Yeah, a symptom of late stage capitalism that large companies no longer compete by improving their product or service, but by manipulating the regulatory environment and/or competition, through collusion, legal attacks, or acquisition. It's much less risky of an investment for larger companies post-mass-consolidation.

I feel it is never about having the money or not rather that for them it is a moral issue that it’s preferable to spend money on fewer people (political lobbying campaign) rather than the same total amount or even sometimes less on the many.