whom or which

[cannonkuo]

When he retired in 1977, Pelé become a worldwide ambassador for football and has started various commercial ventures. One of the most profitable ventures, which earns him up to $20 million a year, has been his endorsement of major brands. He has worked with Coca-Cola, Petrobras, Nokia, Samsung, and MasterCard, for whom he has appeared on more than two million credit cards.

Why whom is used instead of "which" in the last sentence?

Thank you.

 

[Tarheel]

I would be okay with either one.

(One thing I have never understood is thanks in advance.)

 

[cannonkuo]

MasterCard is not a person. Why both are okay?

 

[emsr2d2]

MasterCard is not a person. Why are both are okay?

Note the correct way to construct a question. You might want to look up "anthropomorphise". You could also take "for whom" to mean "on behalf of the owners/board of MasterCard (or even the marketing department)".

 

[jutfrank]

MasterCard is not a person.

We do indeed treat companies as (groups of) persons.

 

[Tdol]

MasterCard is not a person. Why both are okay?

Companies can be called legal persons, so both work. In 2010, the US Supreme Court decidion in Citizens United gave corporations wide rights and spending powers under the protection of the First Amendment.

 

[jutfrank]

Companies can be called legal persons, so both work.

I wasn't talking about legal persons, but yes, that's right, of course.

Linguistically speaking, we use the language of personhood (words like they/who, etc.) and mental verbs (like want/decide) all the time when talking about companies, organisations, governing bodies, sports teams, and so on. It's because we're usually thinking more about the people who make up those groups rather than the abstract entities themselves.

 

[cannonkuo]

So, any organization or group can be treated as humans as long as they are made up people.
And whom or whom can be used in a relative clause. Am I right?

 

[Tarheel]

1. Yes. If it's a group of people it's a group (of people).
2. Whom or whom?

 

[cannonkuo]

1. Yes. If it's a group of people it's a group (of people).
2. Whom or whom?

sorry, it should be whom or which.

 

[Tdol]

It depends on whether you see it/them as a group of people or a single entity, so yes.

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry, it should have been:

"Whom" or "which"?