Beneficial Owner

The beneficial owner (BO) refers to the person(s) who ultimately own or control a company or asset, even if it is held in the name of another organisation or individual.

The concept of the beneficial owner originates from anti-money laundering and transparency regulations. Its purpose is to identify the actual ownership and control structures, particularly in cases involving complex shareholding arrangements.

The exact definition and applicable thresholds vary by country:

 

In most EU member states (e.g. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands), a person is considered a beneficial owner if they

hold more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, or exercise control by other means, such as contractual arrangements or dominant influence.

If no such individual can be identified, the senior managing officials are often designated as fictional beneficial owners.

 

In the United Kingdom, the beneficial owner is referred to as a PSC (Person with Significant Control). While the criteria are similar, they explicitly include control over the company’s management, or the right to exercise significant influence or control over the company.

 

Outside the EU, beneficial ownership concepts also exist, but with different definitions, thresholds, and disclosure requirements. As a result, comparability across countries is limited.

 

North Data displays beneficial owners, if available, in the network and marks them with the abbreviation “BO".