Quora Answer: If I Had $3 Billion in a Bank, Would That Make Me Part Owner of It?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “If I had $3 billion in a bank, would that make me part owner?”

No matter the size of your deposits in the bank, you are a depositor, nothing more.  The substantial size of the deposit affords you special treatment, such as access to high net worth products, the services of a personal banker, and even some clout with management.  However, you are still not a shareholder of the bank.  To be a part owner of the bank, you require substantial control of the shares. And if it is a very large bank, $3 billion does not get you as much as you think considering the size of their capitalisation.