224:, registering them in 5 names (himself, his wife and 3 BVI companies he owned) and used company law to demand poll voting (1 share, 1 vote) rather than a show of hands in all their shareholder meetings. This eventually led to a change of Hong Kong Listing Rules to require poll voting in all companies from 2009 onwards. Also in 2003, he launched Project VAMPIRE (Vote Against Mandate for Placings, Issues by Rights Excepted), to oppose resolutions that allow for massive issues of shares for cash without offering them to existing shareholders, negating
282:, with a portfolio of local equities estimated to be worth about HK$ 150 billion. He said the purchase violated the government's stated principle of "big market, small government". On top of already having its own appointed directors, the Government exercised its 63 million share-votes on directors' appointments as a shareholder at General Meeting in April 2008. Webb suggested that "As a 'strategic' investor, the government shouldn't have voted".
310:, without the benefit of a formal tender. In October 2004, Webb cited lack of transparency in the government's business dealings and demanded audited financial accounts and directors' reports for three companies related to the project, namely Hong Kong Cyberport Development Holdings Ltd., Hong Kong Cyberport Management Ltd. and Hong Kong Cyberport (Ancillary Development) Ltd., to be released under the non-statutory Code on Access to Information.
77:
22:
338:
Pick" after a 10-year run in which they returned a cumulative 1118%, compared with an 87% return in the Hang Seng Index over that period, saying that the success of the picks "has become something of a distraction" to the main goal of raising the standards of Hong Kong's corporate and economic governance.
231:
In
December 2005, he advocated widening the electorate of the functional constituencies, arguing that professionals in fields such as bankers and stockbrokers should get to elect their own representatives. He observed then that only accountants, lawyers, doctors and teachers are able to exercise that
337:
criticised Webb after reporting that he himself owned holdings in his own
Christmas share tip (which he had always disclosed), in one case giving himself almost a 40% unrealised profit on his holdings the day following publication of the tip. In December 2009, he announced an end to the "Christmas
285:
In May 2008, Webb resigned one year prior to the expiry of his term as an independent non-executive director, citing backdoor politics by the
Government to install a professional board that would exclude retail investors and adopt more flexible standards for new listings; he also slammed the
198:, until 31 March 1994, when he moved to become an in-house adviser to Wheelock and Company Limited. He retired from Wheelock on 31 March 1998 at the age of 32 and in the same year, founded Webb-site.com, a non-profit platform to advocate better corporate and economic governance in Hong Kong.
240:, he said that the economic impact of the protests was minor compared to the large economic benefits of a more dynamic economy that would come from democracy, ending collusion between the Government and the tycoons who currently elect the Chief executive.
263:
In early 2007, Webb spoke up against the vested interests of smaller local stockbrokers acting against investors' interests, and was the only member to vote against reversing the decision by the former board of directors to cut minimum
330:
From 1999 to 2008, Webb made public an annual
Christmas share tip where he recommended a single undervalued but well-run company. His picks are believed to have strongly influenced the price of selected stocks. However,
193:
in London. He moved to Hong Kong in 1991. He was a director in the corporate finance department of
Barclays de Zoete Wedd (Asia) Limited (later Barclays Capital Asia Limited), the Hong Kong subsidiary of investment bank
807:
783:
930:
750:
899:
252:, and has been arguing for a super-regulatory authority to assume that role. In the meantime, he argues for improved investor representation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. He was elected an independent
275:
In
September 2007, the government increased its stake in the Exchange from 4.41% to 5.88%. The Government declared the stake would be held by the Exchange Fund as a "strategic asset".
845:
987:
961:
938:
872:
828:
804:
780:
758:
671:
722:
217:), but his activism is not purely restricted to the finance sector. He uses his eponymous webb-site.com as his official mouthpiece on all matters commercial and political.
907:
690:
272:
trading at between 25 HK cents and HK$ 2. The reforms were to be implemented in the first quarter, but were put back on the table following protests by brokers.
