UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form 13F
FORM 13F COVER PAGE
Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: December 31, 2004
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 February 09, 2005
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.
FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE
Report Summary:
Number of Other Included Managers: 0
Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 60
Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $1,146,756,145
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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Arch Capital Group Ltd. COMMON G0450A105 7,740,000 200,000 N X 200,000
Adams Express Company COMMON 006212104 1,305,676 99,518 N X 99,518
American International Gro COMMON 026874107 21,999,450 335,000 N X 335,000
Alkermes, Inc. COMMON 01642T108 4,790,600 340,000 N X 340,000
American Tower Corporation COMMON 029912201 10,120,000 550,000 N X 550,000
Annuity and Life Re (Holdi COMMON G03910109 227,500 500,000 N X 500,000
Apache Corporation COMMON 037411105 33,629,050 665,000 N X 665,000
Bank of America Corporatio COMMON 060505104 17,292,320 368,000 N X 368,000
Bancroft Convertible Fund COMMON 059695106 402,992 21,088 N X 21,088
Biogen Idec Inc. COMMON 09062X103 16,652,500 250,000 N X 250,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Compa COMMON 110122108 7,686,000 300,000 N X 300,000
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. COMMON 084670108 26,370,000 300 N X 300
Brooks Automation, Inc. COMMON 114340102 8,463,630 491,500 N X 491,500
Central Securities Corpora COMMON 155123102 2,726,439 119,319 N X 119,319
CIENA Corporation COMMON 171779101 1,837,000 550,000 N X 550,000
Costco Wholesale Corporati COMMON 22160K105 33,887,000 700,000 N X 700,000
Cisco Systems, Inc. COMMON 17275R102 17,388,000 900,000 N X 900,000
CEMEX, S.A. de C.V. ADR COMMON 151290889 40,062,000 1,100,000 N X 1,100,000
Cytokinetics, Incorporated COMMON 23282W100 768,750 75,000 N X 75,000
Diageo plc COMMON 25243Q205 20,258,000 350,000 N X 350,000
Dollar General Corporation COMMON 256669102 3,094,730 149,000 N X 149,000
Genentech, Inc. COMMON 368710406 30,486,400 560,000 N X 560,000
Devon Energy Corporation COMMON 25179M103 62,272,000 1,600,000 N X 1,600,000
EMC Corporation COMMON 268648102 4,461,000 300,000 N X 300,000
EMCORE Corporation COMMON 290846104 687,530 197,000 N X 197,000
EOG Resources, Inc. COMMON 26875P101 19,624,000 275,000 N X 275,000
El Paso Corporation 0% CONV C 28336LAC3 11,840,625 22,500,000 N X 22,500,000
Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. COMMON 297602104 11,005,500 275,000 N X 275,000
Golden West Financial COMMON 381317106 38,080,400 620,000 N X 620,000
Genaera Corporation COMMON 36867G100 923,400 270,000 N X 270,000
Genta Incorporated COMMON 37245M207 660,000 375,000 N X 375,000
Halliburton Company COMMON 406216101 20,601,000 525,000 N X 525,000
The Home Depot, Inc. COMMON 437076102 82,060,800 1,920,000 N X 1,920,000
Juniper Networks, Inc. COMMON 48203R104 4,078,500 150,000 N X 150,000
Lamar Advertising Company COMMON 512815101 21,390,000 500,000 N X 500,000
Medtronic, Inc. COMMON 585055106 22,351,500 450,000 N X 450,000
MedImmune, Inc. COMMON 584699102 12,335,050 455,000 N X 455,000
MetLife, Inc. COMMON 59156R108 16,204,000 400,000 N X 400,000
MFA Mortgage Investments, COMMON 55272X102 7,497,000 850,000 N X 850,000
Millennium Pharmaceuticals COMMON 599902103 1,456,800 120,000 N X 120,000
Molex Incorporated Class A COMMON 608554200 19,054,750 715,000 N X 715,000
Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd COMMON G62185106 6,152,000 160,000 N X 160,000
Microsoft Corporation COMMON 594918104 40,748,000 1,525,000 N X 1,525,000
M&T Bank Corporation COMMON 55261F104 33,430,400 310,000 N X 310,000
Annaly Mortgage Management COMMON 035710409 11,772,000 600,000 N X 600,000
NetIQ Corporation COMMON 64115P102 7,606,830 623,000 N X 623,000
PepsiCo, Inc. COMMON 713448108 7,830,000 150,000 N X 150,000
Pfizer Inc COMMON 717081103 34,284,750 1,275,000 N X 1,275,000
PartnerRe Ltd. COMMON G6852T105 29,421,500 475,000 N X 475,000
Everest Re Group, Ltd. COMMON G3223R108 55,975,000 625,000 N X 625,000
Reinsurance Group of Ameri COMMON 759351109 18,653,250 385,000 N X 385,000
Republic Services, Inc. COMMON 760759100 39,409,500 1,175,000 N X 1,175,000
Royce Value Trust COMMON 780910105 2,114,273 103,438 N X 103,438
SunTrust Banks, Inc. COMMON 867914103 15,145,400 205,000 N X 205,000
The TJX Companies, Inc. COMMON 872540109 62,825,000 2,500,000 N X 2,500,000
Total S.A. ADR COMMON 89151E109 30,206,000 275,000 N X 275,000
Transatlantic Holdings, In COMMON 893521104 17,003,250 275,000 N X 275,000
Unocal Corporation COMMON 915289102 30,268,000 700,000 N X 700,000
VeriSign, Inc. COMMON 92343E102 4,485,600 133,500 N X 133,500
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. COMMON 931142103 35,653,500 675,000 N X 675,000