Why investing in companies like Altria is ethically unacceptable

Marco · 2025-08-24T08:39:36.595196Z

$MO Altria is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world - and is emblematic of an industry whose business model is based on addiction, disease and environmental destruction. Investing in companies like Altria supports a business model based on addiction, disease and environmental destruction. It is high time that ethical criteria were given more weight in the financial world. Capital should not flow where it causes harm - but where it shapes the future.

S.A.U.@SAUgut77

1Semana

It's best to sell all your shares and buy yourself a cute little farm 🫠

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Marco@Marco_91

1Semana

@SAUgut77 Please do not ridicule this topic.

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S.A.U.@SAUgut77

1Semana

@Marco_91 ridiculous...I was completely serious 🤫😇

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BartS@Weissach

1Semana

@Marco_91 my goodness always these moral apostles

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D.S.@Cato_Bamboo

1Semana

@SAUgut77 It's Sunday again.....🙄🙈 The moralizers are speaking out 😂😂😂 The only thing missing are the crash 💥 prophets.

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BartS@Weissach

1Semana

@Cato_Bamboo 😂😂👍

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S.A.U.@SAUgut77

1Semana

@Cato_Bamboo Crash Prophet...the bloody part is probably more your thing 🤫🤣

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D.S.@Cato_Bamboo

1Semana

@SAUgut77 Yes, that's true, but today is such a beautiful sunny morning that I don't want to think about Monday and the coming bloodbath yet.....🙈

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F@Cai-pirinha

1Semana

@Cato_Bamboo Where are the cash prophets when you need them?

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Dan C.@wealth_builder_94

1Semana

@SAUgut77 if you look hard enough most companies are morally unethical, mcdonalds makes a living from supplying unhealthy food, knowing so that their food contributes to obesity. Energy drink suppliers knowing male products that are linked to cancer and kidney problems. Johnson and johnson have had ingredients in their products that they knew caused cancer and only changed this because they were found out. The list can go for ages. Also please don't take offence as I have trouble communicating due to autism/ADHD so I come across as aggressive.

Altria however yes are morally questionable, have changed their business model and are focusing on research, non smoke tobacco products and reducing the damage they have caused. Logically speaking just invest in good companies which are sustainable and either offer good growth, stability and/or dividend payments

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Konstantin@Konstantin85

1Semana

@SAUgut77 No tobacco but McDonalds in the depot 💀💀💀💀💀

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Ver todas as 4 restantes respostas

Zerax@Zerax

1Semana

Funny. You have $MCD in your depot and call Altria and Bats unethical. Factory farming, catastrophic hygiene conditions in the factories, secondary diseases caused by the extremely unhealthy ingredients in burgers and co. are morally okay for you?

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Demas@Demas

1Semana

@Zerax MCD is indeed an evil company haha

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BartS@Weissach

1Semana

@Zerax gut gekontert 👍

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Schrauber1113@GordenShanway

1Semana

@Zerax quickly blocked access to the depot 😂 can no longer be viewed

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Zerax@Zerax

1Semana

@GordenShanway Well then...that says a lot.😄

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Erzwo@FYBSTRD

1Semana

@Zerax And he also has the "rogue currency" BTC at the start

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Siytta@Siytta

1Semana

@GordenShanway Oh man, what a laughing stock @Marco_91

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Dividendenopi👴@Dividendenopi

1Semana

It's okay if you have your convictions about investments and act accordingly, preferably consistently. I am happy to accept that and respect the respective attitude. What I can't accept is this totalitarian moral obsession and placing one's own convictions above everything else in a missionary way. I am perfectly capable of thinking and acting independently and am open to any discussion, but your thesis is unfortunately not a basis for this

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BeachPlease@BeachPlease

1Semana

@Dividendenopi Just like that, always those damn moralizers and do-gooders!

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Pawfolio@Pawfolio

1Semana

@BeachPlease What is a do-gooder?

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Dividendenopi👴@Dividendenopi

1Semana

A person who behaves in a way that is perceived as uncritical, exaggerated, annoying or similar in the sense of political correctness, who advocates political correctness and usually naively believes in the good....🤷‍♂️

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Tom@Laeuft

1Semana

@Pawfolio You can't do anything right with people like that

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Kill_Baulitz@Johann_van_der_Smut

1Semana

@Dividendenopi well said!

