Who is Ford owned by?
Ford Motor Company is owned by its shareholders; there is no single owner. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and ownership is dispersed among millions of investors worldwide. The Ford family maintains control through a dual-class stock structure that gives certain shareholders greater voting rights.
How ownership is distributed
Understanding Ford's ownership requires looking at two key elements: the public market for its stock, and the voting rights embedded in its stock classes. While economic ownership rests with anyone who holds shares, control over the board and major decisions is influenced by the Ford family's voting power.
Stock structure and family control
Ford uses a multi-class structure that reserves higher voting power for shares held by the Ford family and related entities. This arrangement means ownership in economic terms is widely held, but governance is steered more by family-affiliated holders than by the broad retail investor base alone.
Who holds the largest stakes?
In practice, Ford's largest owners are typically institutional investors and asset managers. Among the most prominent are Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Global Advisors. Berkshire Hathaway has been a noteworthy long-term investor in Ford since 2017, though its stake varies with buying and selling activity.
As with all public companies, exact percentages shift with daily trading, regulatory filings, and corporate actions. For the latest figures, consult Ford's most recent annual report and the latest 13F filings.
Summary
Ford Motor Company is publicly owned by a broad base of shareholders, including individual investors and large institutions. While millions own a piece of the company, the Ford family retains control through its higher-voting stock, shaping the direction of the company alongside a board and management team. Ownership is fluid, reflecting market activity and strategic changes over time.
Is the Ford family still rich?
Yes, the Ford family is still very rich, largely because they maintain control over Ford Motor Company through a special class of stock that gives them 40% of the company's voting power, as reported by CNBC and Forbes. While individual net worths fluctuate, prominent members like William Clay Ford Jr. have amassed billions, and the family's combined wealth is substantial, making them one of America's wealthiest families, according to MSN and WSAV-TV.
- Family control: The Ford family controls 40% of the voting power of Ford Motor Company through a special Class B stock, which allows them to effectively control the company even with a minority ownership stake, explains this Reddit discussion.
- Wealth sources: The family's wealth is rooted in the Ford Motor Company, founded by Henry Ford, and is also derived from their ownership of the NFL's Detroit Lions.
- Individual net worth: Individual family members have significant wealth. For example, William Clay Ford Jr. has an estimated net worth of around $1 billion, and his mother, Martha Firestone Ford, had a net worth of $1.4 billion in 2019, notes Forbes and lovemoney.com.
- Collective wealth: The family's collective wealth is substantial, with Forbes reporting a combined net worth of $2 billion in 2015 for the family and WSAV-TV reporting a combined net worth of $267 billion in early 2024.
Does Ford belong to GM?
Ford Motor Co.
(U.S.) owns Ford and Lincoln. General Motors (U.S.) owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC. Hummer is now a GMC sub-brand. GM has a formal partnership with Honda to co-develop EVs.
Who is Ford's biggest shareholder?
The largest shareholders of Ford are the institutional investors Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street, with the Ford family also maintaining significant control through a dual-class stock structure that gives them 40% of the voting power despite owning a smaller percentage of shares. William Clay Ford Jr. is the largest individual shareholder and the Executive Chairman.
Institutional shareholders
- The Vanguard Group: The largest single shareholder, holding the highest percentage of shares among institutional investors.
- BlackRock: The second-largest institutional investor.
- State Street Corporation: The third-largest institutional investor.
Individual shareholders
- William Clay Ford Jr.: As the Executive Chairman and great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, he is the largest individual shareholder.
- Other Ford family members: The Ford family collectively holds a significant portion of the company's Class B shares, which carry super-voting power.
Control structure
- Ford's dual-class stock structure is designed to ensure the family's control over the company. Class B shares represent a small percentage of the total stock but hold 40% of the voting rights, according to The Motley Fool.
- This structure allows the family to maintain control even with their shares being a smaller percentage of the total ownership compared to institutional holders, notes The Motley Fool.
Does China own Ford?
No, China does not own Ford, as Ford is an American company that is publicly traded and owned by its shareholders. However, Ford operates several joint ventures in China with Chinese companies, such as Changan Ford and Jiangling Motors (JMC), to manufacture and sell vehicles in the Chinese market.
- Joint ventures: Ford has established joint ventures with Chinese automakers to produce vehicles for both the Chinese and export markets.
- Ownership: Despite these partnerships, Ford remains an American corporation, and no single Chinese entity owns it.
- Market strategy: Ford is restructuring its business in China to be more efficient and leverage its partners' strengths, focusing on building cars for both the domestic and export markets.
