TRANSACTIONS PROPOSED—YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT
Dear VMware, Inc. Stockholder:
On May 26, 2022, VMware, Inc. (referred to as VMware),
Broadcom Inc. (referred to as Broadcom), Verona Holdco, Inc., a
direct wholly owned subsidiary of VMware (referred to as Holdco),
Verona Merger Sub, Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Holdco
(referred to as Merger Sub 1), Barcelona Merger Sub 2, Inc., a
direct wholly owned subsidiary of Broadcom (referred to as Merger
Sub 2) and Barcelona Merger Sub 3, LLC, a direct wholly owned
subsidiary of Broadcom (referred to as Merger Sub 3) entered into
an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for the acquisition
of VMware by Broadcom (such agreement, as it may be amended from
time to time, is referred to as the merger agreement). Pursuant to
the terms of the merger agreement, (i) Merger Sub 1 will merge
with and into VMware (referred to as the first merger), with VMware
surviving the first merger and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary
of Holdco, (ii) following the effective time of the first
merger, VMware, the surviving company of the first merger, will be
converted (referred to as the LLC conversion) into a Delaware
limited liability company, (iii) following the effective time
of the LLC conversion, Merger Sub 2 will merge with and into Holdco
(referred to as the second merger), with Holdco surviving the
second merger and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Broadcom
and (iv) following the effective time of the second merger,
Holdco, the surviving company of the second merger, will merge with
and into Merger Sub 3 (referred to as the third merger and
collectively with the first merger, the LLC conversion and the
second merger, referred to as the transactions), with Merger Sub 3
surviving the third merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of
Broadcom. The respective boards of directors of VMware and Broadcom
have unanimously approved the merger agreement and the
transactions.
Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the merger
agreement, at the effective time of the second merger, each share
of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of VMware
(referred to as VMware common stock) that you own immediately prior
to the effective time of the second merger will be indirectly
converted into the right to receive, at your election and subject
to proration in accordance with the merger agreement as described
below, (i) $142.50 per share in cash, without interest
(referred to as the cash consideration) or (ii) 0.25200 shares of
common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Broadcom (referred to
as the stock consideration). You may elect a different form of
consideration for each share you own. You may elect to receive
(i) solely the cash consideration, (ii) solely the stock
consideration or (iii) if you own more than one share, a
combination of the cash consideration for a selected number of
shares and the stock consideration for the remaining number of
shares. The stockholder election will be subject to the election of
other VMware stockholders and a proration mechanism, such that the
total number of shares of VMware common stock entitled to receive
the cash consideration, and the total number of shares of VMware
common stock entitled to receive the stock consideration, will, in
each case, be equal to 50% of the aggregate number of shares of
VMware common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the
effective time of the second merger. Holders of VMware common stock
that do not make an election will be treated as having elected to
receive the cash consideration or the stock consideration in
accordance with the proration methodology in the merger agreement.
You will receive cash in lieu of any fractional shares of Broadcom
common stock that you would otherwise be entitled to receive.
Contemporaneously and in connection with the execution of the
merger agreement, Broadcom entered into voting agreements with each
of (i) Michael S. Dell and Susan Lieberman Dell Separate
Property Trust and (ii) certain VMware stockholders affiliated
with Silver Lake (referred to as the voting agreements). Subject to
the terms and conditions of the voting agreements, such
stockholders have agreed, among other things, to vote all of the
shares of VMware common stock held by them (representing in the
aggregate approximately 50.1% of the total outstanding shares of
VMware common stock as of May 26, 2022) in favor of the
adoption of the merger agreement.
The blended value per share of VMware common stock of $139.69,
calculated as of May 20, 2022 (the last trading day prior to
market speculation regarding the transactions), and $137.30,
calculated as of May 24, 2022, represented a premium of
approximately 46% and 43% over the closing price per VMware common
stock of $95.71 on May 20, 2022, and a premium of
approximately 36% and 34% over the 30-day volume weighted average
closing price per VMware common stock ending May 20, 2022 of
$102.41, respectively. The implied value of the stock consideration
will fluctuate as the market price of Broadcom common stock
fluctuates because the stock consideration is payable in a fixed
number of shares of Broadcom common stock. As a result, the value
of the stock consideration that VMware stockholders will receive
upon completion of the transactions could be greater than, less
than or the same as the value of the stock consideration on the
date of the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus, at the time of
the special meeting of the VMware stockholders described in the
accompanying proxy statement/prospectus (referred to as the special
meeting) or on the date on which VMware stockholders make their
election. Accordingly, you should obtain current stock price
quotations for Broadcom common stock and VMware common stock before
deciding how to vote with respect to the approval of the merger
agreement proposal. Broadcom common stock and VMware common stock
trade on The Nasdaq Global Select Market and the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbols “AVGO” and “VMW,” respectively.
Based on the number of shares of Broadcom common stock and VMware
common stock outstanding on September 12, 2022, upon completion of
the transactions, former VMware stockholders will own approximately
12.6% of the outstanding shares of Broadcom common stock and
Broadcom stockholders immediately prior to the transactions will
own approximately 87.4% of the outstanding shares of Broadcom
common stock.
The VMware board of directors unanimously (i) determined that
the terms of the merger agreement and the transactions are fair to,
and in the best interests of, VMware and its stockholders,
(ii) determined that it is in the best interests of VMware and
its stockholders, and declared it advisable, to enter into the
merger agreement, (iii) approved the execution and delivery by
VMware of the merger agreement, the performance by VMware of its
covenants and agreements contained therein and the consummation of
the transactions upon the terms and subject to the conditions set
forth in the merger agreement and (iv) resolved to recommend
that the VMware stockholders vote to adopt the merger
agreement.
At the special meeting, you will be asked to approve the merger
agreement proposal and to vote on other transaction-related
matters. You will also be asked to vote on a proposal to amend
VMware’s certificate of incorporation to eliminate the personal
liability of VMware’s officers for monetary damages for breach of
fiduciary duty as an officer, except to the extent such an
exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted by
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The VMware board of directors unanimously
recommends that VMware stockholders vote “FOR” the merger
agreement proposal, “FOR” the charter amendment proposal and “FOR” each of the other proposals
described in the accompanying proxy
statement/prospectus.
Your vote is very important. Broadcom and VMware cannot complete
the transactions without the approval of the merger agreement
proposal by VMware stockholders holding at least a majority of the
shares of VMware common stock outstanding at the close of business
on September 30, 2022, the record date for the special
meeting. The failure of any stockholder to vote will have the same
effect as a vote against the approval of the merger agreement
proposal and against the charter amendment proposal. It is
important that your shares of VMware common stock be represented
and voted regardless of the size of your holdings. Whether or not
you plan to participate in the special meeting, VMware urges you to
submit a proxy in advance of the special meeting to have your
shares voted by using one of the methods described in the
accompanying proxy statement/prospectus.
More information about Broadcom, VMware, the special meeting, the
transactions and the other proposals for consideration at the
special meeting is contained in the accompanying proxy
statement/prospectus.
Please
carefully read the entire proxy statement/prospectus, including the
section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 27, for a discussion of the risks relating to
the transactions, and the annexes and documents incorporated by
reference.
On behalf of the VMware board of directors, thank you for your
continued support.
Sincerely,
Amy Fliegelman Olli
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE
SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE TRANSACTIONS
OR OTHER TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS OR THE SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THE
TRANSACTIONS UNDER THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS NOR
HAVE THEY DETERMINED IF THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
IS ACCURATE OR ADEQUATE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The accompanying proxy statement/prospectus is dated
October 3, 2022 and is first being mailed to VMware
stockholders on or about October 4, 2022.