1197:
1103:
318:
In 2005, Webb criticised the government for its lack of accountability, through its refusal to uphold a promise of independent directors on the board of
549:
1187:
43:
30:
1077:
606:
631:
632:"SFC Welcomes Appointment of Takeovers Panel and Takeovers Appeal Committee Members – Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong"
1130:
1192:
202:
186:. He authored the Pac Man type game Spookyman and went on to create the acclaimed 3D Vector graphics game Starion on the Spectrum.
257:
388:
510:
472:
1182:
491:
357:
Webb is married to Karen Anne Webb; they have two children together. On 8 June 2020, he announced on his website,
35:
434:
1108:
992:
727:
676:
333:
249:
182:
in 1986. From 1981 to 1986 he was also an author of books and games for early home computers, particularly the
1104:"Hong Kong activist investor David Webb diagnosed with prostate cancer, to move blog to 'semidormant phase'"
237:
220:
In 2003, he launched "Project Poll", in which he purchased 10 shares in each of the 33 constituents of the
1202:
579:
253:
179:
125:
278:
Webb remarked that the government was the second-largest single investor in the Hong Kong market after
265:
322:. The Hong Kong Government was heavily involved in the project, and is the company's 57% shareholder.
1207:
319:
139:
129:
649:
415:
1138:
248:
Webb argues that there is inherently conflict between the commercial and regulatory roles of the
225:
205:
Takeover and
Mergers Panel on 1 April 2013, having commenced serving as member on 1 April 2001.
269:
190:
163:
155:
213:
Webb has been referred to as the "'Long Hair' of the financial markets" (in an allusion to
811:
787:
365:
342:
221:
214:
453:
1081:
233:
1176:
584:
495:
476:
457:
438:
419:
358:
392:
1030:
607:"Appointments to SFC committees | Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong"
346:
159:
76:
1054:
1026:
703:
307:
183:
524:
236:, whilst the banking seat has only been contested once in 20 years. During the
362:
303:
120:
1007:
295:
167:
113:
21:
550:"The 20 per cent-a-year stock picker who wishes his edge would disappear"
195:
279:
294:
The Hong Kong government's project to develop a business park called "
286:
management for withholding information, which the management denies.
1134:
299:
368:
and will step back from in-depth research on listed companies.
260:
Ltd. in 2003, and was re-elected by a landslide in April 2006.
473:"Advanced Spectrum Machine Language (from Spectrum Computing)"
15:
1078:"Hong Kong's Most Vocal Activist Investor Says He Has Cancer"
492:"Advanced Spectrum Machine Language (from Computing History)"
232:
right; stockbrokers are represented by convicted fraudster
416:"Super Charge Your Spectrum (from Retro 8 bit Computers)"
1165:
511:"Spectrum Games – Programmer Interview – David M Webb"
435:"Super Charge Your Spectrum (from Spectrum Computing)"
1131:"Investor activist to cut back work due to illness"
135:
119:
109:
91:
86:
67:
1076:Robertson, Benjamin; Wong, Kiuyan (8 June 2020).
829:Government role in HKEx directors voting slammed
667:
665:
663:
454:"Super Charge Your Spectrum (from archive.org)"
203:Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission's
8:
988:"Sino Golf drives 36pc as Webb festive pick"
962:"Sino Golf drives 36pc as Webb festive pick"
201:Webb was appointed a Deputy Chairman of the
573:
571:
723:"HKEx rings changes after vote for reform"
75:
64:
1049:
1047:
383:
381:
46:of all important aspects of the article.
377:
931:"Promise on Disney directors 'broken'"
42:Please consider expanding the lead to
509:Brothers, The Retro (30 April 2010).
391:. Webb-site Who's Who. Archived from
7:
1055:"A special message from our Founder"
873:"HKEx says nothing hidden from Webb"
306:, son of Hong Kong's wealthiest man
749:Cheung, Jackie (15 February 2007).
