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1924 Geneva light bulb cartel (planned obsolescence)

In 1924, the world’s biggest light bulb companies met in Geneva and agreed to make bulbs break sooner. On purpose. The cartel collapsed 86 years ago. The playbook running your printer right now is the same one.

Published 2026-05-18Franchise The Fine PrintLength 107sViews 1.1K
The investigation

In 1924, the world’s biggest light bulb companies met in Geneva and agreed to make bulbs break sooner. On purpose. The cartel collapsed 86 years ago. The playbook running your printer right now is the same one.