Merrill Lynch

The Goldman Sachs Group is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of services worldwide to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net-worth individuals. Founded in 1869, it is one of the oldest and largest investment banking firms. The firm offers an array of services, such as currencies and commodities, trading and capital markets, merchant banking, asset management, mutual funds and securities lending programs. The Goldman Sachs Group is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers throughout the world.

Leucadia National Corporation is a holding company that, through its subsidiaries, engages in telecommunications, health care services, manufacturing, banking and lending, real estate and winery businesses. As of August 2005, Leucadia was valued at more than 4 billion dollars. The company s highest profile move to-date was a bid in 2004 to acquire 50 percent of telecommunications company MCI's common stock. Leucadia National Corporation is headquartered in New York, but has additional offices in Salt Lake City.