BAUPOST FUND
24F-2NT, 1996-12-30
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APPENDIX I.       U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 24F-2
                        Annual Notice of Securities Sold
                             Pursuant to Rule 24f-2

            Read instructions at end of Form before preparing Form.
                             Please print or type.

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1. Name and address of issuer:
    The Baupost Fund
    P.O. Box 381288
    Cambridge, MA 02238


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2. Name of each series or class of funds for which this notice is filed:

    The Baupost Fund - Shares of beneficial interest



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3. Investment Company Act File Number:  811-6138


   Securities Act File Number:  33-35851

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4. Last day of fiscal year for which this notice is filed:  October 31, 1996


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5. Check box if this notice is being filed more than 180 days after the close of
   the issuer's fiscal  year for purposes of reporting securities sold after the
   close  of  the  fiscal  year  but  before  termination  of the issuer's 24f-2
   declaration:

                                                                        [  ]

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6. Date  of  termination  of  issuer's  declaration  under  Rule 24f-2(a)(1), if
   applicable (see Instruction A.6):

     Not Applicable

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7. Number  and  amount of securities of the same  class or series which had been
   registered under the Securities Act of 1933 other than pursuant to Rule 24f-2
   in  a  prior  fiscal  year, but which remained unsold at the beginning of the
   fiscal year:

    None
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8. Number  and amount of securities registered during the fiscal year other than
   pursuant to Rule 24f-2:

     None

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9. Number and aggregate sale price of securities sold during the fiscal year:

     1,109,681.050           $15,369,110.78

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10. Number and aggregate sale price of securities sold during the fiscal year in
    reliance upon registration pursuant to Rule 24f-2:

     1,109,681.050           $15,369,110.78



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11. Number and aggregate sale price of securities issued during the fiscal  year
    in  connection  with  divided   reinvestment   plans,  if  applicable   (see
    Instruction B.7):

     454,829.173             $5,799,072.03

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12. Calculation of registration fee:

    (i)   Aggregate  sale  price of  securities sold during
          the fiscal  year in  reliance on Rule 24f-2 (from
          Item 10):                                             $15,369,110.78
                                                                --------------  
    (ii)  Aggregate  price  of shares issued in  connection
          with  dividend reinvestment plans (from Item  11,
          if applicable):                                       + 5,799,072.03
                                                                --------------
    (iii) Aggregate price of shares redeemed or repurchased
          during the fiscal year (if applicable):               -15,745,255.86 
                                                                --------------
    (iv)  Aggregate price of shares redeemed or repurchased
          and  previously  applied as a reduction to filing
          fees pursuant to Rule 24e-2 (if applicable):          +       0.00 and
                                                                --------------
    (v)   Net aggregate price of securities sold and issued    
          during the fiscal year in reliance on Rule  24f-2
          [line (i), plus line (ii), less line (iii),  plus
          line (iv)] (if applicable):                             5,422,926.95
                                                                --------------
    (vi)  Multiplier  prescribed  by  Section  6(b)  of the 
          Securities  Act  of  1933 or other applicable law
          or regulation (see Instruction C.6):                  x      1/3,300
                                                                --------------
    (vii) Fee due [line (i) or line (v) multiplied by  line
          (vi)]:                                                     $1,643.31 
                                                                ==============
Instruction: Issuers should complete lines (ii),  (iii),  (iv),  and (v) only if
             the  form  is  being  filed  within  60 days after the close of the
             issuer's fiscal year.  See Instruction C.3.

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13. Check box if fees are being remitted to the Commission's lockbox  depository
    as described in section 3a of the Commission's Rules of Informal  and  Other
    Procedures (17 CFR 202.3a).

                                                                        [X]

    Date of mailing or wire transfer of filing fees to the Commission's  lockbox
    depository:

     December 30, 1996
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                                   SIGNATURES

    This report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of  the
    issuer and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

    By (Signature and Title)  /s/ Paul C. Gannon
                              _________________________________________
                              Paul C. Gannon  Vice President 

Date  December 30, 1996
      ___________________________

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                                                          December 27, 1996




The Baupost Fund
44 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         You have  informed us that you intend to file a Rule 24f-2  Notice (the
"Notice")  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  "Commission")
pursuant to Rule 24f-2 (the "Rule") under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended,  making definite the registration of 1,109,681.05  shares of beneficial
interest (the  "Shares") of The Baupost Fund (the "Trust") sold in reliance upon
the Rule during your fiscal year ended October 31,  1996. We understand that the
Shares do not include shares issued  pursuant to the  reinvestment of dividends,
but that the  filing  fee  takes  into  account  those  shares as well as shares
redeemed during such fiscal year.

         We have examined your Agreement and  Declaration of Trust,  as amended,
on file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  We
are familiar  with the actions taken by your Trustees to authorize the issue and
sale from time to time of your  shares of  beneficial  interest at not less than
net asset  value and have  assumed  that the Shares have been issued and sold in
accordance  with such actions.  We have also examined a copy of your By-laws and
such other  documents  as we have  deemed  necessary  for the  purposes  of this
opinion.

         We assume that appropriate action has been taken to register or qualify
the sale of the Shares under any  applicable  state and federal laws  regulating
offerings and sales of securities, and that the Notice will be timely filed with
the Commission.

         Based on and subject to the  foregoing,  we are of the opinion that the
Shares  have been duly  authorized  and  validly  issued  and are fully paid and
non-assessable.




                                       -2-               December 27, 1996

         The Trust is an entity of the type commonly  known as a  "Massachusetts
business trust." Under  Massachusetts  law,  shareholders  could,  under certain
circumstances,  be held  personally  liable  for the  obligations  of the Trust.
However, the Agreement and Declaration of Trust disclaims  shareholder liability
for acts or obligations of the Trust and requires that notice of such disclaimer
be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by
the Trust or its Trustees.  The Agreement and  Declaration of Trust provides for
indemnification  out of the  Trust  property  for all  loss and  expense  of any
shareholder of the Trust held personally liable solely by reason of his being or
having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of shareholder liability is limited to
circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations.

         We consent to this opinion  accompanying the Notice when filed with the
Commission.

                                                          Very truly yours,



                                                          Ropes & Gray




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