Stakeholder

So, what does a stakeholder hold?
 
The word stakeholder, from 1708, is a person with whom bets are deposited when a wager is made. By the 1960s, stakeholder also referred to a person who has something to gain or lose (e.g., in a business) or to a person who has or shares a common interest in something.
 
The word sweepstakes (a prize won in a race or contest), from 1773, has its origins in the Middle English word swepstake referring to a person who swept or won all the stakes in a game.
 
The stake in stakeholder is not to be confused with other meanings of stake: stake as a noun (e.g., a wooden stake put in the ground, stake as an amount of a wager) or the verb ‘to stake’ (e.g., to stake out a claim).
 
In brief, a stakeholder holds the money or an interest, not a piece of wood.
 
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
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