Icahn Issues Open Letter to Dell Holders, Says 'Moving to Perfect Appraisal Rights of Dell Shares'

Carl C. Icahn and his affiliates today issued the following open letter to stockholders of Dell Inc. DELL Dear Fellow Dell Stockholders: We are in the process of perfecting our right to seek appraisal of our Dell shares and we believe that you should also perfect your appraisal rights. Under Delaware law if a merger occurs and you did not vote for it, you are entitled, through appraisal, to the fair value of your shares as determined by a Delaware court. We have done a great deal of due diligence concerning the value of Dell, and as we have said in the past, we believe the $13.65 merger price substantially undervalues your Dell shares, and we believe if you seek appraisal, you will receive more. BUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT ABOUT SEEKING APPRAISAL IS THAT YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT APPRAISAL UP TO 60 DAYS AFTER THE MERGER AND STILL TAKE THE $13.65 PER SHARE. During the “free 60 day period” we believe Dell may wish to negotiate with those that sought appraisal and possibly pay a premium over $13.65 to get them to settle and drop their appraisal claims, as explained below. To add a new twist to an old saying, “you can have your cake and eat it too”. Those Who Seek Appraisal May Get Lucky In many merger transactions, if over a certain number of stockholders seek appraisal rights, this gives the purchaser the right to opt out of the transaction and thereby avoid the uncertainty created by appraisal. However, Michael Dell and Silver Lake did not obtain this opt out right. This leaves Michael Dell and Silver Lake VERY exposed. Because they neglected to obtain this right, no matter how many stockholders seek appraisal, if the merger is approved, Michael Dell and Silver Lake are obligated to close or pay a $750 million penalty. We would certainly like to be present to hear the discussion between Michael Dell/Silver Lake and their lenders as they consider the impact of a substantial exercise by stockholders of their appraisal rights. Will the lenders use this as an excuse to refuse to close claiming this is a material adverse change, especially in light of the terrible time Dell is having in the PC market as so often stated by Dell themselves? We think that there is a good chance that none of them will want to face the overhang of a large number of stockholders seeking appraisal. I therefore believe there will be significant pressure on Michael Dell and Silver Lake to resolve the appraisal rights, and possibly seek a settlement during the “free 60 day period”. Even if you want the Michael Dell/Silver Lake offer to be accepted, unless you believe your shares will tip the balance, why vote for it? Why not seek appraisal and have the benefit of the “free 60 day period”? Dell may well pay a premium over $13.65 to settle with those seeking appraisal. THE PROCESS TO SEEK APPRAISAL RIGHTS TAKES TIME, SO ACT NOW IF YOU WISH TO PERFECT YOUR APPRAISAL RIGHTS AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACT YOUR BROKER AND OTHER ADVISORS. If you have any questions concerning appraisal rights or wish to seek help or information regarding appraisal rights, contact D.F. King & Co., Inc. at 1-800-347-4750 or dell@dfking.com. They will take your information and provide it to people at Icahn who will call you back. REMEMBER YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT APPRAISAL DURING THE “FREE 60 DAY PERIOD” AND STILL TAKE YOUR $13.65 PER SHARE. For a detailed discussion of the process for perfecting and exercising appraisal rights, see page 180 of the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed by Dell with the SEC on May 31, 2013. We continue to urge stockholders to vote AGAINST the Michael Dell/Silver Lake transaction. Sincerely, Carl C. Icahn Keith Schaitkin Chairman General Counsel Icahn Enterprises, L.P. Icahn Enterprises, L.P.
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