e425
Filed by Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated
Commission File No.: 001- 11848
June 3, 2008
[Letterhead of Greig Woodring]
To RGA Associates:
Yesterday RGA and MetLife announced the execution of an agreement for a proposed transaction
through which MetLife may divest its majority holding in RGA in a tax-free split-off. A copy of
the press release issued yesterday morning is attached. We view this to be a positive development
for RGA. The transaction requires RGA to file certain shareholder materials with the Securities
and Exchange Commission and receive various approvals before it may proceed. If the necessary
approvals are received, MetLife could launch an offer to its shareholders to exchange its shares of
RGA common stock for a portion of the shares of MetLife common stock held by existing MetLife
shareholders. If completed, RGA will become an independent public company with two classes of
common shares.
All of the rating agencies with whom RGA meets on a regular basis (S&P, Moodys and A.M. Best) have
affirmed our current ratings. We believe the proposed transaction will be beneficial to our
shareholders, because it will significantly increase the liquidity and public float of RGAs common
stock by nearly doubling the number of shares held by public shareholders. The split-off from
MetLife shouldnt have any effect on our day-to-day operations, or how we run our company. As an
independent public company, we will have greater flexibility to address opportunities and
challenges specific to our business.
If the necessary approvals and consents are received in a timely manner, MetLife could launch its
exchange offer as early as August and the transaction could close in September 2008. The proposed
transaction contains a number of conditions and requirements that must be satisfied before MetLife
may proceed with the proposed exchange offer and we cannot be certain when or if it will be
launched.
The filings RGA makes with the SEC will be available on our website. Please note the disclosures
under the important headings Additional Information and Where to Find It and Participants in the
Solicitation in the attached press release.
Sincerely,
/s/ Greig Woodring
Greig Woodring
President & CEO
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CONTACTS:
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For MetLife:
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For RGA: |
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John Calagna (Media)
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Jack B. Lay |
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(212) 578-6252
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(636) 736-7000 |
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Conor Murphy (Investors) |
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(212) 578-7788 |
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METLIFE
TO DIVEST STAKE IN REINSURANCE GROUP OF AMERICA THROUGH
TAX-FREE SPLIT-OFF OF RGA STOCK TO
METLIFE STOCKHOLDERS
RGA Common Stock to be Recapitalized into Two Classes
NEW YORK and ST. LOUIS, June 2, 2008 MetLife, Inc. (MetLife) (NYSE: MET) and Reinsurance Group
of America, Incorporated (RGA) (NYSE: RGA) today jointly announced their agreement on a
transaction for MetLife to divest substantially all of its 52% interest in RGA through a tax-free
split-off of RGA stock to MetLife stockholders. Under the terms of the transaction, RGA will
recapitalize its common stock into two classes of common stockClass A common stock with the right
to elect up to 20% of RGAs directors and Class B common stock with the right to elect at least 80%
of RGAs directorsand substantially all of MetLifes interest in RGA will be exchanged for RGA
class B common stock. Immediately after this recapitalization, MetLife will conduct a tax-free
split-off, in which it will offer the RGA class B common stock to MetLife stockholders in exchange
for shares of MetLife common stock.
MetLife believes that the transaction will provide numerous benefits to MetLife and its
stockholders, as well as to RGA and its shareholders, including facilitating MetLife and RGAs
respective expansion and growth. MetLife and RGA also believe that the transaction will strengthen
each companys ability to focus on developing and growing its core businesses.
RGA believes that the transaction will be beneficial to its shareholders because, among other
things, it will significantly increase the liquidity and public float of RGAs common stock by
nearly doubling the number of shares held by public shareholders and will provide RGA management
with greater flexibility in dealing with the opportunities and challenges specific to its
businesses.
MetLife and RGA currently expect that the recapitalization and split-off transaction will be
completed in the third quarter of 2008, but the completion of the transaction is subject to certain
conditions, including approval by the holders of a majority of the shares of RGAs common stock
(other than those held by MetLife and its subsidiaries) present at a special meeting to be held for
such purpose; the tender by MetLife stockholders of a sufficient number of shares of MetLife common
stock in the split-off (which minimum tender amount will be determined by
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MetLife prior to commencement of the split-off); the receipt of certain regulatory approvals; no
withdrawal or adverse change to the IRS ruling that the parties obtained with respect to the
transaction; and other customary conditions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to when the
recapitalization, the split-off or any of the other transactions described above will occur or if
they will occur at all.
In connection with the recapitalization, RGA will seek shareholder approval of a series of
corporate governance-related changes to its articles of incorporation and ratification of a Section
382 shareholder rights plan. The corporate governance-related changes include limitations on the
voting power with respect to directors of a holder of greater than 15% of the outstanding shares of
RGA class B common stock if such holder does not hold an equivalent percentage of outstanding
shares of RGA class A common stock, restrictions on acquiring RGA common stock if such acquisition
would make the holder become a 5% shareholder (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code) to
protect certain tax assets of RGA, and, as described below, provisions relating to the potential
conversion of RGA class A common stock and RGA class B common stock into a single class of common
stock after the split-off. RGA is concurrently announcing the Section 382 shareholder rights plan
in a separate press release.
