UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form 13F
FORM 13F COVER PAGE
Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: March 31, 1999
Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report:
Name: General American Investors Company, Inc.
Address: 450 Lexington Avenue, Suite 3300
New York, NY 10017
13F File Number: 28-461
The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom
it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized
to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and
complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements,
schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form.
Person Signing this Report:
Name: Eugene L. DeStaebler, Jr.
Title: Vice-President, Administration
Phone: 212-916-8400
Signature, Place and Date of Signing:
Eugene L. DeStaebler, Jr. New York, NY May 13, 1999
Report Type (Check only one.):
[x] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT
[ ] 13F NOTICE
[ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT
List of Other Managers Reporting for this Manager:
NONE
I am signing this report as required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE
Report Summary:
Number of Other Included Managers: 0
Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 56
Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $719,865,954
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NAME OF ISSUER TITLE CUSIP FAIR SHARES OR INVEST. DISC. OTHER VOTING AUTHORITY
OF NUMBER MARKET PRINCIPAL SH/ SHARED MGRS.
CLASS VALUE AMOUNT PRN SOLE SHARED OTHER SOLE SHARED NONE
(A) (B) (C) (A) (B) (C)
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<S> <C> <C> <C>
Adams Express Company COMMON 006212104 1,228,247 45,281 SH X 45,281
American International Gro COMMON 026874107 15,681,250 130,000 SH X 130,000
Annuity and Life Re (Holdi COMMON G03910109 11,037,188 482,500 SH X 482,500
AmerUs Life Holdings, Inc. COMMON 030732101 10,800,000 450,000 SH X 450,000
AMR Corporation COMMON 001765106 22,253,750 380,000 SH X 380,000
Buffets, Inc. COMMON 119882108 9,875,000 1,000,000 SH X 1,000,000
BioReliance Corporation COMMON 090951104 2,060,500 317,000 SH X 317,000
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. COMMON 084670108 22,491,000 315 SH X 315
CCB Financial Corp. COMMON 124875105 11,731,563 217,000 SH X 217,000
Cephalon, Inc. COMMON 156708109 546,875 62,500 SH X 62,500
Consolidated Stores Corpor COMMON 210149100 10,609,375 350,000 SH X 350,000
Centocor, Inc. COMMON 152342101 3,693,750 100,000 SH X 100,000
Cox Communications, Inc. - COMMON 224044107 19,662,500 260,000 SH X 260,000
Cisco Systems, Inc. COMMON 17275R102 24,651,563 225,000 SH X 225,000
Daimler Chrysler AG COMMON D1668R123 18,964,563 221,000 SH X 221,000
Deere & Company COMMON 244199105 3,862,500 100,000 SH X 100,000
DuPont Photomasks, Inc. COMMON 26613X101 3,962,500 100,000 SH X 100,000
Ford Motor Company COMMON 345370100 28,343,750 500,000 SH X 500,000
First Midwest Bancorp, Inc COMMON 320867104 9,595,000 252,500 SH X 252,500
Golden West Financial COMMON 381317106 15,280,000 160,000 SH X 160,000
GelTex Pharmaceuticals, In COMMON 368538104 4,218,750 300,000 SH X 300,000
Huntington Bancshares COMMON 446150104 5,414,063 175,000 SH X 175,000
The Home Depot, Inc. COMMON 437076102 105,513,750 1,695,000 SH X 1,695,000
Huntingdon Life Sciences COMMON 445891203 1,209,969 624,500 SH X 624,500
IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corpo COMMON 449370105 21,320,625 415,000 SH X 415,000
Interim Services Inc. COMMON 45868P100 6,000,000 400,000 SH X 400,000
Kennametal Inc. COMMON 489170100 5,287,500 300,000 SH X 300,000
Lam Research Corporation COMMON 512807108 14,500,000 500,000 SH X 500,000
Magainin Pharmaceuticals I COMMON 559036108 468,750 300,000 SH X 300,000
MetaCreations Corporation COMMON 591016100 2,043,750 300,000 SH X 300,000
Medtronic, Inc. COMMON 585055106 11,859,375 165,000 SH X 165,000
MedImmune, Inc. 7% Convert CONV C 584699AAO 13,860,375 2,300,000 PRN X 2,300,000
Philip Morris Companies In COMMON 718154107 10,556,250 300,000 SH X 300,000
Molex Incorporated Class A COMMON 608554200 10,350,000 400,000 SH X 400,000
M&T Bank Corporation COMMON 55261F104 21,555,000 45,000 SH X 45,000
Annaly Mortgage Management COMMON 035710409 5,500,000 550,000 SH X 550,000
NAC Re Corporation COMMON 628907107 8,912,125 166,000 SH X 166,000
NTL Incorporated COMMON 629407107 25,226,250 310,000 SH X 310,000
pcOrder.com, Inc. COMMON 70453H107 2,548,125 45,000 SH X 45,000
PepsiCo, Inc. COMMON 713448108 7,837,500 200,000 SH X 200,000
Pfizer Inc. COMMON 717081103 41,625,000 300,000 SH X 300,000
Ryder System, Inc. COMMON 783549108 5,525,000 200,000 SH X 200,000
Everest Reinsurance Holdin COMMON 299808105 10,447,813 335,000 SH X 335,000
Repsol, S.A. - ADR COMMON 76026T205 12,812,500 250,000 SH X 250,000
ReliaStar Financial Corp. COMMON 75952U103 6,074,063 142,500 SH X 142,500
Reuters Group plc-ADR COMMON 76132M102 8,166,250 94,000 SH X 94,000
Royce Value Trust COMMON 780910105 612,633 54,153 SH X 54,153
Seagate Technology, Inc. COMMON 811804103 12,711,875 430,000 SH X 430,000
Sun Trust Banks, Inc. COMMON 867914103 14,940,000 240,000 SH X 240,000
The TJX Companies, Inc. COMMON 872540109 3,060,000 90,000 SH X 90,000
TriQuint Semiconductor, In COMMON 89674K103 1,517,000 82,000 SH X 82,000
Transatlantic Holdings, In COMMON 893521104 15,000,000 200,000 SH X 200,000
Tri-Continental Corporatio COMMON 895436103 1,357,664 46,816 SH X 46,816
Waste Management, Inc. COMMON 94106L109 20,412,500 460,000 SH X 460,000
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. COMMON 931142103 32,265,625 350,000 SH X 350,000
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. COMMON 969904101 2,825,000 100,000 SH X 100,000
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