The Predators’ Ball

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The Predators’ Ball Page 44

by Connie Bruck


  poison pill, 168, 216, 217, 224, 226, 256

  arbitrage, arbitrageurs, 35, 75, 207, 215, 281, 305–6, 317, 320, 321

  proxy fights compared with, 155

  risk vs. classic, 152, 162

  Ashland Oil, 257

  Atalanta/Sosnoff Capital Corporation, 131–32

  Atkinson, R., 28

  Atlantic Capital, 132, 168, 280–84, 327

  Atlantic City, N.J., 58–59

  Atlantic Richfield, 94, 134, 272

  Attorney’s Office, U.S., 330

  Avedon, Richard, 238–39

  Avery, 141–44

  Aylward, David, 259

  Baird and Warner, 154

  balance sheets:

  “flexible,” 75

  leveraging of, 99–100

  Baldwin, Robert, 30

  Balser, Donald, 320, 342

  Bankers Trust, 114, 118, 210

  banking, banks, 36–37, 269, 282

  in Drexel deals, 246

  Drexel’s displacement of, 246

  investment, see investment banking, investment bankers

  merchant, 66, 191, 248, 249–50, 288–89, 308, 321; see also bridge financing

  mergers and acquisitions and, 97, 210–11

  Revlon battle and, 210–11

  bankruptcies, 33–34, 64, 74, 112, 128, 182, 287

  Chapter 11, 18, 111, 124, 139, 193, 292, 293

  of LTV Corporation, 268–69

  Banner Industries, 144, 305

  Banque Commerciale Privée, 159, 160

  Barron’s, 245

  Bass family, 278

  Bass Investment Limited Partnership, 278

  Batus, Inc., 160

  Bayswater, 154–55, 160

  Bear, Stearns, 81, 128, 198, 199, 346

  Beatrice Companies, 143, 245, 250, 258, 273–74, 347

  Beck, Jeffrey, 253

  Beecham Group, 232

  Belvedere Securities, 81–83, 279, 300, 311, 312

  Belzberg, Hyman, 12–14, 16, 35, 93, 120, 125, 168, 257

  Belzberg, Sam, 12–14, 16, 35, 93, 125, 168, 257

  Reliance L.P. and, 120

  Revlon battle and, 212

  Belzberg, William, 12–14, 16, 35, 93, 120, 125, 168, 257

  Bergerac, Michel, 193–97, 203, 207, 213, 219–22, 224, 227–30, 239

  defense moves of, 210, 211, 216

  financial settlement of, 232

  gloomy predictions of, 235

  Levine and, 235

  lifestyle of, 228, 237, 239–40

  Perelman celebration and, 230–31

  on Perelman’s social climbing, 237

  personality of, 194

  Berkshire Hathaway, 118, 347

  Bernheim Forests, 30

  Berra, Yogi, 296

  Beverly Hills Hotel Corporation, 319

  Beverly Hills Savings, 115–17

  Bilger, Arthur, 245, 298–99, 304, 331

  Black, Eli, 65, 287

  Black, Leon, 100, 143, 176, 287, 295

  background of, 65

  bonus of, 247

  fee paragraph in memos of, 304

  Icahn and, 162–63, 165–66, 167, 171, 173–74, 178, 179–80, 186, 245

  on “Joseph doctrine,” 170

  Milken praised by, 245

  Milken’s relationship with, 319–320

  National Can deal and, 106, 108, 124–27, 129

  on robber barons, 65, 149, 245

  TWA deal and, 171, 173–74, 176–180

  blind pools, 18, 117, 132, 141, 180, 212, 213, 277, 282, 295, 305, 352

  Bluhdom, Charles, 67, 110

  Blumenthal, Michael, 211

  Blyth Eastman Dillon and Company, 47

  Boesky, Ivan, 10, 35, 118, 164, 190, 305–6

  at Predators’ Ball (1985), 14, 16–17

  Reliance L.P. and, 120

  SEC investigations of, 305–6, 312, 318

  Boesky Day, 317–37, 342, 351

  Joseph and, 329, 335–37

  SEC and, 318, 320–30

  smoking gun and, 342–43

  bond funds, high-yield, see high-yield bond funds

  bonds:

  bankruptcies and, 33–34

  Chinese paper, 27, 38, 44, 75, 120

  commodity-related, 71–72

  convertible-debt, 27, 28, 38, 69, 152, 269

  coupon on, 73, 82

  deductibility of interest on, 37

  “deep-discount” (fallen angels), 27, 38, 44, 119, 346

  discount trading of, 27, 289

  downgrading of, 27

  face (par) value of, 27, 93

  high-coupon, high-premium, 71

  junk, see junk bonds, junk-bond takeovers

  Penn Central, 34, 112

  People Express, 249, 287

  prices of, interest rates and, 70

  rating of, 27, 32

  Riklis’ use of, 37–38

  shorted, 52

  straight-debt, 27, 28

  swapping of, 289

  triple-A, 27, 32, 243

  U.S. Treasury, see Treasury bonds, U.S.

