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The Wikipedia article for the World Bank Group states that:

"Traditionally, the Bank President has always been a U.S citizen nominated by the President of the United States, the largest shareholder in the bank."

So this does not feel like a protocol for what is by its definition an internationalist organization, so my question is actually several really:

  • Why must they be an American citizen?

  • and of all things, nominated by the President of the U.S? Why are people from other places in the world ineligible to for nomination for President of an International organization?

  • Has the U.S been the largest shareholder for the entire history of the organization?

Adam Ledger
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    Voting rights are tied to shares. So it would be difficult to find a majority against or without the US. It could happen, of course, because the US doesn't have a majority on their own. And the US decided that their nomination should come from the President because the President usually nominates positions like that. – o.m. Oct 07 '20 at 18:00
  • Ok so sorry for the ignorance on the subject but how are these shares exchanged in the market place? My point being that it would seem to me that those economists participating in trade on behalf of whole nations would be the ones capable of tipping that distribution one way or the other – Adam Ledger Oct 08 '20 at 03:04
  • Needs more focus I see. Why I would expect anything other than closure is still a mystery – Adam Ledger Oct 08 '20 at 04:00
  • This goes back to a historical agreement where the US determines the head of the World Bank and Europe determines the head of the IMF. The shares of the World Bank are not traded, they are assigned after negoiation among members. AFAIK the US was the biggest shareholder at all times. – quarague Oct 08 '20 at 06:46
  • Ok yeah I was just reading about the age restriction being lifted for managing director of the IMF this is positive, I just don't understand why these stupid rules would be set for such influential powerful international organizations, and not questioned by anyone – Adam Ledger Oct 08 '20 at 09:33

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