For Mr. Purcell, the abrupt departures were at odds with the optimistic message he has been pitching to the firm's top shareholders this week.

Daimler's two top shareholders are Deutsche Bank and Kuwait.

The top shareholders held stock representing 53.7 percent of Yukos before the share dilution related to the Sibneft merger.

But I think that the top shareholders weren't ready to go with it a few months ago.

Nissan added that Tower would replace Nissan as Yorozu's top shareholder in acquiring a 17 percent stake.

Almost all the funds that are ranked among Pfizer's top shareholders voted to support the company's directors this year.

Other top shareholders as of December 2009 are as follows:

The company was forced to seek a bailout from the Mitsubishi Group after its top shareholder, DaimlerChrysler, unexpectedly cut off its support last year.

It also made Steve Jobs Disney's top shareholder with seven percent of outstanding shares, and gave him a new seat on Disney's board of directors.

Warren E. Buffett, the famed Omaha investor who was a top shareholder in the firm, stepped in on an interim basis as chairman.