sole stockholder

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sole stockholder" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to an individual or entity that owns all the shares of a corporation, thus having complete control over it. Example: "As the sole stockholder of the company, she has the final say in all business decisions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

21 human-written examples

He's the sole stockholder.

The New Yorker

She said, however, that "he's currently on the payroll and I'm the sole stockholder".

The New York Times

Friend is the sole stockholder in the company and pays himself a salary that is just under $100,000 — a fortune in the yoga world.

The New York Times - Magazine

Most strikingly, the Globe found S.E.C. filings that list Romney as Bain's C.E.O. and the chairman of its board, as well as its sole stockholder.

The New Yorker

And if he was still the firm's "sole stockholder," can he really have been as detached from its activities as he claims?

The New Yorker

The organization was founded by Stanley Stahl, who at the time of his death in 1999 was the sole stockholder of the Apple Bank for Savings and held four million square feet of office space and 3,000 apartments.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

39 human-written examples

The filings also identified Fred Hofheinz as the sole Top Rank stockholder, with Houston lawyer John O'Quinn and stockbroker Robert Higley serving as the team's major partners.

Wikipedia

It is not disputed that the purpose of a for-profit corporation is to make a profit for stockholders, but there is an intense debate about whether maximizing stockholder profits is the sole legitimate purpose of corporations as Milton Friedman and others have argued and whether truly beneficent corporate conduct is justifiable.

SEP

Admitting that the employees must be given sympathetic consideration, it is only just to point out that our economic principles do not include the destruction of stockholders' capital for the sole purpose of providing employment.

Forbes

In many large corporations the sole mission is to make the stockholders rich.

Huffington Post

Business is full of very smart people whose sole responsibility is to make money, for stockholders and themselves.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sole stockholder" when you want to highlight that a single individual or entity reaps all the financial benefits and bears all the risks associated with the company's stock ownership.

Common error

Avoid using "sole stockholder" interchangeably with terms like "majority shareholder" or "controlling shareholder", as these imply owning a significant portion of shares, but not necessarily all of them. "Sole stockholder" specifically denotes 100% ownership.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sole stockholder" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as a subject complement or appositive to identify the owner of a corporation's stock. As evidenced by Ludwig, it is used to clearly indicate complete ownership and control.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

24%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "sole stockholder" is a grammatically correct and commonly used term to describe someone who owns all the shares of a company. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's primarily used in news, business, and legal contexts to clearly denote complete ownership and control. While alternatives like "single shareholder" exist, "sole stockholder" provides a precise and unambiguous description of the ownership structure. When writing about corporate ownership, using "sole stockholder" correctly helps avoid confusion with similar terms like "majority shareholder".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

single shareholder

Replaces "sole" with "single", emphasizing the numerical aspect of having only one shareholder.

only shareholder

Uses "only" instead of "sole", highlighting the exclusivity of the shareholder status.

exclusive stockholder

Substitutes "sole" with "exclusive", stressing the unique possession of all shares.

sole owner of stock

Specifies "owner of stock" to clarify the nature of the ownership.

sole equity holder

Replaces "stockholder" with "equity holder", using a more general term for ownership.

100% shareholder

Expresses the concept numerically, indicating complete ownership.

sole proprietor with stock

Combines sole proprietorship with stock ownership, adding detail about the business structure.

individual owner of all shares

Explains the concept in detail, emphasizing individual ownership and complete shareholding.

controlling shareholder

Focuses on the aspect of control derived from owning all shares.

ultimate beneficial owner

Highlights the individual who ultimately benefits from and controls the shares, even if indirectly.

FAQs

What does "sole stockholder" mean?

A "sole stockholder" is an individual or entity that owns all of the outstanding shares of a corporation. This gives them complete control and ownership of the company.

What are some alternatives to saying "sole stockholder"?

You can use alternatives like "single shareholder", "only shareholder", or "exclusive stockholder", depending on the context.

How does a "sole stockholder" differ from a majority shareholder?

A "sole stockholder" owns 100% of the company's stock, while a majority shareholder owns more than 50%, allowing them to control the company but not necessarily own all of it.

What are the responsibilities of a "sole stockholder"?

A "sole stockholder" bears all the financial risks and enjoys all the profits of the company. They also typically make all major decisions, but are still subject to corporate law and fiduciary duties.