A person or group with an interest or investment in a business or project.
Originally from gambling! A 'stakeholder' was the neutral person who held the money (stakes) bet by gamblers until the game ended. This person had to be trustworthy since they literally held everyone's stakes. The business meaning emerged in the 1960s when companies began thinking of employees, customers, and communities as having 'stakes' in the outcome.
Every corporate meeting with 'stakeholders' is using gambling language from Old West saloons. The person who held poker bets became the model for thinking about anyone who has something riding on a business decision - they all have 'stakes' in the game.
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