Forum Home Page see Broadridge note below]

The Shareholder Forumtm

special project of the public interest program for

Fair Investor Access

Supporting investor interests in

appraisal rights for intrinsic value realization

in the buyout of

Dell Inc.

For related issues, see programs for

Appraisal Rights Investments

Fair Investor Access

Project Status

Forum participants were encouraged to consider appraisal rights in June 2013 as a means of realizing the same long term intrinsic value that the company's founder and private equity partner sought in an opportunistic market-priced buyout, and legal research of court valuation standards was commissioned to support the required investment decisions.

The buyout transaction became effective on October 28, 2013 at an offer price of $13.75 per share, and the appraisal case was initiated on October 29, 2013, by the Forum's representative petitioner, Cavan Partners, LP. The Delaware Chancery Court issued its decision on May 31, 2016, establishing the intrinsic fair value of Dell shares at the effective date as $17.62 per share, approximately 28.1% more than the offer price, with definitive legal explanations confirming the foundations of Shareholder Forum support for appraisal rights.

Each of the Dell shareholders who chose to rely upon the Forum's support satisfied the procedural requirements to be eligible for payment of the $17.62 fair value, plus interest on that amount compounding since the effective date at 5% above the Federal Reserve discount rate.

Note: On December 14, 2017, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed and remanded the decision above, encouraging reliance upon market pricing of the transaction as a determination of "fair value." The Forum accordingly reported that it would resume support of marketplace processes instead of judicial appraisal for the realization of intrinsic value in opportunistically priced but carefully negotiated buyouts.

 

 

The press release below was issued by the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Dell Inc., through its own public relations adviser. For the referenced proxy disclosures, see

 

Source: Dell Inc. (as published by Business Wire), March 29, 2013 press release

Business Wire

 March 29, 2013 03:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

Dell Files Preliminary Proxy Statement for Merger Agreement with Affiliates of Michael Dell and Silver Lake

ROUND ROCK, Texas--()--Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) today announced that it has filed preliminary proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the definitive merger agreement between the company and entities owned by Michael Dell, Dell’s Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and investment funds affiliated with Silver Lake Partners.

Under the terms of the February 5, 2013 agreement, Dell shareholders would receive $13.65 in cash for each share of Dell common stock they hold in a transaction valued at approximately $24.4 billion.

The preliminary proxy materials and a letter to shareholders issued by the Special Committee of Dell’s Board of Directors in connection with the filing can be found on the company’s website at www.dell.com/transactioninformation. The full text of the letter follows here:

March 29, 2013

Dear Shareholders,

Today, at the direction of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Dell Inc., the company filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission a preliminary proxy statement relating to the proposed acquisition of Dell by affiliates of Silver Lake Partners and Michael S. Dell.

Full Range of Alternatives Evaluated

When the Special Committee was formed last August, we set out to evaluate the full range of strategic and financial alternatives available to the company, including a potential going-private transaction. To assist us in this effort, we hired an experienced group of independent legal and financial advisors and, in addition, retained a top management consulting firm to help us evaluate the risks and opportunities in both the PC business and the company’s effort to transform itself into a more enterprise-centric business. That process, which included more than 25 Special Committee meetings over a period of approximately five and a half months, has highlighted to all of us the significant risks and uncertainties that the company faces as a stand-alone public company. As a result, we as a Committee believe strongly that a transaction that shifts to the buyer the risks associated with Dell’s business, at an acceptable valuation, would be beneficial for Dell’s shareholders.

Silver Lake/Michael Dell Transaction Shifts Risks While Providing Attractive and Certain Cash Premium

The current Silver Lake and Michael Dell transaction delivers $13.65 per share in cash – a 37% premium to Dell’s 90-day average price and a 25% premium to the unaffected price prior to reports in the media about the proposed deal. We believe that this significant, immediate and certain premium offers superior value to owning Dell as a stand-alone entity today.

As part of our agreement with Silver Lake and Michael Dell, we negotiated a robust “go shop” process, which included a 45-day period during which the Special Committee actively sought alternative acquisition proposals as well as a period thereafter in which interested parties can assemble and negotiate acquisition proposals. We are pleased to report that our process has generated two non-binding alternative acquisition proposals, one from a group affiliated with Blackstone Management Partners, L.L.C. (“Blackstone”) and the other from entities affiliated with Carl C. Icahn (“Icahn”). We intend to work diligently with both of them to assist them in their respective due diligence reviews of the company and to seek definitive proposals that would constitute a superior proposal to the current Silver Lake and Michael Dell transaction. Michael Dell has confirmed his willingness to explore participating in alternative acquisition proposals. However, there can be no assurance that either non-binding alternative acquisition proposal will ultimately lead to a superior proposal.

