Part 2/11:
The VOC was founded in 1602 during the Dutch Golden Age and held a monopoly over the spice trade between Asia and Europe, dominating the market for nearly two centuries. Its innovative business model introduced public shares, enabling ordinary investors to buy stakes in the company, a groundbreaking concept that led to the establishment of the world's first stock exchange in Amsterdam. The company's unprecedented control extended beyond commerce; it functioned as a quasi-government entity, establishing colonies, negotiating treaties, and even waging wars.