Other information  Major shareholders 308 As of December 31, 2013, 225 million common shares were held in the form of New York Registry shares. As of December 31, 2013,  there were approximately 20,800 record holders of Aegon’s New York Registry shares resident in the United States. Vereniging Aegon is the continuation of the former mutual insurer AGO. In 1978, AGO demutualized and Vereniging AGO became the  only shareholder of AGO Holding N.V., which was the holding company for its insurance operations. In 1983, AGO Holding N.V. and  Ennia N.V. merged into Aegon N.V. Vereniging AGO initially received approximately 49% of the common shares (reduced gradually to  less than 40%) and all of the preferred shares in Aegon N.V., giving it voting majority in Aegon N.V. At that time Vereniging AGO  changed its name to Vereniging Aegon. The objective of Vereniging Aegon is the balanced representation of the interests of Aegon N.V. and all of its stakeholders, including  shareholders, Aegon Group companies, insured parties, employees and other relations of the companies. In accordance with the 1983 Merger Agreement, Vereniging Aegon had certain option rights on preferred shares to prevent dilution of  voting power as a result of share issuances by Aegon N.V. This enabled Vereniging Aegon to maintain voting control at the General  Meeting of Shareholders of Aegon N.V. In September 2002, Aegon N.V. effected a capital restructuring whereby Vereniging Aegon,  among others, sold 206,400,000 common shares to Aegon N.V. for the amount of EUR 2,064,000,000; Vereniging Aegon contributed  these as additional paid-in capital on the then existing Aegon N.V. preferred shares. As a result of this capital restructuring, Vereniging  Aegon’s beneficial ownership interest in Aegon N.V.’s common shares decreased from approximately 37% to approximately 12% and  its beneficial ownership interest in Aegon N.V.’s voting shares decreased from approximately 52% to approximately 33%. On May 9, 2003, Aegon’s shareholders approved certain changes to Aegon’s corporate governance structure. Preferred shares with a  nominal value of EUR 0.12 were converted into 211,680,000 new class A preferred shares with a nominal value of EUR 0.25, and class  B preferred shares were created with a nominal value of EUR 0.25 each. No class B preferred shares were issued at that time. The  voting rights pertaining to the preferred shares were adjusted accordingly to 25/12 vote per preferred share. However, in May 2003,  Aegon N.V. and Vereniging Aegon entered into a Preferred Shares Voting Agreement, pursuant to which Vereniging Aegon agreed to  exercise one vote only per preferred share, except in the event of a “Special Cause”, as defined hereunder. In May 2003, Aegon N.V. and Vereniging Aegon amended the option arrangements under the 1983 Merger Agreement so that, in the  event of an issuance of shares by Aegon N.V., Vereniging Aegon could purchase as many class B preferred shares as would enable  Vereniging Aegon to prevent or correct dilution to below its actual percentage of voting shares, to a maximum of 33%. On February 15, 2013, Aegon N.V. and Vereniging Aegon entered into an agreement to simplify the capital structure of Aegon and to  cancel all of Aegon’s preferred shares, of which Vereniging Aegon was the sole owner. The execution of this agreement was subject to  the approval of the General Meeting of Shareholders of Aegon N.V. This approval was granted at the Annual General Meeting of  Shareholders on May 15, 2013.  The simplified capital structure entailed, but was not limited to, the amendment of the articles of association of Aegon N.V., including  the conversion of all outstanding 329,773,000 preferred shares A and B, with a nominal value of EUR 0.25 each, into 120,713,389  common shares and 566,313,695 common shares B, with a nominal value of EUR 0.12 each. The financial rights attached to a common  share B were determined at 1/40 th  of the financial rights attached to a common share. The simplified capital structure also entailed the amendment of the Voting Rights Agreement between Aegon N.V. and Vereniging  Aegon, known as the Preferred Shares Voting Agreement before May 2013. As a matter of Dutch corporate law, the shares of both  classes offer equal full voting rights, as they have equal nominal values (EUR 0.12). The amended Voting Rights Agreement ensures  that under normal circumstances, i.e. except in the event of a Special Cause, Vereniging Aegon will no longer be able to exercise more  votes than is proportionate to the financial rights represented by its shares. This means that in the absence of a Special Cause  Vereniging Aegon may cast one vote for every common share it holds and one vote only for every 40 common shares B it holds. As  “Special Cause” qualifies the acquisition of a 15% interest in Aegon N.V., a tender offer for Aegon N.V. shares or a proposed business  combination by any person or group of persons, whether individually or as a group, other than in a transaction approved by the  Executive Board and the Supervisory Board. If, in its sole discretion, Vereniging Aegon determines that a Special Cause has occurred,  Vereniging Aegon will notify the General Meeting of Shareholders and retain its right to exercise the full voting power of one vote per  common share B for a limited period of six months. Annual Report 2013 Vereniging Aegon