Raises Severe Governance Concerns Tied to EWI’s Failure to Disclose Chair Jonathan Simpson-Dent’s Involvement at HomeServe, Which Received the Largest Retail CompanyRaises Severe Governance Concerns Tied to EWI’s Failure to Disclose Chair Jonathan Simpson-Dent’s Involvement at HomeServe, Which Received the Largest Retail Company

Saba Capital Releases Presentation Detailing Why Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust PLC Shareholders Deserve a New Board of Directors

2025/12/30 03:31
10 min read

Raises Severe Governance Concerns Tied to EWI’s Failure to Disclose Chair Jonathan Simpson-Dent’s Involvement at HomeServe, Which Received the Largest Retail Company Fine in FCA History

Highlights the Incumbent Board’s Value-Destructive Pattern of Prioritising the Interests of Baillie Gifford at the Expense of Shareholders – Evidenced by the Recent Mishandled SpaceX Sell-Down and Proposed Merger with USA

Urges Shareholders to Elect a New Board Composed of Three Directors Who Are Independent from Saba and Are Committed to Acting in All Shareholders’ Best Interests

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Saba Capital Management, L.P. (together with certain of its affiliates, “Saba” or “we”), the largest shareholder of Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust PLC (EWI:LSE) (“EWI” or the “Company”), today issued a presentation outlining the urgent need to replace the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) with three new, independent directors who are committed to maximising long-term value for all EWI shareholders. The presentation can be viewed here.

At the upcoming General Meeting of shareholders to be held on 20 January 2026, Saba urges its fellow EWI shareholders to vote FOR its resolutions to:

  • Remove the underperforming incumbent directors: Jonathan Simpson-Dent, Mungo Wilson, Caroline Roxburgh, Jane McCracken, Mary Gunn and Gregory Eckersley.
  • Elect three new independent directors – Gabi Gliksberg, Michael Joseph and Jassen Trenkow – who bring the right experience and objectivity to maximise long-term value creation for all shareholders.

NOTE: Platform deadlines may be as early as 12 January 2026 – please vote as soon as possible.

Within the presentation, Saba highlights the following important information for shareholders:

  • Governance Red Flags Surround Mr. Simpson-Dent: From 2007-20091, EWI Chair Jonathan Simpson-Dent served as CFO of HomeServe plc and a Director of the Board of HomeServe Membership Limited, which was subsequently fined £30,647,400 by the Financial Conduct Authority for breaching the FCA Principles of Business from 2006 to 2011 – the highest FCA fine of a retail company in history.2 EWI failed to disclose this at the time of Mr. Simpson-Dent’s appointment – in breach of the FCA’s Listing Rules.
  • Rewarding Mr. Simpson-Dent’s Failure: Having overseen years of dire underperformance as a member of the Board, Mr. Simpson-Dent was not only promoted to the role of Chairman last year but also received a pay increase of nearly 50%, despite EWI only generating a 6.2% NAV return over the same period.3
  • Questioning the Financial Expertise of EWI’s Newest Director: The newest member of the EWI Board – Gregory Eckersley – previously served as interim CFO of Lekoil Limited.4 During his tenure, the company was defrauded after paying $600,000 for a fake $184 million loan agreement with an organisation pretending to be the Qatari sovereign wealth fund – which calls into question his judgement and the trustworthiness of the audit and finance expertise he brings to EWI’s Board.5
  • EWI’s Longest-Serving Director Should No Longer Be Considered Independent: Mungo Wilson has served on EWI’s Board since December 2016 and therefore the Association of Investment Companies Code of Corporate Governance stipulates he should no longer be considered independent after serving on the Board for more than nine years from the date of his first appointment.6
  • The Board’s Self-Preservation: The EWI Board continues to put its own interests – and Baillie Gifford’s – ahead of shareholders. Most recently, EWI sold down its stake in SpaceX – the crown jewel of its portfolio and a primary reason why many shareholders invested in EWI – and proposed a self-serving merger with another Baillie Gifford trust, which would only concentrate power in the manager’s hands at the expense of EWI shareholders.
  • The New Nominees’ Independence: The director nominees put forth by Saba are all independent and would not be beholden to Saba, Baillie Gifford or any other individual. If elected, they will bring objective perspectives and deep financial backgrounds to effectively oversee the Company and evaluate all potential avenues to value creation with clear eyes, unlike the incumbent Board.

Boaz Weinstein, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Saba, commented:

“Under the leadership of Jonathan Simpson-Dent, the EWI Board has operated as a pawn of Baillie Gifford. After five years of massive value destruction and a continued refusal to publicly confront Baillie Gifford’s recent mishandling of EWI’s SpaceX holding, there is no world in which Mr. Simpson-Dent or any member of this Board can accurately claim they are committed to maximising value for shareholders. Time and again, the Board has given Baillie Gifford a free pass and shareholders have consistently paid the price.”

