Breaking Down
Corporate Walls

We expose the hidden barriers that protect executives from accountability, using public data to reveal how corporate hierarchies shield wealth rather than create value.

SEC EDGAR Data
Transparency First
Open Source
Our Mission

The Problem

Corporate America has built increasingly thick “walls” of bureaucracy, compensation structures, and governance layers that insulate executives from the consequences of their decisions while extracting maximum value from workers and shareholders.

Our Solution

We use publicly available SEC data to calculate “wall thickness” - a proprietary metric that measures how well-protected executives are from accountability. By making this data accessible and visual, we empower stakeholders to demand change.

Key Metrics We Track

CEO Pay Ratios: Executive vs. median worker compensation
Management Layers: Hierarchical depth and complexity
Board Independence: Outside vs. inside director ratios
Compensation Structure: Performance vs. guaranteed pay

How We Break the Wall

Collect Data

We parse SEC EDGAR filings, including DEF 14A proxy statements and annual reports, to extract executive compensation and corporate structure data.

Analyze Patterns

Our algorithms calculate wall thickness based on management layers, compensation concentration, and governance structures.

Visualize Walls

We create interactive visualizations that make abstract corporate structures tangible and easy to understand for all stakeholders.

Enable Action

Armed with transparent data, shareholders, employees, and regulators can make informed decisions and demand accountability.

Understanding Wall Thickness

Our proprietary metric that quantifies how well-protected executives are from accountability.

Wall Thickness Categories

🏰
Fortress
Maximum protection with 7+ management layers, extreme pay concentration
🏢
Thick
Significant barriers with 5-6 layers, high pay ratios
🏠
Medium
Moderate protection with 3-4 layers, average compensation
Thin
Minimal barriers with flat structure, reasonable pay ratios

Why Wall Thickness Matters

For Investors: Thicker walls often correlate with poor long-term performance and higher executive compensation relative to shareholder returns.
For Employees: Companies with thicker walls typically have larger CEO-to-worker pay gaps and less responsive management.
For Society: Fortress-level companies contribute to wealth inequality and may prioritize short-term gains over sustainable value creation.
Our Values
Transparency: All our methodologies and data sources are open and documented.
Accuracy: We use only verified, public SEC data and clearly document our calculations.
Accessibility: Complex corporate data should be understandable to everyone.
Impact: We believe transparency drives accountability and positive change.
Open Source & Community

Break the Wall is fully open source. We believe that tools for corporate transparency should themselves be transparent and community-driven.

Ready to Break Some Walls?

Start exploring corporate transparency data and discover which companies have built the thickest walls around their executives.