The First Multinational: The Dutch East India Company aka VOC
Introduction The Dutch East India Company, known as the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), was more than a mere trading enterprise—it was the world’s first multinational corporation, and the first company to issue public shares. Founded in 1602 in the Netherlands, the VOC would dominate Asian-European trade routes for nearly two centuries, shaping global commerce, colonial…
