Dan David is an American investor, activist short-seller and whistle-blower.[1] He is the founder of New York-based Wolfpack Research, a financial research and due diligence investigation firm that was started in 2019 with support from short-seller Muddy Waters Research.[2] In the fall of 2017,[3] David and his work as a whistle-blower and China expert were the focus of the documentary film The China Hustle, which depicts how fraudulent Chinese companies stole billions of dollars from U.S. investors and retirees.[1][4] In 2018, David was the Republican candidate for congress in Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery and Berks counties.[3][5] He is the host of the "I Hung Up On Warren Buffett" podcast.[6]
Dan David | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Northern Michigan University |
| Occupation(s) | Investor, activist, short-seller, podcast host |
| Known for | Whistle-blower, China expert |
| Title | VP and Co-Founder of GeoInvesting, Founder of Wolfpack Research |
Education and early career
editDavid Attended Northern Michigan University and the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.[7] Before founding Wolfpack Research and other investment firms, David worked as a senior executive in the retail industry, including senior level positions at Finlay Enterprises, Midwest Famous Barr and Lord and Taylor.[7]
Investment career and activism
editDan David worked in various investment firms. He was Chief investment officer for F.G. Alpha Management, a hedge fund specialized in short stocks.[1] In 2007, he co-founded GeoInvesting, a microcap stock research firm.[8] Working out of Skippack, PA and an office in Manhattan, David has been credited with uncovering fraud in US-listed Chinese companies.[9] David later lobbied Congress to change federal laws regarding the listing of China-based firms on U.S. stock exchanges.[3]
In 2019, David founded Wolfpack Research, a short-selling research firm backed by Carson Block's Muddy Waters Capital. The company's ethos revolves around, as Block puts it, "uncovering financial fraud and other wrongdoing at public companies",[2] in continuation of the public image David built himself in the 2018 documentary film The China Hustle and in his congressional run. However, critics point out that David "is still profiting from the losses of these companies, and it remains unclear as to what he is doing with this money."[10]
He frequently appears in the business news media including on CNBC, Yahoo! Finance and Fox Business Network.[11] [12]
2018 Congressional campaign
editIn January 2018, David announced he would be entering the Republican primary to represent Pennsylvania’s newly formed 4th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery and Berks Counties. David became the Republican nominee but lost to the Democratic candidate, Madeleine Dean in the November 6th, 2018 general election.[13]
Personal life
editDavid is a native of Flint, Michigan but has resided in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, with his wife for more than 20 years.[7] He credits some of his drive to pursue fraud and corporate wrongdoing in the financial markets from having witnessed personal devastation and poverty that resulted from broken corporate promises to the people of Flint.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b c Chai, Barbara. "Why 'The China Hustle' is a finance documentary all U.S. investors need to see". MarketWatch. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ a b "Dan David Starts Research Firm Backed by Short-Seller Carson Block". Institutional Investor. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ a b c Olson, Laura. "Republican Dan David makes 13 candidates in race to succeed Charlie Dent". themorningcall.com. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ "Philly investor is a documentary film star on 'The China Hustle'". Philly.com. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ Cohn, Nate (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania Congressional Map, District by District". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
- ^ Development, PodBean. "The". wolfpackresearch.podbean.com. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ a b c "About Dan | Dan David for Congress". dandavidforcongress.com. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ GeoTeam. "Dan David, China Due Diligence". GeoInvesting. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Norris, Floyd (February 23, 2012). "S.E.C. Charges Reveal Fraud in Chinese Company". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
- ^ Ermer, Brandon (March 30, 2018). "Discover a messy Wall Street scandal in 'The China Hustle'". The Eagle. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ "Wolfpack Research launches to expose corporate fraud". CNBC. May 6, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- ^ "Dan David on Wolfpack Research's latest short: GTT". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- ^ Vargas, Claudia. "Democrat Madeleine Dean wins Pa.'s new-look Fourth Congressional District". inquirer.com. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
- ^ "Discover a messy Wall Street scandal in 'The China Hustle'". The Eagle. Retrieved September 30, 2019.