Final answer:
The minimum number of investors needed to vote to change the company's top management is a group holding more than 50% of the total shares. Investors 1 and 2 cannot be certain of always getting their way in how the company will be run.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the information provided, the Darkroom Windowshade Company has 100,000 shares of stock outstanding. In order to vote to change the company's top management, investors holding more than 50% of the total shares must agree.
Let's calculate the total number of shares held by all investors. Investor 1 has 20,000 shares, investor 2 has 18,000 shares, and the remaining investors each have 5,000 shares.
The total number of shares held by all the investors is 20,000 + 18,000 + 15,000 + 10,000 + 7,000 + (5,000 x 6) = 97,000 shares.
Therefore, a group of investors holding at least 50,001 shares (more than 50% of the total shares) would be needed to vote and change the company's top management.
If investors 1 and 2 agree to vote together, they would hold a total of 38,000 shares. Since this is less than 50% of the total shares, they cannot be certain of always getting their way in how the company will be run.