Charge Of The Rhino Brigade
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday May 1, 2008
Michael Evans thinks charity should begin at someone else's home.
IN ANOTHER life, Peter Hall might have been a lifesaver at the beach, but for now the chairman of Hunter Hall is simply busy saving a few species facing extinction.Perhaps it's a do-gooder streak. After all, he's an ethical investor, but he's also patron of the Asian Rhino Project and a director of the International Rhino Foundation. In fact, he'll be travelling to Java in coming weeks to hug some of the endangered horned beasts.He's also trying to revive The Bulletin, killed off by privateers CVC Asia Pacific, a more Darwinian breed not known for putting a coin in the life-support meter. Hall has his eyes set on performing heart massage on the journalism organ, wanting to "bring it into another culture to let it breathe a little bit more". A little bit more than a dodo, anyway. Still, there's a tough side lurking somewhere in his $2.5 billion of investments. Hunter Hall is advertising hard at the moment, including newspaper ads this week that read: "Kind to the planet, kind to investors, killer returns." Perhaps that's the kind of tough-but-kind talk that makes him count Led Zeppelin axe-grinder Jimmy Page as a mate, given the pair are trustees of a charity for Brazilian street children run by Page's wife. Still, we're not sure who's trying to save whom when they get together to warble Led Zep's Stairway To Heaven. Black prince The financial market is a forgiving place, eventually. It's taken a few rocky months but Macquarie Group's prince regent, Nicholas Moore, has seen the company's price close above water. Having slumped by 9 per cent on the day of his appointment (sorry, the day Allan Moss looked into his crystal ball and didn't like what he saw), Macquarie's share price is back in the black. It may have fallen as low as $44.50 but Moore can smile as it closed yesterday at $63.42. Now to make sure it all stays glued together.Showman's final bow It's a commonly held belief that a showman loves the limelight. Sadly for Pluton Resources' boss, Tony Schoer (aka "showman" on the share-trading gossip forum HotCopper), the glare of bright lights has been a touch brighter of late.In recent weeks the light has been shining on multiple trades outside company share-trading policies by Tony's old man, Ray, as a director of both Pluton and a company called Gujarat NRE Resources NL. In the case of Pluton, the person approving the trading was none other than Ray's son, Tony. Also proving a touch awkward is that Ray, a former head of the National Companies and Securities Commission, was the chap who was responsible for what is regarded as the landmark legislation aimed at insider traders in 1985. Having previously been keen to chat online, Tony feels it's time to hang up his quill from HotCopper, as detailed in his post dated April 23."Hi guys, After reading everything over the past few days I have decided to stop posting as Showman on HotCopper and will have the name suspended. I found this a very hard decision to make as I really enjoyed the past six months here talking to shareholders. I know some liked the idea of a MD posting on the company he works for, while others wondered if there was a different agenda. I can state here my intentions were always honourable. Anyway, I am still very happy to talk to all shareholders and prospective shareholders, just no longer on a public forum."He offered his email address and mobile phone number."I look forward to making PLV [Pluton] a success and catching up with some of you by email. Kind regards, Tony."Banker's options There's hope yet for ANZ's Mike Smith, should he be forced to give up the title of James Bond in Residence to real-life Bond actor George Lazenby. As a reader notes: "I reckon he's a dead ringer for Ned Beatty, the actor." Perhaps. Smith, a banker disguised as a keen Aston Martin driver who took a bullet in his days working for HSBC in Argentina, might be relieved to know Beatty played some dashing roles in Superman, The Trouble With Spies and The Thief Who Came To Dinner.And we're sure the fact Beatty was also in Big Bad John has nothing to do with any predecessor of Smith's at ANZ. Meanwhile, we hear Lazenby and his better half, US tennis champ Pam Shriver, who are busy planning some renos to a Mosman pile, have been spotted swinging a three-iron at Terrey Hills.It's a small world Former AGL boss Paul Anthony has been accused of many things, even overpaying for assets, but on reflection his proposed "nil-premium merger" with Origin Energy last year should be enough to make advisers Goldman Sachs blush.After all, a year or so later Goldies is advising on a takeover of Origin, this time for the British BG Group. No doubt Alastair Lucas and his chums have reasoned the fee will be nearly twice as big this time.Funnily enough, Macquarie's Rowan Ross is still sitting on the other side of the table for Origin.Goldies' Lucas and his Gresham co-adviser David Feetham also have their hands full with the small matter of the galaxy's biggest takeover, advising BHP on its Rio ambitions. At least Feetham and Lucas can get a perspective from the British side of things on a big deal.Complicating the intertwining links a tad more, the BG chairman is Sir Robert (Bob) Wilson, a former CEO and chairman of Rio. Psst! Got a tip? Use our online tips box.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald