1602Reputable sourceWell documented
The Joint-Stock Company and the Stock Market
On the timeline · around 1602 · Paper Money and Banking
What happened
In 1602 the Dutch East India Company (VOC) was founded and, to raise the vast sums needed for its voyages, sold shares to the public — becoming the world's first publicly traded company. Its shares were bought and sold in Amsterdam, giving rise to the first modern stock exchange.
Why it matters
The joint-stock company let strangers pool capital and share risk on an unprecedented scale, and the stock market that grew around it became a central engine of the modern economy — a new form of money as ownership.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Dutch East India Company · Reputable source