RGAs board of directors formed a special committee consisting solely of independent directors to
evaluate the recapitalization and related transactions. Upon recommendation of this special
committee, RGAs board of directors has approved the agreement with MetLife and the related
transactions, and has resolved to recommend that the RGA shareholders approve such transactions.
RGA expects that, following the completion of the transactions, its board of directors will
consider submitting to a shareholder vote a proposal to convert the dual-class structure adopted in
the recapitalization into a single-class structure. There can be no assurance, however, that RGAs
board of directors will consider proposing a conversion or resolve to submit such a proposal to
RGAs shareholders and, if submitted, that the RGA shareholders would approve such a conversion.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Merrill Lynch & Co. acted as financial advisors to MetLife, and Wachtell,
Lipton, Rosen & Katz provided legal counsel to MetLife. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated acted as
financial advisor to the special committee of RGAs board of directors, and Bryan Cave LLP and
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP provided legal counsel to the special committee of RGAs
board of directors.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with MetLifes proposed divestiture of its stake in RGA, RGA will file with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a registration statement on Form S-4, and MetLife will
file with the SEC a statement on Schedule TO. Investors and holders of RGA and MetLife securities
are strongly encouraged to read the registration statement(s) and any other relevant documents
filed with the SEC, including the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus relating to the
recapitalization that will be part of the registration statement, the preliminary prospectus
relating to the split-off that will be part of the registration statement, the final proxy
statement/prospectus relating to the recapitalization and the final prospectus relating to the
split-off and related split-off materials, as well as any amendments and supplements to those
documents, because they will contain important information about RGA, MetLife, and the proposed
transactions. The final proxy
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statement/prospectus relating to the recapitalization and related transactions will be mailed to
shareholders of RGA and the final prospectus relating to the split-off will be mailed to
stockholders of MetLife. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the
registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the recapitalization and the
prospectus relating to the split-off (when available) as well as other filed documents containing
information about MetLife and RGA, without charge, at the SECs web site (www.sec.gov). Free
copies of RGAs filings also may be obtained by directing a request to RGA, Investor Relations, by
phone to (636) 736-7243, in writing to Mr. John Hayden, Vice President-Investor Relations,
Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated, 1370 Timberlake Manor Parkway, Chesterfield, Missouri,
63017, or by email to investrelations@rgare.com. Free copies of MetLifes filings may be
obtained by directing a request to MetLife, Investor Relations, by phone to (212) 578-2211, in
writing to MetLife, Inc., 1 MetLife Plaza, Long Island City, NY 11101, or by email to
metir@metlife.com. Neither RGA, MetLife nor any of their respective directors or executive
officers or any dealer manager appointed with respect to the exchange offer makes any
recommendation as to whether you should participate in the exchange offer.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy
securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities
laws of such jurisdiction. Such an offer may be made solely by a prospectus meeting the
requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Accordingly, neither
the proxy solicitation for the recapitalization nor the offer for the outstanding shares of MetLife
common stock pursuant to the split-off described in this communication has commenced. At the time
that the contemplated split-off is commenced, MetLife will file a statement on Schedule TO with the
SEC. The distribution of this communication may, in some countries, be restricted by law or
regulation. Accordingly, persons who come into possession of this document should inform
themselves of and observe these restrictions.
Participants in the Solicitation
RGA, MetLife and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed, under SEC rules,
to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from RGAs shareholders with respect to the
proposed transaction. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of RGA is included
in its definitive proxy statement for its 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on
April 9, 2008. Information regarding the directors and officers of MetLife is included in the
definitive proxy statement for MetLifes 2008 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on
March 18, 2008. More detailed information regarding the identity of potential participants, and
their direct or indirect interests, by securities holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the
registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus, the prospectus relating to the split-off
and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transactions.
About RGA
RGA is, through its various operating subsidiaries, among the largest global providers of life
reinsurance. RGA has subsidiary companies or offices in Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada,
China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa,
South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Worldwide, RGA has
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approximately $2.2 trillion of life reinsurance in force, and assets of $21.8 billion. MetLife,
Inc. is the beneficial owner of approximately 52% of RGAs outstanding shares.
About MetLife
Celebrating 140 years, MetLife, Inc. is a leading provider of insurance and financial services with
operations throughout the United States and the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions.
Through its domestic and international subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than
70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States
(based on life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and
home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group
insurance, reinsurance and retirement & savings products and services to corporations and other
institutions. For more information, please visit www.metlife.com.
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