Definition
A calculation of ownership percentages that includes all possible shares—options, warrants, convertible notes, and that napkin the founder signed in 2009. The number that reveals how little of the company you actually own.
Example Usage
Sure, you own 10% of the outstanding shares, but on a fully diluted basis with the option pool and convertible notes, it's more like 6%.
Origin
Securities law terminology standardized in venture capital documentation in the 1980s-1990s
Fun Fact
Many founders celebrate their ownership percentage only to discover that on a fully diluted basis, they own far less than they thought—sometimes half as much.
Source: Securities law and cap table management standards
Related Terms
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See “fully diluted” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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