On 5 October 2000 the operator of the MTR network, MTR Corporation Limited, became Hong Kong's first privatised rail and metro company, which marked the start of the Hong Kong government's planned initiative to wind down its interests in various public utilities. Prior to its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Mass Transit Railway Coporation was wholly owned by the Hong Kong Government. The offering involved the sale of around one billion shares, and the company now has the largest shareholder base of any company listed in Hong Kong. In June, 2001, MTR Corporation Limited was transferred to Hang Seng Index.