Part 2/9:
The foundations of the stock market trace back to the 17th century in Amsterdam, where the Dutch East India Company (VOC) emerged as the world’s first publicly traded company. Facing the challenges of financing perilous voyages to Asia for valuable spices, the Dutch government took bold steps by merging rival trading companies into a single entity. To manage the financial risks associated with these expeditions, they devised an innovative solution: selling ownership stakes to the public. This marked a revolutionary shift, allowing ordinary people to become investors and, in effect, partial owners of corporate endeavors.