Verizon celebrates 25 years with executive photos and feel-good slogans, but here’s what the numbers—and recent behavior—actually say:
• VZ stock is down ~45% over 5 years. The S&P 500? Up ~85%.
• $130B+ in debt with no real growth catalyst in sight.
• Sampath once dismissed net neutrality as “just a slogan.” That’s not insight—it’s erosion of trust.
• Shankar touts a “secret sauce” as if shareholders are asking for alchemy, not accountability.
• Samantha calls “13 our lucky number” while wave after wave of layoffs hit the company.
And amid this, some senior leaders belittle former employees as “unskilled” while polishing their own narratives for likes and internal applause.
This isn’t leadership. It’s insulation.
If Verizon wants a future, it needs less pageantry and more performance.