Is royal mail privately owned

Royal Mail, the United Kingdom's postal service, has a complex ownership structure. While it is not entirely privately owned, it has undergone significant changes in its ownership and governance over the years.

Historically, Royal Mail was a publicly owned organization, with the UK government holding a majority stake. However, in 2013, the UK government decided to privatize Royal Mail through an initial public offering (IPO) of shares. As a result, Royal Mail became a publicly listed company, with shares traded on the London Stock Exchange.

In the IPO, the UK government sold a 60% stake in Royal Mail to the public, with the remaining 40% remaining in government hands. The IPO raised £3.3 billion (approximately $4.3 billion USD) for the government.

In 2015, the UK government sold an additional 6% stake in Royal Mail to institutional investors, reducing its ownership stake to 33%. The remaining 67% of the company is now owned by private investors, including institutional investors, individual shareholders, and the public.

Despite being partially privatized, Royal Mail is still subject to certain regulatory requirements and obligations as a designated Universal Service Provider (USP). This means that Royal Mail is required to provide a universal postal service, including the delivery of mail and parcels to all parts of the UK, at a set price.

In summary, while Royal Mail is not entirely privately owned, it is no longer a fully publicly owned organization. The UK government still holds a significant stake in the company, but the majority of the shares are now owned by private investors.