If you short 50.1% of a company's stock can you make all the corporate decisions before you sell short?

Question

If you short 50.1% of a company's stock can you make all the corporate decisions before you sell short?

Answer 1

No, shorting the stock does not give you possession of the stock or the voting rights that come with it.

Answer 2

Before you short it you have no position so how could you make decisions?

Borrowing stock and selling short is done as a single transaction unless you have the cash to leave as a deposit for the short sale.  Remember that if you sell short stock worth $10,000 you have to leave about $10,500 in cash with the lender.

Even if you could do this, the borrower of the stock doesn't get to vote the stock.

Answer 3

No.  You must take possession first, then call for an election of the board by the majority of shareholders (i.e., you), conduct the re-election of the board of directors and then vote yourself in.

At this point you can make ALL the decisions by appointing your own President and CEO.

Answer 4

if you want to go to jail.