INTRODUCTION
This Rule 13e-3 transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3, together with the exhibits hereto (this “Transaction Statement”), is being filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(e) of the Exchange Act jointly by the following persons (each, a “Filing Person,” and collectively, the “Filing Persons”): (a) DryShips Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands corporation (the “Company”), the issuer of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Company common stock”), (b) SPII Holdings Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (“SPII”), and (c) Sileo Acquisitions Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and a wholly owned subsidiary of SPII (“Merger Sub”).
On June 12, 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) received a non-binding proposal letter (the “proposal letter”) from SPII that owns approximately 83.35% of the outstanding shares of Company common stock and may be deemed to be beneficially owned by George Economou, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, that proposed a merger transaction in which SPII would acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Company common stock not already owned by SPII and Mr. Economou for $4.00 per share in cash (the “proposed transaction”).
After receiving the proposal letter, the Company Board formed a special committee (the “Special Committee”) consisting solely of independent and disinterested directors of the Company to evaluate and negotiate the proposed transaction.
On August 18, 2019, acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee, the Company Board unanimously approved, and the Company entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “merger agreement”), by and among the Company, SPII and Merger Sub. Pursuant to the merger agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation in the merger and a wholly owned subsidiary of SPII (the “merger”).
Pursuant to the merger agreement, at the effective time of the merger (the “effective time”), each share of Company common stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (other than shares of Company common stock held by SPII or any subsidiary of either SPII or the Company) will be automatically converted into the right to receive the merger consideration of $5.25 per share of Company common stock in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes.
The Special Committee unanimously (i) determined that the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, are fair (both substantively and procedurally) to and in the best interests of the shareholders of the Company other than SPII who are not an affiliate of SPII or the Company (the “public shareholders”) of the Company; (ii) declared advisable the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger; (iii) recommended to the Company Board that it approve and adopt the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger; and (iv) resolved, subject to the Company Board approving and adopting the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, and the terms of the merger agreement, to recommend that the shareholders of the Company vote to approve and authorize the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger. Based on that recommendation, the Company Board unanimously: (i) determined that the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, are fair (both substantively and procedurally) to and in the best interests of Company and the public shareholders of the Company, (ii) approved, adopted and declared advisable the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, (iii) directed the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, to be submitted to the stockholders of record of the Company as of the record date, for approval and authorization at the special meeting, and (iv) resolved, subject to the terms of the merger agreement, to recommend that the shareholders of the Company vote to approve and authorize the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger.
In order for the merger to be completed, the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, must be authorized and approved by the holders of at least a majority of all shares of Company common stock entitled to vote on the authorization and approval of the merger agreement as of the close of business on the record date. Under the merger agreement, SPII, which owns