178:Webb graduated in mathematics from
1198:Hong Kong financial businesspeople
900:"Cyberport critics get stake hint"
781:Exchange Fund boosts stake in HKEx
751:"Plan for tighter spreads dropped"
389:"Webb, David Michael (1965-08-29)"
361:, that he had been diagnosed with
14:
846:"Webb gets out of exchanges hair"
693:, The Standard, 23 September 2004
298:" was controversially granted to
1188:Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
929:Crets, Doug (21 November 2005).
721:Hilken, Daniel (27 April 2006).
258:Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing
20:
960:Lee, Yvonne (5 December 2006).
34:may be too short to adequately
1025:Calabro, Lori (28 June 2002).
578:Clifford, Mark (19 May 2003).
189:After graduation he became an
44:provide an accessible overview
1:
1137:. 8 June 2020. Archived from
650:"【佔領旺角】David Webb:民主可以促進經濟發展"
689:Darren Schuettler, Reuters,
154:(born 29 August 1965) is an
937:. Hong Kong. Archived from
906:. Hong Kong. Archived from
757:. Hong Kong. Archived from
554:Australian Financial Review
1224:
1102:Bray, Chad (8 June 2020).
1027:"The Global 100: Gadflies"
898:Ko, Eric (21 March 1999).
871:Alfred Liu (20 May 2008).
691:With friends like these...
580:"A Crusader in Hong Kong"
145:
74:
1193:Sustainability advocates
1109:South China Morning Post
852:. Hong Kong. 19 May 2008
672:"Hong Kong Confidential"
250:Hong Kong Stock Exchange
244:Hong Kong Stock Exchange
810:28 October 2008 at the
786:28 October 2008 at the
349:'s Global 100 in 2002.
238:2014 Hong Kong protests
254:non-executive director
180:Exeter College, Oxford
341:Webb was named as a "
529:World Economic Forum
490:Webb, David (1984).
471:Webb, David (1984).
452:Webb, David (1984).
433:Webb, David (1984).
414:Webb, David (1984).
320:Hong Kong Disneyland
162:analyst and retired
140:Activist shareholder
130:University of Oxford
1008:"Webb-site Reports"
910:on 22 November 2007
818:, 11 September 2007
704:"Webb-site Reports"
941:on 13 October 2007
794:, 8 September 2007
761:on 13 October 2007
226:pre-emption rights
152:David Michael Webb
69:David Michael Webb
1183:British activists
805:Exchange face-off
680:, 6 December 2005
268:for equities and
191:investment banker
164:investment banker
156:activist investor
149:
148:
61:
60:
1215:
1169:
1168:
1166:Official website
1151:
1150:
1148:
1146:
1127:
1121:
1120:
1118:
1116:
1099:
1093:
1092:
1090:
1088:
1073:
1067:
1066:
1064:
1062:
1051:
1042:
1041:
1039:
1037:
1022:
1016:
1015:
1004:
998:
997:
984:
978:
977:
975:
973:
957:
951:
950:
948:
946:
926:
920:
919:
917:
915:
895:
889:
888:
886:
884:
868:
862:
861:
859:
857:
842:
836:
825:
819:
803:Benjamin Scent,
801:
795:
779:Benjamin Scent,
777:
771:
770:
768:
766:
746:
740:
739:
737:
735:
718:
712:
711:
700:
694:
687:
681:
669:
658:
657:
646:
640:
639:
628:
622:
621:
619:
617:
603:
597:
596:
594:
592:
575:
566:
565:
