A shareholder (also called stockholder) is a corporation, an individual, or an organisation that owns at least one share of a company's equity (stock).
In a company, if a shareholder holds more than 50 percent of shares, he or she become a majority shareholder, while those who have less than 50 percent shares are known as minority shareholders.
In certain cases, majority shareholders are the founders of a company. Majority owners of older companies are often the descendants of the company's founders. Mjority shareholders hold decision-making power, influencing business operations such as the replacement of board members, by holding more than half of the company's voting interest.