Controlling Block of Shares, a certain number of shares which ensures its owner complete control and domination of a joint-stock company. The election of the Board of Directors and all the most important decisions concerning the economic activities of a joint-stock company are made at a shareholders’ general meeting by voting. The number of votes each shareholder is entitled to is determined by the number of shares with voting rights he possesses. So to control a jointstock company, one formally needs to possess more than 50 per cent of the total shares. However, small shareholders normally do not attend general meetings, while part of medium shareholders are dependent on bigger holders, and sign over the voting rights of their shares to them. The result is that in order to control a joint-stock company, the big financial magnates need as a rule from 15 to 20, and in some cases only 5 to 10 per cent of the total number of shares. Under imperialism a controlling interest is a form of the growing domination of the financial oligarchy.