This article is based on the idea that if we are witnessing an on-going shift towards the transnational phase of capitalism, this objective structural change should also be taken into account in higher education studies. In this sense, this article reflects the increased scholarly attention into the relationship between globalisation and higher education since the 1990s. The main purpose of this article is to contribute to these discussions by developing dialogue between global capitalism theories and the theory of academic capitalism. In order to achieve this, William Robinson's concept of the transnational capitalist class (TCC) will be amended to include also the informational fraction. Furthermore, the causal history of TRIPS (Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) will be used as an illustrative example of how transnational corporations have stimulated the emergence of academic capitalism at transnational level. First, I will discuss the theory of academic capitalism. Second, I will introduce and amend the concept of the TCC. Third, I will present my conclusions. (Contains 2 tables and 5 notes.)