---
term: "Beneficial owner"
category: "Agent identity (KYA)"
url: https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/beneficial-owner
source: AgenticOpenFinance glossary
---

# Beneficial owner

> Under the US CDD rule, an individual who owns a quarter or more of a legal entity, or who controls it.

Under FinCEN's Customer Due Diligence rule, the beneficial owners of a legal entity customer are the natural persons who own, control and profit from it: each individual who owns twenty-five per cent or more of the equity interests, and an individual who controls it. Covered financial institutions must identify and verify them when companies open accounts. An agent can gather and cross-check ownership documents, but conclusions on complex structures belong with analysts.

Related terms: [Identity proofing](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/identity-proofing.md), [Legal Entity Identifier (LEI)](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/legal-entity-identifier.md), [Know Your Agent (KYA)](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/know-your-agent.md), [Digital identity](https://agenticopenfinance.com/glossary/digital-identity.md)