563:
561:
556:. 2 January 2019
546:
540:
539:
537:
535:
521:
515:
514:
506:
500:
499:
487:
481:
480:
468:
462:
461:
449:
443:
442:
430:
424:
423:
411:
405:
404:
402:
400:
385:
302:, controlled by
105:
101:
99:
87:Personal details
81:Webb in May 2013
79:
65:
56:
53:
47:
24:
16:
1223:
1222:
1218:
1217:
1216:
1214:
1213:
1212:
1173:
1172:
1164:
1163:
1160:
1155:
1154:
1144:
1142:
1129:
1128:
1124:
1114:
1112:
1101:
1100:
1096:
1086:
1084:
1075:
1074:
1070:
1060:
1058:
1057:. Webb-site.com
1053:
1052:
1045:
1035:
1033:
1024:
1023:
1019:
1006:
1005:
1001:
986:
985:
981:
971:
969:
959:
958:
954:
944:
942:
928:
927:
923:
913:
911:
897:
896:
892:
882:
880:
870:
869:
865:
855:
853:
844:
843:
839:
835:, 25 April 2008
826:
822:
812:Wayback Machine
802:
798:
788:Wayback Machine
778:
774:
764:
762:
748:
747:
743:
733:
731:
720:
719:
715:
702:
701:
697:
688:
684:
670:
661:
648:
647:
643:
630:
629:
625:
615:
613:
605:
604:
600:
590:
588:
577:
576:
569:
559:
557:
548:
547:
543:
533:
531:
525:"David M. Webb"
523:
522:
518:
508:
507:
503:
496:Melbourne House
489:
488:
484:
477:Melbourne House
470:
469:
465:
458:Melbourne House
451:
450:
446:
439:Melbourne House
432:
431:
427:
420:Melbourne House
413:
412:
408:
398:
396:
387:
386:
379:
374:
366:prostate cancer
355:
328:
316:
292:
266:trading spreads
246:
222:Hang Seng Index
215:Leung Kwok-hung
211:
176:
103:
97:
95:
82:
70:
57:
51:
48:
41:
29:This article's
25:
12:
11:
5:
1221:
1219:
1211:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1175:
1174:
1171:
1170:
1159:
1158:External links
1156:
1153:
1152:
1141:on 8 June 2020
1122:
1094:
1082:Bloomberg News
1068:
1043:
1017:
999:
979:
952:
921:
890:
863:
837:
827:Katherine Ng,
820:
796:
772:
741:
713:
695:
682:
659:
641:
623:
598:
567:
541:
516:
501:
482:
463:
444:
425:
406:
395:on 8 June 2020
376:
375:
373:
370:
354:
351:
327:
324:
315:
312:
291:
288:
245:
242:
234:Chim Pui-chung
210:
207:
175:
172:
147:
146:
143:
142:
137:
133:
132:
126:Exeter College
123:
117:
116:
111:
107:
106:
102:29 August 1965
93:
89:
88:
84:
83:
80:
72:
71:
68:
59:
58:
38:the key points
28:
26:
19:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1220:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1203:Living people
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1180:
1178:
1167:
1162:
1161:
1157:
1140:
1136:
1132:
1126:
1123:
1111:
1110:
1105:
1098:
1095:
1083:
1079:
1072:
1069:
1056:
1050:
1048:
1044:
1032:
1028:
1021:
1018:
1013:
1012:webb-site.com
1009:
1003:
1000:
995:
994:
989:
983:
980:
967:
963:
956:
953:
940:
936:
932:
925:
922:
909:
905:
901:
894:
891:
878:
874:
867:
864:
851:
847:
841:
838:
834:
830:
824:
821:
817:
813:
809:
806:
800:
797:
793:
789:
785:
782:
776:
773:
760:
756:
752:
745:
742:
730:
729:
724:
717:
714:
709:
708:webb-site.com
705:
699:
696:
692:
686:
683:
679:
678:
673:
668:
666:
664:
660:
656:(in Chinese).
