Almost as dramatic as French footballer Zinedine Zidane when he stole the limelight in the dying minutes of the 2006 World Cup, Prince Richard headbutted the Chinese government by challenging it to make a counter-offer to PCCW shareholders. In a follow-up, he told the world the mainland authorities were intervening in his business affairs.

In the process, he also crossed his father, Li Ka-shing, by asking shareholders at the last minute to reject Dad's bailout offer.

That was pretty robust treatment of his minority shareholders, whom Prince Richard had bothered to meet only twice in six years.

The 40-year-old, meanwhile, won a seat on the committee that will elect Hong Kong's next chief executive. Now he can grow outside his father's Superman shadow and actually become a champion of democracy. One day he might also prove he is the Robin Hood his shareholders have long hoped for.

WARREN BUFFETt AWARD

Lee Shau-kee wins hands down. Even the Sage of Omaha did not make US$6 billion in two years just by punting numbers. The Henderson Land boss has bragging rights there after catching the mainland initial public offering fever.

The Sage of Sai Wan Ho has seen his HK$50 billion in investments double, thanks to the late-year rally that has seen the value of his big stock picks including China Life surge seven times and China Netcom three times.

No wonder he claimed that making money in the stock market was easier than in his core business, the property market. His shareholders may complain that he could have used Henderson Land for those shrewd investments.

I-CAN'T-BEAT-CHINESE AWARD

The clear winner of the ICBC is the Industrial Commercial Bank of China, which launched the world's largest initial public offering just six weeks ago and has since gained 66 per cent.

Almost one million Hong Kong identity card holders subscribed for ICBC shares and Lai See knows two individuals who made millions on the first day. The leading China bank has now surpassed HSBC in terms of market capitalisation. Just two years ago, it was on the verge of bankruptcy.

SOCRATES AWARD

The award, named after the questioning Greek philosopher, goes to Megainfo Holdings, the Macau software firm that notched the most unusual share-price swings in the past 12 months.

Megainfo has issued 23 unusual price movement announcements as its shares jumped 23-fold.

BUST-OF-THE-YEAR AWARD

For each Megainfo and ICBC, there is also an Ocean Grand or a Moulin Global Eyewear.

If these fallen angels have one thing in common, it is that their boards - often including the independent non-executive directors - immediately resigned citing 'personal reasons'.

Ten Ocean Grand directors quit one by one after large amounts of cash were found to be missing at the troubled company. Over at Moulin Global, founder and chairman Ma Bo-kee is facing the New Year contemplating a quieter life after being declared bankrupt last month as a result of a petition filed by Standard Chartered Bank seeking to recover a HK$3 million debt.

Moulin Global went belly-up last year owing more than HK$2 billion. No one who is bankrupt may serve as director of a company without permission from the courts.

CORPORATE HEART AWARD

Bill Gates gives away much of his wealth and time. Warren Buffett has donated 85 per cent of his riches to charity. Now Li Ka-shing is willing to donate one-third of his.

Thanks to Asia's richest man, the region joined the global philanthropy trend by Hong Kong's hero pledging to give away HK$50 billion. Some of his golfing friends followed suit as best they could, although others needed time to think about it. But at least Mr Li showed the way, not for the first time.

Finally, it has been my pleasure to recount the foibles of corporate Hong Kong in 2006 and I thank you for reading. See you next year.