reward · return · mercenary · invested
partiality
Unfair favor toward some
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- favoritismPreferential treatment of some
- self-interestConcern for personal advantage
conflict of interest · one-sidedness · partisanship · subjectivity · predisposition · agenda · ulterior motive · hidden agenda · self-serving · partial
shareholder
Equity owner in corporation
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- ownershipLegal right of possession
- stakeholderParty with an interest
holdings · share · financial interest · capital · securities · portfolio · stock · beneficiary · partnership · claim
lobbying
Advocating to decision-makers
sway · pull · advocacy · pressure · manipulation · control · special interest · interest group · political influence · insider access
financial gain
Income exceeding expenses
capital gains · shareholder value · wealth accumulation · windfall · monetization · lucrative · money-making · revenue · enrichment
- interestinterest rate, compound interest, simple interest, accrued interest, curiosity
- equityshareholder equity, common stock, preferred stock, equity stakes, retained earnings
- inheritanceinheritance, inheritances, heir, heirs, heiress
- property interestslife estate, remainder, reversion, leasehold, freehold
- property rightsownership, property rights, private property, real property, title
- ethics violationsbribery, bribes, kickbacks, kickback, nepotism
vested interestdisinterest
Absence of bias
detachment · uninvolvement · disengagement · indifference · nothing to lose
vested interestimpartiality
Freedom from prejudice
objectivity · neutrality · disinterestedness · even-handedness · fairness
vested interestpublic interest
Societal welfare and benefit
common good · altruism · selflessness · civic duty · philanthropy
invest, investment, investor, vested, investing, divest, reinvest, investors, divested