Fellow Shareholders:
One year ago, Leucadia and Jefferies combined to form a unique and powerful merchant and investment banking platform, a combination almost as old as commerce itself. Leucadia is distinguished by our ability to take a truly long-term view in a world often characterized by impatience and increasingly shorter investment horizons. A philosophy of patient and prudent risk-taking is one shared by the founders of Leucadia, as well as the two of us. With hard work and good luck, we intend to capitalize on our ample permanent capital and ability to invest for the long-term.
Transition Complete
Since closing the Leucadia and Jefferies combination on March 1, 2013, Leucadia’s historic New York City and Salt Lake City deal and operations teams have been combined with our Jefferies Capital Partners’ private equity investment team to form a single group working with the two of us in the joint New York City headquarters of Leucadia and Jefferies to source, review and structure new investments and acquisitions. We and the combined team are also working with our existing subsidiaries and investee companies on strategic development and operational improvement. We are pleased that Justin Wheeler and Joe Orlando continue in their respective roles as Leucadia’s COO and CFO, and are joined by Mike Sharp, our general counsel at Jefferies and now of both companies.
During the year, working with our Chairman, Joe Steinberg, we also consolidated and added to our Boards of Directors at Leucadia and Jefferies. We believe the recipe for consistent long-term value creation includes surrounding ourselves with highly experienced, able and committed directors, and working with them in an active and transparent manner, taking advantage of their knowledge, experience and relationships.
As we believe long-term interest rates have only one direction to go (up!), during 2013 we devoted ourselves to raising additional long-term capital across our businesses. With improved bond ratings at Leucadia, we raised $1 billion of ten and thirty year debt, which, in essence, pre-funded our near-term maturities. We also raised $1 billion in long-term debt at Jefferies, $600 million at Jefferies Finance and $300 million at Jefferies LoanCore. Separately, National Beef’s credit facility was increased in size and extended in maturity. Leucadia is now investment-grade rated by two of the three rating agencies. We have committed to specific diversification and liquidity metrics that should allow us to continue our upward ratings momentum, and should not hamper our ability to deliver solid long-term results for our shareholders.
Continue reading here.
