Simon Cawkwell

Simon Cawkwell (born 1946) is a stock market commentator, share trader and author best known for writing a thrice weekly diary, publicly identifying companies whose share price he believes will fall and betting his own money on such falls. His most lauded success was exposing the fraud of Robert Maxwell's accounts, specifically those of Maxwell's company Communication Corporation. He also made £1 million on short selling shares in Northern Rock before the bank went into administration.In March 2001, Cawkwell caused controversy by launching a $1 million legal claim against former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Fedorov. Cawkwell's efforts were in response to moves to take control of the Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom.He was forced to resign as a company director after he was found to have broken the rules of the AIM stock exchange by buying shares during a prohibited period.He is known to trade on the betting exchange Betfair, and prompted a long-running dispute with the firm when his wager that Niall Quinn would not become permanent manager of Sunderland AFC was lost, despite Quinn's stating that he was taking the job only temporarily. Roy Keane took over the role a few weeks later in August 2006, after Betfair had settled the market.He is the son of George Cawkwell, the historian and former Vice Master of University College, Oxford. He was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford, and Rugby School.