yes - if someone wants to borrow, shouldn't the lender demand a fee? At many brokers there is a program to route a portion of that interest back to the client.

yes - if someone wants to borrow, shouldn't the lender demand a fee? At many brokers there is a program to route a portion of that interest back to the client. also - the interest rate is often negative : ie the lender PAYS THE BORROWER to take the shares. The borrower posts cash collateral that the lender gets to earn interest on... it's a fun part of the market