  with warrants, 69, 71, 73–74, 114–15, 120, 289

  Boylan, Michael, 244–45

  bracketing, 30

  Bradford, Michael, 264–65

  Bradley, Bill, 258

  Brant, Peter, 190

  Brazil, 197

  Brenner, Howard, 331

  “Bridge Club, the,” 250

  bridge financing, 165, 248, 249–51, 345–46

  see also commitment letters and fees

  Bright Star, 305

  Brown, David, 178, 180, 318

  Brown-Forman Distillers Corporation, 256

  Brownstein, Andrew, 211, 216, 217

  Brumberger, Alan, 109, 132–33, 341

  Buffett, Warren, 118

  Buford, Anthony, Jr., 24–25

  Bungalow 8 (Beverly Hills Hotel), 15, 17, 135, 141, 183, 340

  Burnham, I. W., II (“Tubby”), 29–32, 42, 48, 57, 259, 302–3

  Boesky Day and, 330–31

  Milken and, 31–32, 34–35, 50, 51–52, 69

  public company debate and, 69

  Wynn and, 59

  Burnham and Company, 29–31, 42, 43, 51

  as Jewish firm, 31

  burnout, 252–53

  Burroughs, 258

  Business Week, 66, 92, 120, 138–41, 145, 151, 186, 254, 268, 270, 290, 335

  “buyback at a premium” (“bon voyage bonus”), 156

  Icahn’s congressional testimony on, 162

  see also greenmail

  Caesars World, 308–12, 328, 352

  Cahill, Gordon and Reindel, 205

  Cambrent Financial Group, 54

  Cameron, Dort, III, 83–84, 182, 278

  Cannella, John, 172–73

  Canterbury Group, 81

  Capital Cities/ABC, 145

  Carlyle Associates, 81

  Carr, Fred, 89–90, 93, 119, 182, 270, 276, 280, 311–12, 322

  market competition encouraged by, 287

  National Can deal and, 124, 132, 134

  Revlon battle and, 212

  Carter Hawley Hale, 160

  “cash cow” strategy, 262

  cash flow, 171, 172, 199

  defined, 112–13

  Cashin, Richard, 289

  Causey, Charles, 35, 83–84, 253

  Caywood, James, 12, 55, 60, 277, 287

  Caywood-Christian Capital Management, 12, 277

  CBS, 217

  Cell Products, 116–17

  Central Jersey industries (CJI), 141, 144

  Centronics Data Computer Corporation, 339

  certificates of deposit, 91

  Chanticleer Investors, Ltd., 81

  Chapman, Alger (Duke), 41

  Chapter 11 bankruptcy, 18, 111, 124, 139, 193, 292, 293

  Charles of the Ritz, 234

  Chasen’s (Beverly Hills), dinners at, 14–15, 183, 260, 341

  Chemical Bank, 36–37, 210–11

  Chicago Board Options Exchange, 152, 160, 300

>   Chinese paper, 27, 38, 44, 75, 120

  Chinese Wall, 306–8

  Churchill, Winston, 258

  Cinerama, 199–200

  Circus Circus, 60

  Citibank, 210, 277, 289

  Citicorp, 136, 289

  Clarendon, 281–84

  Clark, Douglas, 26

  Clark Gable Estates, 53–54

  Clayton & Dubilier, 99, 142

  Clore, Alan, 159, 196

  CNA (insurance company), 35, 83

  Coastal Corporation, 13–14, 107, 127, 130, 131, 203–4, 208

  Cochran, Susan, 359

  Coffee-Mat, 110–12

  Cogen, Marshall, 79

  Cogut, Craig, 54

  Cohen, Claudia, 198, 218, 236

  Cohen, Laurie, 348

  Cohen-Hatfield Industries, 198, 238

  Cohn, Roy, 201

  Coleman, Bertram, 25

  Collins and Aikman Corporation, 295

  Columbia Pictures, 111

  Columbia Savings and Loan, 89, 91–94, 132, 167, 182, 272, 291, 311

  in Milken’s money machine, 276–277

  political contributions of, 259, 260

  Comdisco, 347

  commissions and fees, 286

  fixed, end of, 63

  for underwriting, 46, 47, 66, 74, 300, 304

  commitment letters and fees, 107, 129, 134, 165–66, 181

  commodity-related bonds, 71–72

  Compact Video, 305