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Sahnehäubchen 🦋.@Savvy_investor_2000

1Semana

You can invest ethically without portraying others as immoral.

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Sahnehäubchen 🦋.@Savvy_investor_2000

1Semana

@Savvy_investor_2000
Ethics are always more effective by example than by reproach.

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Sahnehäubchen 🦋.@Savvy_investor_2000

1Semana

@Savvy_investor_2000
I see your ethical claim and don't find it unsympathetic. I just believe that ethics lose their effect when they become the standard for others.

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Sahnehäubchen 🦋.@Savvy_investor_2000

1Semana

@Savvy_investor_2000
... then something like a power imbalance arises. Attitude then quickly becomes evaluation and orientation becomes judgment. Ethics is then no longer perceived as an invitation, but as an attack and I think that is precisely one of the main causes of the political division that we are currently seeing everywhere.

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MTownHotline@MTownHotline

1Semana

Don't talk about ethics if you don't understand it. And by the way, you have etf's in your portfolio that contain tobacco companies. So you yourself are investing in what you are trying to denounce. Preach water and drink wine. That's our favorite thing to see

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Tom@Laeuft

1Semana

You've already written the same text about BAT. Please try the moralizer on Instagram. You'll get more attention there.

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Ronny B.@Ronny03

1Semana

Green double standards😂

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GBau@GBau1906

1Semana

To name a single company is far too short-sighted. Apart from the general consumption of resources (does tobacco, for example, require more water or land than barley or maize? ), everyone is responsible for their own tobacco consumption. It is simply called personal responsibility. The companies producing weapons systems, etc., which are currently doing very well, should be mentioned. Here, everyone has to ask themselves whether profit can take precedence over conscience, as weapons are not only harmful to oneself. That would perhaps be called morality.

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Demas@Demas

1Semana

@GBau1906 Okay, let's turn it around. If the Russian market reopened, would you invest? Or would you have a moral compass?

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GBau@GBau1906

1Semana

@Demas In Russia? No. Surely I wouldn't invest with Putin leading the country.

What about Youself?

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Demas@Demas

1Semana

@GBau1906 I also wouldn’t invest in it. 👍 where do you draw the line with investing? I am very mindful when I invest my money. I agree with your post that everyone is responsible for their own tobacco consumption, but where do we want to world to go? I think that is a very important question . I don’t invest directly for example in tobacco or gas companies because I don’t like them, yes I maybe own some ETFs with some companies in it, but I do keep attention to it

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GBau@GBau1906

1Semana

@Demas So do I. At least I try to act this way. It's good being not all alone.

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Basti92@BavarianLion

1Semana

I'm not invested in tobacco companies, but I am heavily invested in the arms industry 😂😂 $LMT $RTX 😝

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MarTheRadi@marda304

1Semana

@BavarianLion Ethics 2025 says it fits! 👍

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Thoranos@Thoranos

1Semana

@marda304 But only as long as the rainbow flag is flying 🤭

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Kill_Baulitz@Johann_van_der_Smut

1Semana

@marda304 Sure, it's about defense... 😉

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GeldGenie@GeldGenie

1Semana

But a portfolio without an ESG ETF and $MCD in the portfolio.

The fact that the tobacco industry provides income, generates taxes and has other positive ripple effects is ignored.

The consumer/market has it in their own hands - nobody is forced to smoke and vape 🤷‍♂️

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Pawfolio@Pawfolio

1Semana

That probably backfired 😂

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Gernhard@Gernhard_Reinholzen

1Semana

HSBC helps with money laundering, terrorist financing and supports drug trafficking. You have an HSBC product in your portfolio. How does that fit together?

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Tobias@Tobs_66

1Semana

What do you want to achieve with your post? 😄 After all, everyone has their own money and is free to decide which companies they want to invest in. Posts like this really have no place here to trigger ethical debates about companies.

