shell company

noun

1. a near-defunct company, esp one with a stock-exchange listing, used as a vehicle for a thriving company
2. a company that has ceased to trade but retains its registration and is sold for a small sum to enable its new owners to avoid the cost and trouble of registering a new company

Example Sentences

He also said the princess had spent cash held in a shell company.

From The Daily Beast

The oil was necessary for the Navy, and the criticisms came from representatives of the Shell Company.

From Project Gutenberg