The type of news release we deserve. Newmont recently released this very honest opinion outlining the problems they were having with Barrick. This is the kind of release we deserve.
Attention: John L. Thornton, Co-Chairman
Directors:
Over the past number of months, our two companies have been working hard to find a basis on which we could merge and realize their combined strengths. While we were hopeful that we could achieve that goal, it has become evident to us over the past several weeks that the type of constructive, mutually respectful and partnership-oriented relationship necessary to realize the potential benefits of that combination does not yet exist.
Our Board has met a number of times since we were twice told definitively last Thursday by your Co-Chairman that the process in which we had been engaged to find a basis to merge our two companies was “dead”. As you would expect, that unilateral declaration made us question whether we actually shared the vision and values that are necessary to forge a successful new company. Notwithstanding that, we persevered.
While our team has found your management team’s engagement to be constructive and professional, the same constructive nature cannot be said of our discussions with your Co-Chairman on certain fundamental strategic and structural issues over the past two weeks. Our efforts to find consensus have been rejected out of hand repeatedly. And, as we contemplated further dialogue, we read in the continuing reporting of the transaction in the financial press a pointed characterization of our company as “extremely bureaucratic and not shareholder-friendly.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Moreover, none of this suggests that we have the mutual respect or shared values today that we believe are necessary for the enterprise that would result from the combination of our companies to realize its full potential.
It is, in fact, because of our deep commitment to our shareholders that we reluctantly have had to unanimously conclude that we need to put aside our attempts to resuscitate this initiative and should pursue our course as an independent company.
Read more at https://www.stockhouse.com/news/press-releases/2014/04/28/newmont-releases-letter-sent-to-barrick-board#4FEsKctoDPfKrXsY.99