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EXHIBIT 23.4
CONSENT OF SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.
We hereby consent to the use of our name and to the description of our
opinion letter included in the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus referred to
below, under the caption "Opinion of Financial Advisor to the GPU Board of
Directors", and to the inclusion of our opinion letter as Appendix C to the
Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus of FirstEnergy Corp. and GPU, Inc., which Joint
Proxy Statement/Prospectus is part of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of
FirstEnergy Corp. filed in connection with the proposed merger of GPU, Inc. with
and into FirstEnergy Corp. By giving such consent we do not thereby admit that
we are experts with respect to any part of such Registration Statement within
the meaning of the term "expert" as used in, or that we come within the category
of persons whose consent is required under, the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
promulgated thereunder.
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SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC.
By: /s/ ADAM BERGER
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MANAGING DIRECTOR
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New York, New York
September 22, 2000
