Fred Krueger, a Bitcoin supporter and a Ph.D. in mathematics at Stanford University, posted on X that BlackRock holds 7% of Microsoft (MSFT), second only to Vanguard, and also holds 8% of MicroStrategy (MSTR). These shareholders will vote on Monday to decide whether they should study the purchase of BTC.
As an important shareholder of Microsoft, BlackRock usually votes on its shares at the shareholders' meeting. As one of the largest asset management companies, BlackRock actively participates in the governance of its investment companies. They exercise voting rights on various issues, such as electing board members, executive compensation, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate policies.
Earlier news, Microsoft listed the issues to be discussed at the next shareholders' meeting in a filing with the US SEC. One of the proposals suggested that the company study Bitcoin to hedge against inflation and other macroeconomic impacts.
The document shows that Microsoft's board of directors recommended that shareholders vote against the proposal and said that Microsoft had "carefully considered the issue." The statement said: "Past evaluations have included Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as options for consideration, and Microsoft will continue to monitor trends and developments related to cryptocurrencies to inform future decisions. As the proposal itself points out, volatility is a consideration in evaluating cryptocurrency investments, which require stable and predictable investments for corporate financial applications to ensure liquidity and working capital. Microsoft has developed strong and appropriate processes to manage and diversify its corporate finances for the long-term benefit of shareholders, and this requirement for public evaluation is unreasonable." Later, MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor posted a message on the X platform calling out Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, saying: "If you want to make the next trillion dollars for shareholders, please call me."