Who is Ford owned by now?
Ford Motor Company is a publicly traded company, meaning ownership is dispersed among thousands of shareholders. The Ford family retains meaningful control through a special class of shares, so there is no single owner.
To understand this, it's important to know Ford's dual-class stock structure, who holds voting power, and who owns the economic stake in the company.
Understanding Ford's ownership structure
Before exploring, here is a concise explanation of how ownership is organized at Ford:
- Dual-class stock structure: Ford has Class A common stock that is publicly traded and Class B common stock that carries significantly more voting power. This arrangement concentrates voting control with a relatively small investor group.
- Family control: The Ford family, including the founder's descendants, holds a substantial portion of the Class B shares, giving them the ability to influence or determine the board and strategic direction despite owning a minority of the economic equity.
- Public ownership: The vast majority of the company's publicly traded stock is Class A, owned by institutional investors and individual shareholders around the world. Large asset managers such as Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street typically hold sizable stakes in Class A shares.
- Governance: Ownership and control are separate; while shareholders vote on key matters, the board is elected by shareholders, with the Class B-led voting structure effectively determining the board's composition.
- Public status: Ford remains a public company, with trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker F, and ongoing public reporting requirements.
In short: Ford has no single owner. Real control sits with the Ford family via the Class B voting shares, with leadership under William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman, while economic ownership is widely distributed among public and institutional investors.
Implications for investors and governance
The dual-class structure means day-to-day operations and strategic direction reflect both market signals and the long-term view of the family-led governance. Investors should understand how voting power interacts with economic ownership when evaluating Ford as an investment.
Proxy statements and annual reports provide details on the exact composition of voting rights and ownership by class.
Summary
Ford Motor Company is publicly traded and owned by a broad base of investors, but the Ford family maintains control through a high-voting Class B share structure. Public shareholders own the Class A stock, and governance is influenced by the family through their voting power, while the company remains accountable to all shareholders through the board and corporate governance practices.
