Part 2/11:
The Phoebus cartel, created in the 1920s by major lighting companies like Osram, Philips, and General Electric, established a maximum life expectancy of 1,000 hours for light bulbs. This agreement surfaced amid a growing trend where light bulbs had the potential to last significantly longer, up to 2,500 hours. This abrupt cap on bulb longevity appeared to stem from a desire to boost sales, leading many observers to label it as a quintessential example of planned obsolescence.