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Hendan@Hendan

1Semana

As long as we embrace the activity of investing and capitalism we must also accept its flaws. I also acknowledge that some sectors may be unethical to invest in but I do because ultimately if we're on this platform our goal is financial independence, not changing the world

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aang@aang

1Semana

I saw that you are invested in $BTC. Have a look at the following video:

https://youtu.be/m7_WDzPyoqU?si=iDecL-dpscluuMsC

- Incredible water consumption
- Massive electricity costs
- Health problems for residents living near Bitcoin farms

Anyone who invests in $BTC is supporting a technology or value chain that makes heavy use of natural resources and harms people and animals locally. Capital should not flow to where it causes harm, right?

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risk_taker_2194@risk_taker_2194

1Semana

On the stock market, I'm not interested in the concerns you mentioned.
I want returns.

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Demas@Demas

1Semana

@risk_taker_2194 that is why you are a greedy person. Dont you have manners?

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Sparfuchs@Der_Sparfuchs

1Semana

Don't talk about manners if you don't have any yourself. Ridiculous.

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Ross S.@Latzi

1Semana

I sell all my BAT but keep Altria in my portfolio. And because the bisness is no healty I have a few healtcare company. That is. We buy and sell to make a profit. All the world go to make a money.

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Allan@Allan-

1Semana

@Cato_Bamboo regarding crash prophets, just wanted to mention that novo will really bleed tomorrow, best to sell first thing in the morning

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D.S.@Cato_Bamboo

1Semana

@Allan- Why, did something happen? Perhaps it would be better to liquidate the entire portfolio directly?

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Tom@Laeuft

1Semana

@Allan- In which crystal ball is that written 🤣

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Matthias@ZaphodB

1Semana

The basic idea is not even wrong. But..... what am I doing now? I even have drone stocks and two defense ETFs. Don't misunderstand.... sustainability considerations for shares are by no means wrong. But....as the saying goes...: "Petunia" non olet. ok.

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Dividendenopi👴@Dividendenopi

1Semana

@ZaphodB Petunias smell good, but tend to have an unpleasant odor when waterlogged and with root rot 😉. And as the owner of the great Latinum, I must be a smartass, because the correct saying is: pecunia non olet. Money does not stink. Thank you for your attention 😇

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Matthias@ZaphodB

1Semana

@Dividendenopi the same goes for irony...you didn't understand the quotation marks, did you? Never mind...I wish you lots of pecunia..😎

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Dividendenopi👴@Dividendenopi

1Semana

@ZaphodB 😂 I actually generously blanked out the "" 😇🤷‍♂️

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Matthias@ZaphodB

1Semana

@Dividendenopi You are forgiven for that...😁

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felipe estupendo@felipeestupendo

1Semana

A farm in Chile!

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Marty0292@Marty0292

1Semana

My heart laughs every time the Altria and BAT dividends land in the clearing account 🤑

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Tom@Laeuft

1Semana

@Marty0292 Yeah🍻😁

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Demas@Demas

1Semana

AGREE!

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stocker_1862@stocker_1862

1Semana

I have lost my idealism and invest in what I expect to make a profit from. After I despaired of people's attitudes. I'm so old that it hardly affects me anymore. Those who are affected don't care. So neither BP Rheinmetall, Rwe or Deutsche Bank are excluded. I wouldn't have bought Chinese etf in the past either

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Allan@Allan-

1Semana

@Cato_Bamboo nothing happened 😄 but with novo you're never sure

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Mostrar resposta

Rene@Snakeinvest

1Semana

Probably invested in Rheinmetall himself :D

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Stephan K.@StrahlemannLP

1Semana

Well, the capital market is highly individual, everyone can invest in what they find best for their event horizon.

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Thoranos@Thoranos

1Semana

Then you could end up not investing in any company. Stay invested in $MO and $BATS and make a good living.

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Andreas@Andi_Ham

1Semana

Sustainable is all well and good... immoral shares for the war and weapons industry are not a decent investment either. But in the end, we all want or maybe even need to make a few extra plusses. Now back to reality, all of us small investors are the retailers for the big players in the market and in the end they determine what happens. The market is not interested in who makes Plusis or who provides the exit liquidity for others. I learned a long time ago that nobody takes me into consideration. So you take what the market provides.

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Erzwo@FYBSTRD

1Semana

For the reason all in Rheinmetall, for peace

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user83184f57cf7c4320@user83184f57cf7c4320

1Semana

Keep investing in Sberbank, that shows your double standards

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❌ Why investing in companies like Altria is ethically unacceptable