The largest individual shareholder of Celtic plc is Irish billionaire businessman Dermot Desmond, who maintains the single largest stake in the club, controlling roughly 34 percent to 35 percent of the common shares. While he is not a majority owner with absolute control on paper, his substantial equity block, combined with his long-standing influence as a non-executive director and his close involvement in major corporate decisions such as managerial appointments, gives him de facto leadership over the direction of the club.