Dual-class shares

Dual-class shares are a share structure where a company issues two or more classes of stock with different voting rights, most commonly one class available to the public with one vote per share, and another class held mostly by founders or insiders that carries many more votes per share, sometimes called supervoting shares.

This structure lets founders and early insiders retain control over major company decisions even after selling most of the economic ownership to public shareholders through an IPO. Critics argue it weakens shareholder accountability, while supporters argue it protects long-term decision making from short-term market pressure.