655:
651:
645:
642:
637:
633:
627:
624:
612:
608:
602:
599:
587:
586:
585:Business Week
581:
574:
572:
568:
555:
551:
545:
542:
530:
526:
520:
517:
512:
505:
502:
497:
493:
486:
483:
478:
474:
467:
464:
459:
455:
448:
445:
440:
436:
429:
426:
421:
417:
410:
407:
394:
390:
384:
382:
378:
371:
369:
367:
364:
360:
359:webb-site.com
353:Personal life
352:
350:
348:
344:
339:
336:
335:
325:
323:
321:
313:
311:
309:
305:
301:
297:
289:
287:
283:
281:
276:
273:
271:
267:
261:
259:
255:
251:
243:
241:
239:
235:
229:
227:
223:
218:
216:
208:
206:
204:
199:
197:
192:
187:
185:
181:
173:
171:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
144:
141:
138:
134:
131:
127:
124:
122:
118:
115:
112:
108:
104:(age 59)
94:
90:
85:
78:
73:
66:
63:
55:
45:
39:
37:
32:
27:
23:
18:
17:
1143:. Retrieved
1139:the original
1125:
1113:. Retrieved
1107:
1097:
1085:. Retrieved
1071:
1059:. Retrieved
1034:. Retrieved
1031:CFO Magazine
1020:
1011:
1002:
993:The Standard
991:
982:
970:. Retrieved
966:The Standard
965:
955:
943:. Retrieved
939:the original
935:The Standard
934:
924:
912:. Retrieved
908:the original
904:The Standard
903:
893:
881:. Retrieved
877:The Standard
876:
866:
854:. Retrieved
850:The Standard
849:
840:
833:The Standard
832:
823:
816:The Standard
815:
799:
792:The Standard
791:
775:
763:. Retrieved
759:the original
755:The Standard
754:
744:
732:. Retrieved
728:The Standard
726:
716:
707:
698:
685:
677:The Standard
675:
653:
644:
635:
626:
614:. Retrieved
610:
601:
589:. Retrieved
583:
560:10 September
558:. Retrieved
553:
544:
534:10 September
532:. Retrieved
528:
519:
504:
485:
466:
447:
428:
409:
397:. Retrieved
393:the original
356:
347:CFO Magazine
340:
334:The Standard
332:
329:
317:
293:
284:
277:
274:
262:
247:
230:
219:
212:
200:
188:
177:
160:share market
151:
150:
62:
52:October 2017
49:
33:
31:lead section
1208:1965 births
968:. Hong Kong
879:. Hong Kong
654:Apple Daily
616:25 December
308:Li Ka-Shing
184:ZX Spectrum
1177:Categories
914:11 January
611:www.sfc.hk
372:References
363:metastatic
326:Other work
314:Disneyland
304:Richard Li
174:Early life
136:Occupation
121:Alma mater
98:1965-08-29
591:20 August
296:Cyberport
290:Cyberport
168:Hong Kong
166:based in
114:Hong Kong
110:Residence
36:summarize
1036:20 March
972:19 March
945:19 March
808:Archived
784:Archived
765:19 March
734:19 March
270:warrants
209:Activism
196:Barclays
280:Beijing
1145:8 June
1115:8 June
1087:8 June
1061:8 June
883:21 May
856:21 May
636:sfc.hk
399:8 June
343:Gadfly
345:" in
1147:2020
1135:RTHK
1117:2020
1089:2020
1063:2020
1038:2007
974:2007
947:2007
916:2007
885:2008
858:2008
767:2007
736:2007
618:2019
593:2015
562:2023
536:2023
401:2020
300:PCCW
92:Born
256:of
1179::
1133:.
1106:.
1080:.
1046:^
1029:.
1010:.
990:.
964:.
933:.
902:.
875:.
848:.
831:,
814:,
790:,
753:.
725:.
706:.
674:,
662:^
652:.
634:.
609:.
582:.
570:^
552:.
527:.
494:.
475:.
456:.
437:.
418:.
380:^
228:.
170:.
158:,
128:,
100:)
1149:.
1119:.
1091:.
1065:.
1040:.
1014:.
996:.
976:.
949:.
918:.
887:.
860:.
769:.
738:.
710:.
638:.
620:.
595:.
564:.
538:.
513:.
498:.
479:.
460:.
441:.
422:.
403:.
96:(
54:)
50:(
40:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.