Beneficiario
In short
A beneficial owner is the actual person who owns or controls a company or asset, even if their name is not on the official paperwork.
In plain words
Sometimes a company is registered in one person's name, but another person actually gets all the money and makes the decisions. That real owner is the beneficiario. They are the person behind the scenes.
A simple example
A man sets up a company in his assistant's name to keep his business private. Even though the assistant is the registered owner, the man is the beneficiario because he controls the money.
Why it matters
Knowing the real owner helps governments stop money laundering and tax evasion. It ensures that people cannot hide illegal wealth behind fake company names.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse a beneficiario with a legal owner, who is simply the person whose name appears on official documents.