One can hold common shares within a company for example. This means, that each of the investors do have to follow a given set of rules. The smaller the “owned percentage” through shares within a company the lesser the rights of that investor. It is always the investor that holds the majority of shares that may set the main operating principles of that company. These may include the voting rights, how profits will be distributed and so on.

Anyone can buy shares within a company and depending how much he/she will invest, so do the basic rights of the investor change.