- Control, also profit
- Control, albeit in a less direct form than housing also data and profit
- The pretense of caring about privacy issues, so politics and control
- Profit/control
If you ask, "why?" for almost anything in today's society it'll come down to money/power, which are functionally mostly the same thing.
Exceptions exist sure, but they are called exceptions for a reason.
My perspective at least, i'm sure others think differently.
It's to reduce risk by letting other people share in funding a venture.
Unless you are already ultra wealthy there is little to gain from individuals entering the stock market directly.
It's a vehicle for those with power and/or money to gain more power/money by siphoning it from everyone who isn't them.
Sure, some people make money, in the same way people in a casino make money.
The house, however, always wins.
There is approximately 8% a year to gain from entering it. Just buy VTSAX.
What i actually meant was there is little to gain for individuals who aren't already relatively wealthy.
For those living at or below the poverty line, 8% of nothing is nothing.
It isn't until you get to those who can afford to lock up reasonable sums of money for multiple years to benefit practically from that 8%.