About Saba

Saba Capital Management, L.P. is a global alternative asset management firm that seeks to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for a diverse group of clients. Founded in 2009 by Boaz Weinstein, Saba is a pioneer of credit relative value strategies and capital structure arbitrage. Saba has offices in New York City and London. Learn more at www.sabacapital.com.

Disclaimer

This announcement is not intended to be and does not constitute or contain any investment recommendation as defined by Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (as it forms part of the domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). No information in this announcement should be construed as recommending or suggesting an investment strategy. Nothing in this announcement or in any related materials is a statement of or indicates or implies any specific or probable value outcome in any particular circumstance. This announcement is provided merely for general informational purposes and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as (1) investment, financial, tax or legal advice, or (2) a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security or other investment, or to pursue any investment style or strategy. Neither the information nor any opinion contained in this announcement constitutes an inducement or offer to purchase or sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any securities or other investments in the Company or any other company by Saba or any of its affiliates in any jurisdiction. This announcement does not consider the investment objective, financial situation, suitability or the particular need or circumstances of any specific individual who may access or review this announcement and may not be taken as advice on the merits of any investment decision. This announcement is not intended to provide the sole basis for evaluation of, and does not purport to contain all information that may be required with respect to, any potential investment in the Company. Any person who is in any doubt about the matters to which this announcement relates should consult an authorised financial adviser or other person authorised under the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. To the best of Saba’s ability and belief, all information contained herein is accurate and reliable, and has been obtained from public sources that Saba believes to be accurate and reliable. However, such information is presented “as is”, without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied, and Saba has not independently verified the data contained therein. All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice, and Saba does not undertake to update or supplement any of the information, analysis and opinion contained herein.

Saba may continue transacting in the shares and securities of the Company, and/or derivatives referenced to them (which may include those providing long and short economic exposure) for an indefinite period following the date of this announcement and may increase or decrease its interests in such shares, securities and/or derivatives at any time.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements and information that are based on Saba’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, Saba. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about strategies, plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, expenditures and assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. When used herein, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan” and “project” and similar expressions (or their negative) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect Saba’s current views with respect to future events, are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially and adversely from those described herein. There is no assurance or guarantee with respect to the prices at which any securities of the Company or any other company will trade, and such securities may not trade at prices that may be implied herein. Any estimates, projections or potential impact of the opportunities identified by Saba herein are based on assumptions that Saba believes to be reasonable as of the date hereof, but there can be no assurance or guarantee that actual results or performance will not differ, and such differences may be material and adverse. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is given by Saba or any of its officers, employees or agents as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on, any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects or returns contained herein. Neither Saba nor any of its directors, officers, employees, advisers or representatives shall have any liability whatsoever (for negligence or misrepresentation or in tort or under contract or otherwise) for any loss howsoever arising from any use of information presented in this announcement or otherwise arising in connection with this announcement. Any historical financial information, projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects or returns contained herein are not necessarily a reliable indicator of future performance. Nothing in this announcement should be relied upon as a promise or representation as to the future. Nothing in this announcement should be considered as a profit forecast.

Permitted Recipients

In relation to the United Kingdom, this announcement is being issued only to, and is directed only at, (i) investment professionals specified in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 as amended (the “Order”), (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and (iii) persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities of the Company or any member of its group may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “Permitted Recipients”). Persons who are not Permitted Recipients must not act or rely on the information contained in this announcement.

Distribution

Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in, into or from any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of that jurisdiction. The distribution of this announcement in certain countries may be restricted by law and persons who access it are required to inform themselves and to comply with any such restrictions. Saba disclaims all responsibility where persons access this announcement in breach of any law or regulation in the country of which that person is a citizen or in which that person is residing or is domiciled.

____________________

1 Publicly available materials that list Mr. Simpson-Dent as CFO of HomeServe plc and as a director of HomeServe Membership Limited.

2 FCA press release dated Feb. 13 2014.

3 EWI’s annual reports.

4 Publicly available materials indicate Mr. Eckersley was named interim CFO in May 2019 and stepped down in January 2020 and that he joined the Board in 2013 and stepped down in 2020.

5 The Times article dated Jan. 14 2020 and CityAM article dated Jan. 13 2020.

6 Source: Association of Investment Companies Code of Corporate Governance, EWI’s 2024 annual report.

Contacts

Longacre Square Partners

Kate Sylvester / Bence Szechenyi

ksylvester@longacresquare.com / bszechenyi@longacresquare.com

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