Seeking the Best Outcome for Dell Shareholders

Having conducted a thorough review of Dell’s challenges and opportunities, we remain convinced that the risks and uncertainties of a stand-alone public company are high. While we continue to recommend the current Silver Lake/Michael Dell transaction, and to work toward completion of that transaction, we will also work with Blackstone and Icahn to seek to develop a definitive alternative proposal that provides an even more compelling value proposition for Dell’s shareholders. Our goal was, and remains, to ensure that whatever transaction is consummated is the best possible outcome for Dell’s shareholders.

We are pleased to be serving the Dell shareholders during this important process and we urge you to carefully consider the materials in the preliminary proxy statement.

Sincerely yours,

THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF DELL INC.

Forward-looking Statements

Any statements in these materials about prospective performance and plans for the Company, the expected timing of the completion of the proposed merger and the ability to complete the proposed merger, and other statements containing the words “estimates,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “will,” and similar expressions, other than historical facts, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Factors or risks that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results we anticipate include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement; (2) the inability to complete the proposed merger due to the failure to obtain stockholder approval for the proposed merger or the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the proposed merger, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction; (3) the failure to obtain the necessary financing arrangements set forth in the debt and equity commitment letters delivered pursuant to the merger agreement; (4) risks related to disruption of management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business operations due to the transaction; and (5) the effect of the announcement of the proposed merger on the Company’s relationships with its customers, operating results and business generally.

Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in the materials represent our views as of the date hereof. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. Additional factors that may cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10–K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2013, which was filed with the SEC on March 12, 2013, under the heading “Item 1A—Risk Factors,” and in subsequent reports on Forms 10–Q and 8–K filed with the SEC by the Company.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed merger transaction, the Company will file with the SEC and furnish to the Company’s stockholders a proxy statement and other relevant documents. Stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement when it becomes available and any other documents to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger or incorporated by reference in the proxy statement because they will contain important information about the proposed merger.

Investors will be able to obtain a free copy of documents filed with the SEC at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, investors may obtain a free copy of the Company’s filings with the SEC from the Company’s website at http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/investor-financial-reporting.aspx or by directing a request to: Dell Inc. One Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas 78682, Attn: Investor Relations, (512) 728-7800, investor_relations@dell.com.

The Company and its directors, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of the Company may be deemed “participants” in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of the Company in favor of the proposed merger. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of the Company in connection with the proposed merger, and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, which may be different from those of the Company’s stockholders generally, will be set forth in the proxy statement and the other relevant documents to be filed with the SEC. You can find information about the Company’s executive officers and directors in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2013 and in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on Schedule 14A on May 24, 2012.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers worldwide innovative technology, business solutions and services they trust and value. For more information, visit www.Dell.com. You may follow the Dell Investor Relations Twitter account at: http://twitter.com/Dellshares. To communicate directly with Dell, go to www.Dell.com/Dellshares.
 

Contacts

Contacts for the Special Committee:
George Sard/Jim Barron/Matt Benson
Sard Verbinnen & Co
(212) 687-8080
 

This project was conducted as part of the Shareholder Forum's public interest  program for "Fair Investor Access," which is open free of charge to anyone concerned with investor interests in the development of marketplace standards for expanded access to information for securities valuation and shareholder voting decisions. As stated in the posted Conditions of Participation, the Forum's purpose is to provide decision-makers with access to information and a free exchange of views on the issues presented in the program's Forum Summary. Each participant is expected to make independent use of information obtained through the Forum, subject to the privacy rights of other participants.  It is a Forum rule that participants will not be identified or quoted without their explicit permission.

The management of Dell Inc. declined the Forum's invitation to provide leadership of this project, but was encouraged to collaborate in its progress to assure cost-efficient, timely delivery of information relevant to investor decisions. As the project evolved, those information requirements were ultimately satisfied in the context of an appraisal proceeding.

Inquiries about this project and requests to be included in its distribution list may be addressed to dell@shareholderforum.com.

The information provided to Forum participants is intended for their private reference, and permission has not been granted for the republishing of any copyrighted material. The material presented on this web site is the responsibility of Gary Lutin, as chairman of the Shareholder Forum.

Shareholder Forum™ is a trademark owned by The Shareholder Forum, Inc., for the programs conducted since 1999 to support investor access to decision-making information. It should be noted that we have no responsibility for the services that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., introduced for review in the Forum's 2010 "E-Meetings" program and has since been offering with the “Shareholder Forum” name, and we have asked Broadridge to use a different name that does not suggest our support or endorsement.