David Webb: The Relentless Investor Challenging Hong Kong’s Financial Elite Faces His Toughest Battle

David Webb built his wealth in Hong Kong by distinguishing reliable companies from questionable ones on the city’s stock market. By age 32, he had amassed enough funds to leave his career and focus on challenging the status quo in his adopted city.

Over the past thirty years, Webb, originally from Britain, has been a formidable force against Hong Kong’s financial elite, persistently advocating for enhanced transparency regarding corporate ownership and financial practices.

Throughout his career, he confronted influential tycoons dominating Hong Kong’s economy, sparred with regulators to protect minority shareholders’ rights, and exposed opaque business dealings.

His most notable investigation unveiled a hidden web connecting 50 companies, dubbed the “Enigma Network.” The revelations triggered significant drops in their stock prices and led authorities to probe possible share price manipulation harming small investors. A former regulator once described Webb as the moral backbone of Hong Kong’s financial markets.

Reflecting on his activism, Webb shared from his apartment overlooking the city’s financial district, “I have been able to openly critique companies and behaviors without fearing that it would jeopardize my career.”