Final answer:
Max is classified under the bourgeoisie class according to Karl Marx because he owns a significant part of a food distribution company, representing ownership of the means of production.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Karl Marx, Max, as the owner of a leading food distributor and owning a large share of the company's stock, would belong to the bourgeoisie. In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie are defined as the class that owns the means of production, which in the context of Max's situation involves owning a significant part of a company that produces and distributes food. Marx believed this economic group leverages their ownership of production to exploit workers, who are referred to as the proletariat, by paying them less than the value of their labor and thus creating surplus value from which only the bourgeoisie benefits.