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Which company built and operated the original Suez Canal?

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Cargo ships travel along the wide Suez Canal in Egypt, bordered by sandy desert on one side and greenery on the other. — Suez Canal Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The original Suez Canal was built and operated by the Suez Canal Company (Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez).1

Incorporated as an Egyptian joint-stock company with its headquarters in Paris, the company was organized in 1858 following an Act of Concession granted to Ferdinand de Lesseps by the Egyptian viceroy, Saʿīd Pasha. The company held the right to operate the maritime canal for 99 years following the completion of construction, which took place between 1859 and 1869.213

While the company was initially dominated by French investment, the British government became the largest shareholder in 1875 after purchasing the holdings of Ismāʿīl Pasha. The canal remained under the management of the company until 1956, when it was nationalized by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, leading to the transfer of control to the Suez Canal Authority.23