Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD  ) CEO Vlad Tenev believes more people should own a stake in the economy, arguing that broader participation in equity markets could help create a more stable and economically resilient society. "Make everyone an owner," Tenev said in a post on X Sunday when sharing a clip from a three-month-old interview on The Knowledge Project podcast hosted by Shane Parrish, where he described expanding direct equity ownership among retail investors as one of Robinhood's core long-term goals.

Making Everyone An Owner

"I think our North Star is really just maximizing equity ownership, direct equity ownership from retail across the world," Tenev said.

The Robinhood CEO added that the goal extends beyond simply attracting more investors and includes making stock ownership accessible to people at younger ages and in more countries.

According to Tenev, increasing direct participation in financial markets could give more individuals a stake in economic growth and wealth creation.

Starting Young

Tenev also highlighted the recently launched Trump Accounts initiative, which aims to introduce investing and asset ownership at a younger age.

He said broader access to investing tools could help more people build long-term wealth through ownership rather than relying solely on wages or savings.

Tenev also argued that reducing barriers to investing remains critical as financial markets become increasingly global.

Private Markets Are The Next Frontier

Tenev argued that one of the biggest barriers to broader ownership is the growing divide between public and private markets, where many of the world's fastest-growing companies remain inaccessible to ordinary investors for years.

SpaceX's (SPCX  ) blockbuster IPO last week highlighted how much value can be created before ordinary investors gain access, with the company spending years in private markets before debuting at a valuation of more than $2 trillion.

Other high-profile private companies, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Stripe and Databricks, have also reached massive valuations while remaining largely inaccessible to retail investors.

As companies stay private longer, a larger share of value creation occurs before public investors have the opportunity to participate, leaving retail investors with fewer opportunities to invest in high-growth businesses at an early stage.

"I think if we maximize equity ownership, and actually the percentage of it held directly by retail, we'll end up in a more stable society," Tenev said.

Benzinga Edge Rankings indicate that HOOD has a Momentum score in the 45th percentile and a Growth score in the 92nd percentile.