We own 65% of Chrysler? What does that really mean?

D

Dee82

New member
I heard that because Chrysler had a bail out we own 65% of it. If that's true, what does that actually mean for any given taxpayer?
Okay, I'm sensing a pattern, so I'm going to rephrase my question: What is it supposed to mean to the average tax payer?
Is it what Siski is saying, that we get a discount of sticker price?
 
To the average taxpayer, not much. The U.S. government owns just under 10% of Chrysler, not 65%. (They own around 61% of GM - that may be where you got your number from.) Controlling interest (about 68%) is owned by the retirement funds of the United Auto Workers union, with Fiat owning a big chunk (about 20%) and the Canadian government owning the rest.

However, the U.S. government has stated that they do not intend to take actions regarding the corporate governance of the company, and plan to sell their stake (probably to Fiat) as soon as it is feasible. They have similar plans for their much larger stake in G.M.

You don't get any discounts from them, and there's no direct benefits for the average taxpayer. The major benefit from the government ownership is that you don't have two of the largest manufacturers in the country ceasing to exist.
 
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