Alibaba stands firm against Hong Kong exchange over IPO

Chinese tech biz Alibaba has revealed details of its internal partnership structure, which would allow a group of founders and senior employees to keep control over the board after the company goes public. Founder Jack Ma spilled the details in an email to employees, according to Reuters, adding to pressure on Hong Kong to …

[Anonymous Coward]

Alibaba is turning into a monster. I keep finding myself surfing the site only to find the oddest thing I don't need, and then I buy it. Sure, it takes 2 weeks to get it, but for the price and novelty it's a steal. If they actually bumped up shipping to 3-5 days (on average), their prices would justify replacing Amazon or anything contender like it with Alibaba.

[raving angry loony]

Two-tier seems right to me

Personally, I think this is the right way to go. If investors believe in the management of the company, go ahead and buy dividend shares. If not, stay away. But I've come to the conclusion that "general" shareholders - people with all the attention span of a gnat and the greed of a hungry wolverine - should never be allowed to have a say in how a company is actually run. That way lies ruin for the corporation, as the bread-and-circuses crowd votes for short term gain over long term health of the corporation.

[Alex Rose]

Surely they believe in the market?

Surely the HK stock exchange believe in the "market"? In which case if there's a problem with the ownership structure people will value the shares accordingly, the "invisible hand" will work its inevitable magic.

The fact that even the staunch capitalists in a stock exchange don't believe in market forces is quite telling!