The counter-argument is that those who benefit most from society do so because they take the risks, and produce the greatest benefits when they succeed.

One problem with this is that those who make the decisions aren't taking any risk at all -- if the company goes under, they get a "golden parachute" and are free to go sink some other company. The people who take the risk are the little people whose 401k or pension accounts are tied into the company the CEO is f***ing with at no risk to himself. So that argument is bogus.