> Would it be technically possible for a company to buy all of its shares back so that there are no owners? The company would be self-owned.
No, because there's a statutory minimum number of shareholders (which varies by country but is always greater than zero).
But even if this weren't the case, it wouldn't be as weird as it sounds. In most states, nonprofits cannot issue stock, but they still exist as corporate entities.
The directors ultimately control the company. Shareholders are secondary: irrelevant, except insofar as they can vote out the board of directors.
No, because there's a statutory minimum number of shareholders (which varies by country but is always greater than zero).
But even if this weren't the case, it wouldn't be as weird as it sounds. In most states, nonprofits cannot issue stock, but they still exist as corporate entities.
The directors ultimately control the company. Shareholders are secondary: irrelevant, except insofar as they can vote out the board of directors.