CEOs who spend their time as social media influencers are significantly more likely to prioritize short-term hype over long-term business health.
April 25, 2026
Original Paper
Trending Now, Vision Later: Influencer CEOs and Managerial Myopia
SSRN · 6625958
The Takeaway
The attention economy is actively rewriting the way corporate leaders think about strategy. Executives with large social media followings suffer from managerial myopia because they are constantly seeking algorithmic validation. They prioritize visible wins that look good in a post over the slow, quiet work of building a sustainable company. This pressure from an online audience creates a feedback loop that rewards flashiness over substance. Investors should view a CEO's rising follower count as a red flag for the company's future stability.
From the abstract
This study examines how social media visibility reshapes managerial decision horizons by investigating the impact of influencer CEOs on short-termism in accounting disclosures. Drawing on a large panel of Chinese A-share listed firms (2009-2024), we develop two refined measures: a classification of CEO online visibility based on verified Weibo activity and influence metrics, and a text-based indicator of managerial myopia extracted from Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) sections us