One email from an activist fund can now cost a CEO their job. With record campaigns this year, the speed and scale of shareholder influence have never been higher. The question is whether this new wave builds stronger companies or burns them out faster.

2025 is shaping up to be a turning point for activist investors. 61 campaigns were launched in the third quarter alone, bringing the total year to date campaigns to 191, putting the year on pace to beat prior records. Activists won more board seats and settlements this year and CEO turnover is up, as companies either meet demands or scramble to head off proxy fights. This raises a central question of whether this trend is beneficial for real, long-term value creation and what this means for corporate governance. While the sheer volume of campaigns might initially suggest a healthy and engaged shareholder base driving accountability and forcing change, a deeper analysis shows just how complex this landscape is. There is a thin line between constructive engagement and potentially disruptive short termism and this line always remains hotly contested. I argue that ultimately, this surge of investor activism presents a problematic trend for sustainable corporate growth and a significant structural shift in corporate governance.