I don't disagree with your general sentiment, but companies (unreasonably large ones especially) have certainly manipulated the political sphere "outside their walls" in such ways for a long time. See East India Company, Standard Oil, etc. See also the Gilded Age for a time that is very reminiscent of the times we live in today [0].

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age#National_politics