shell company

British  

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

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Example Sentences

All would-be entrants had to do was set up a shell company and then apply for access to the registry, which was normally given.

From BBC

Investigators also identified a shell company possibly used to launder the advertising revenue, which totaled to around $6.2 million, and an investment of $200,000 in cryptocurrency.

From Los Angeles Times

On Aug. 1, federal prosecutors filing a legal brief alleging that taxpayer funds from the county went into a slush fund held by a shell company to help pay for its illegal activities.

From Los Angeles Times

A couple hours down the coast, Ellen DeGeneres and mining tycoon Robert Friedland — more specifically, a shell company linked to Friedland — engaged in a high-end home swap in Santa Barbara.

From Salon

The complex accounting trick started in March 2017 when a shell company, with no money or assets, called Severn Trent Trimpley was set up as part of the group.

From BBC