  Compagnie Bruxelles Lambert, 48–49, 62

  competition, 291, 296

  junk bonds and, 47–48, 71, 209, 248–51, 287

  Milken’s views on, 249, 358

  takeovers’ effects on, 262, 263

  Conan, Joan, 278

  Concordia, 333

  Congress, U.S., 34, 91, 162, 166, 167, 172, 203–7, 259–63

  Law’s testimony to, 262–63

  Lipton’s testimony for, 204–5

  Rohatyn’s testimony for, 206–7

  Scherer’s testimony to, 261–62, 263

  see also House of Representatives, U.S.; Senate, U.S.

  Conoco, 134

  consent decrees, 37, 120, 160, 279, 321

  Considine, Frank, 105, 122–26, 135–136, 138, 140, 145, 147–48

  owner-managers as viewed by, 263

  Consolidated Cigar, 198

  Continental, 173, 175

  convertible debt, 28, 38, 152, 269

  defined, 27

  hybrid (“Western”), 69

  corporate America:

  Milken’s transformation of, 14, 19

  Milken’s views on, 12

  Corporate Bond Quality and Investor Experience (Hickman), 11

  corporations:

  below-investment-grade, 11, 45

  investment-grade, defined, 27

  mergers of, see junk bonds, junk-bond takeovers; takeovers

  rating of, 10–11, 27, 45

  cosmetics business, 234–35

  Coss, Lawrence, 290–92

  coupons, on bonds, 73, 82

  CPC International, 233

  Crane, 97

  Cranston, Alan, 258

  credit cycle, Grant’s theory of, 268

  Crown Zellerbach Corporation, 17, 208

  Cuozzi, Howard, 279

  Dahl, James, 116–17, 291, 311, 325, 334, 336–37

  D’Amato, Alfonse M., 171, 259–60

  Dan River, 161

  Davis, Martin, 200, 294–95

  Davis, Marvin, 145

  Daylin Company, 39, 292, 326

  DBL Americas Development Association, 353

  Dean, James, 271

  Dean Witter, 65

  debt:

  convertible, see convertible debt

  in fall of 1986, 269

  Grant’s views on, 266–68

  preferred stock compared with, 265

  refinancing of, 108–9, 250, 269, 290

  senior, 45–46, 98, 123–24, 166

  straight, 27, 28

  subordinated, 45–46, 59, 123, 166, 246

  tax law and, 263–64

  Third World, 254–55, 353

  debt-to-equity ratios, 262, 269, 310

  “deep-discount” bonds (fallen angels), 27, 38, 44, 119, 346

  de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel, 353

  De Laurentiis, Dino, 54

  Delaware Chancery Court, 199, 225–27, 232

  Delaware State Supreme Court, 218, 227

  depreciation, 113, 172

  deregulation, 91, 97, 171

  Diamond Shamrock, 322

  Dillon, Read and Company, 30

  discount-bond mutual funds, 33

  Walt Disney, 13, 107, 164, 167, 291

  diversification, 46, 199, 251–53

  divestitures:

  Law’s views on, 263

  Revlon and, 210, 211, 231

  Dole, Robert, 258–59

  Dominick and Dominick, 43

  Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette (DLJ), Inc., 164, 169, 251, 253, 334

  Dorchester Government Securities, 82, 300, 312

  Dorfman, Dan, 257

  Dove, Guy, III, 132, 279–80, 282, 284, 327

  Drapkin, Donald, 135, 136

  Revlon battle and, 194, 196, 199, 208, 215, 218, 220, 222, 225–26, 234, 237–39

  salary of, 237–38

  Drexel, Francis, 26

  Drexel, Morgan and Company, 26

  Drexel and Company, 26

  Drexel Burnham, 30–40, 42–48

  bonus pool at, 43–44

  cultural clash at, 42

  finance department changes at, 43–44

  “high-value-added” course of, 46

  medium-sized company growth and, 42–43

  Milken’s firm within the firm at, 32–33

  self-image problem of, 42

  “Shearson Mafia” at, 43

  Drexel Burnham Lambert:

  annual report of (1985), 255

  Beverly Hills headquarters of, 80

  Beverly Hills Savings suit against, 116–17

  bonuses paid by, 247–48

  California branch opened by, 50–53

  charter of, 206

  Chinese wall of, 306–8

  client concerns and, 65, 67, 163, 177

  commitment letters used by, 107, 165–66, 182

  corporate finance group of, 48–49, 63–69, 88, 98, 247, 250, 298, 302, 307

  corporate finance investment

  partnership in, 68, 299–300

  creativity of, 135

  default on “highly confident” letter of, 182

  ebbing power of, 333–43

  “equitize” slogan at, 269

  equity of, 66–67, 69–70, 246, 288–289, 306, 314

  in financial scandals, 254–55

  formation of, 48

  franchise arrangement of, 10–11

  globalization of, 243–44, 251–52

  Gobhai as consultant for, 62–66, 100–101, 163, 176, 245, 296, 299, 344

  as god, 244–48

  Green Tree lawsuit against, 291, 292

  growth of, 80, 246–47

  “highly confident” letter of, 101, 106–7, 166, 167, 182, 221, 250, 251, 290, 304, 344

  high-yield mutual fund of, see HITS

  imitators of, 248, 275

  internecine rivalries in, 88, 299–301, 340–41

  “Joseph doctrine” of, 170, 171

  LBO group of, 100, 163

  market share of, 248

  medium-size companies and, 13, 49, 347–50, 357, 358

  merchant banking of, 66, 248, 249–50

  Milken’s title at, 84

  1983 junk offerings of, 78–80

  Political Action Committee of, 259

  political influence of, 258–60, 264–65

  principal-mindedness of, 59, 66, 67

  profits of, 19, 51, 64, 80, 98, 231, 247–48

  public company debate and, 69

  public-relations compaign of (1987), 348–50

  side deals of, 74

  Special
Planning Committee of, 74

  stability of, 269–70

  stock of, 69–70, 206, 247, 253

  Third World debt project of, 254–255

  3 (a) 9 deals of, 76–77, 135, 209, 331

  Underwriting Assistance Committee (UAC) of, 72, 131, 235, 304–7, 351

  underwriting default rate of, 77

  “war chests” of, 19, 117, 163, 164, 169, 180, 185, 202

  as well-rounded firm, 251–52, 253

  whatever-it-takes-to-win credo of, 341

  World Trade Center headquarters of, 252, 333

  yin/yang of Milken operation in, 57

  Drexel Firestone, 23–24, 27–31, 43, 51, 271

  Drexel Harriman Ripley, 24–27

  decline of, 26–27

  lineage of, 26

  securities-delivery system of, 25–26

  Drexel High Yield Bond Conference (1979), 11–12

  Drexel High Yield Bond Conference (1983), 95

  Drexel High Yield Bond Conference (1984), 206

  Drexel High Yield Bond Conference (1985), see Predators’ Ball (1985)

  Drexel High Yield Bond Conference (1986), 182–83, 257–59, 291, 302

  Drexel High Yield Bond Conference (1987), 328

  Dreyfus and Company, 151, 156

  Dunmore Partners Ltd., 81

  Duval, Albert, 156–58

  DWG, 122–23, 124, 139

  Eagleton, Thomas F., 171

  Eckel, Lee, 259

  Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981), 97

  Economist, 270–71

  Edersheim, Maurits, 87

  EGM Partners, 300

  EJ Associates, 81

  Encino, Calif., 53–54, 80

  encounter groups (T-groups), 62

  Engel, Donald, 15, 18, 116, 117, 123, 125, 135, 183

  forced resignation of, 15, 337–39, 340–42

  in Japan, 243

  Joseph’s reinstatement of, 338–42

  Posner and, 121, 123, 338, 340

  Prime Capital Associates and, 231–32

  Revlon battle and, 208, 218, 220, 230, 231–32

  Englewood Partners, 328

  Enterprise Fund, 89

  entertainment, 16, 60, 230

  equity, 45, 66–67, 69–70, 156, 325

  in Beatrice buyout, 250

  of Drexel, 66–67, 69–70, 246, 288–289, 306, 314

  Icahn’s views on, 163

  in leveraged buyouts, 99, 107, 108

  in National Can deal, 107, 108

  Perelman’s views on, 236

  in Phillips deal, 167

  preferred stock as, 265

  of Revlon, 216, 221, 225

  risk and, 131

  tax law and, 263

  equity buyers, bond buyers vs., 73

  ESB, 96

  Evans Products, 124, 125, 128, 139

  exchange offers, 66, 309–10, 312, 346

  carrot-and-stick vs. buy-back, 76

  registered, 75

  in Revlon battle, 216–17, 224–25, 226, 228

  unregistered, 75–77, 124

  Executive Life, 167, 280

  Exxon, 272

  fallen angels (“deep-discount bonds”), 27, 38, 44, 119, 346

  Farley, William, 14, 109, 135, 163, 201

 

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