Some gifted with absolute control of their registers hold to Benjamin Disraeli's maxim: never complain, never explain.

Not so Harvey Norman's Gerry Harvey, whose immature tantrums against critics have provided us with reams of copy. Still, he is evidently fond of the second part of the phrase, telling investors as little as he could about how, "on or about December 6", he put up $120 million worth of Harvey Norman shares as collateral for an ANZ personal loan. "To fund an investment," the 3Y notice briefly stated.