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To: Charles Tutt who wrote (153101)	2/6/2000 4:53:00 PM
From: Walcalla	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 176387

Michael Dell and investors to buy NutraSweet, Equal February 5, 2000 BY BRETT CHASE BLOOMBERG NEWS An investment group including Dell Computer Corp. Chairman Michael Dell agreed Friday to buy Monsanto Co.'s NutraSweet and Equal artificial sweetener business for $570 million. The group, Tabletop Acquisition Corp., includes MSD Capital LP, an investment fund that holds Dell's personal investments, and investment firm Pegasus Capital Advisors LP. Arnold Donald, a Monsanto senior vice president, is also an investor and would head the business, a leader in the $1.2 billion low-calorie tabletop sweetener market. Monsanto said no jobs would be cut at the Chicago-based business, which employs 500. Monsanto, which has agreed to a $30.6 billion merger with Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc., said last July it would sell the sweetener division and other nutrition units to reduce debt and focus on its drug and agriculture business. The St. Louis-based company is the parent of Skokie drugmaker G.D. Searle. Monsanto had $6 billion in long-term debt as of Sept. 30. "This is important from their standpoint now because of the planned consolidation with Pharmacia," said analyst James Wilbur of Salomon Smith Barney. "Had they not had as much debt, I think they would have kept the business." Monsanto shares rose ¾/ñô to close at 42¾/ñô on the New York Stock Exchange. Monsanto shares dropped as much as 13 percent on investor skepticism about the plan to merge with Pharmacia, but have rebounded 19 percent this month as executives from both companies campaign to win over shareholders.