During the period when the Netherlands still ruled Indonesia, the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie/VOC) became the first company in history to offer shares to the public in 1602.
As a powerful trading company dealing in spices — the most sought-after commodities in Europe at the time —, the VOC had little difficulty attracting investors. Many believed that the company would flourish and generate enormous profits for its shareholders.

With such confidence, when the VOC decided to launch its initial public offering (IPO), crowds flocked to the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
The VOC thus became the first company in the world to conduct what is now known as an initial public offering (IPO) in modern financial terms.

“In total, 1,143 investors contributed to the VOC’s initial capital in Amsterdam,” wrote Lodewijk Petram in his book The World’s First Stock Exchange (2011).

According to the rules at the time, each investor could freely decide how much money to invest, with no minimum or maximum limits. There were also no restrictions on social background — anyone was allowed to invest in the VOC.

As a result, not only officials, nobles, and wealthy individuals became shareholders, but also ordinary people. Even a household maid named Neeltgen Cornelis was among the investors.

Neeltgen’s interest in investing in the VOC began through her employer, Dirck van Os, who happened to be one of the company’s directors.
During the IPO period, van Os’s home was frequently visited by numerous investors managing their share purchases.

Unlike today’s electronic systems, stock trading back then was conducted manually and recorded on paper, which explains why Dirck van Os’s house was crowded with visitors. Amid this bustling atmosphere, Neeltgen’s curiosity grew stronger.

Deep down, she truly wanted to invest, believing that the VOC would yield substantial profits. However, she faced a dilemma: where could she get the money?

As a maid, she earned less than fifty cents a day, just enough to survive. Thus, she remained hesitant for days, torn between her ambition and her limited means.

Finally, by the end of August, as the share subscription period was nearing its close, she made up her mind.
“She thought she would regret it forever if she didn’t invest now. So she took a deep breath and withdrew her savings,” wrote Petram.

Through years of hard work as a domestic worker, Neeltgen had saved 100 guilders, which she used to purchase VOC shares.
She handed the money to her employer, who helped register the investment on her behalf.

Thus, Neeltgen Cornelis officially became a VOC shareholder, though her investment was quite small compared to others.
At that time, the wealthiest investors — including VOC officials — invested between 45,000 and 85,000 guilders.

Did Neeltgen profit from her investment?

According to Petram, yes, but only briefly.
In October 1603, merely a year after purchasing her shares, she sold them entirely to another investor named Jacques de Pourcq.

Had she kept her shares longer, her 100 guilders could have grown into thousands, Petram noted.
At the very least, she would have been entitled to receive spices as dividends, a common practice among VOC shareholders at the time.

In the years following its IPO, the VOC indeed became the largest company in the world, dominating the global spice trade sourced from the Indonesian archipelago.