Shareholders own big business. Lots of people. No idea of names. However, this is how it works
America is the only nation that allows the individual funding of politicians. Civilised countries banned this over a hundred years ago. It’s corrupt.
Example: the gun industry and the NRA own enough politicians in both parties to veto legislation they don’t like.
The only difference between America and civilised nations is that they have a licensing requirement for gun ownership. If you have a criminal record you won’t get one. If you have mental health issues you won’t get one. Result? You’re over fifty times more likely to die from a bullet in America.
In 1998 the Finance Industry wanted the Glass-Steagall Act gone. It needed modernising but it included sensible regulations. For a mortgage you could only borrow four times income and 90% of value of property.
They owned enough of Congress to get it repealed and then went on an orgy of moronic lending which gave the planet the Financial Crisis 2008 and the EU and China had to bail America out. No repayments to date!
On the bright side that idiocy made me a multi-millionaire.
The oil, pharmaceutical and others own enough in Congress so that America has the worst health and safety standards in the Western world.
Covid. Big Pharma owned enough to stop Europe’s AstraZenecha getting FDA approval for their vaccine. It was created by Oxford University and the recipe given away