Large private busineses have a portfolio of stakeholders to please nowadays. I would say few medium to large businesses fully maximise profits. Amazon officially makes very little profit, however the owner tries to increase the share price. Their latest ads say they are currently converting all their delivery vans to electric to help the planet according to them implying it is costing them money to do so.
Bismarck is an interesting example of self interest - it worked for him as he was in power of some sort until he died in 1934. Germany industralised very quickly like Middlesbrough, with lots of workers crowded in tightly who have come off the land, they were not happy with their lot. In the UK the Liberals with Winston Churchill soon copied Germany introducing free state education in 1902 and unemployment & sickness benefit and state pensions, soon after. I don't think they did it because they loved working class people, but it reduced the appeal of the Labour Party which was set up in 1900, but never got into full power till 1945. In Russia there were not many economic reforms and look what happened in 1917.