RNS Number:2100P
BHP Billiton PLC
01 September 2003

Issued by:      BHP Billiton Plc
To:                                                  cc:
Company Announcements Office                         New York Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange                            Swiss Stock Exchange
Old Broad Street                                     NZX
London EC2N 1HP                                      Johannesburg Stock Exchange
United Kingdom                                       Euronext
                                                     Deutsche Bank
Company Announcements Office
The Australian Stock Exchange
4th Floor, 20 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia



Date:      1 September 2003

Contact:      Ines Watson +44 (0)20 7802 4176



                   Notification of Major Interests in Shares



The following notification was received on 29 August 2003 by BHP Billiton Plc in
a letter from Old Mutual plc dated 29 August 2003 relating to major interests in
shares of BHP Billiton Plc as at 26 August 2003:

"Disclosure under s 198 - 212 Companies Act

Please find notification pursuant to Section 198 of the Companies Act 1985, that
as at 26 August 2003, Old Mutual Plc and its direct and indirect subsidiaries
had a material interest in 152,656,921 ordinary shares of BHP Billiton Plc,
representing 6.19% of the issued share capital. The shares are registered as per
the attached schedule."

Registered holdings of BHP Billiton Plc share capital by Old Mutual Companies at
26 August 2003

    Total Shares  Number of Shares               Company                          Registered Holder
          issued
     2,468,144,000      79,417,870 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Life Assurance Company           3.22%
                                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd                   (South Africa) Ltd
                           786,085 Stanlib Asset Management Ltd (not   Old Mutual Life Assurance Company           0.03%
                                   an Old Mutual Company)              (South Africa) Ltd
                           402,631 Prudential Portfolio Managers SA    Old Mutual Life Assurance Company           0.02%
                                   (Pty) Ltd (not an Old Mutual        (South Africa) Ltd
                                   Company
                           282,484 PeregrineQuant (Pty) Ltd (Not an    Old Mutual Life Assurance Company           0.01%
                                   Old Mutual Company)                 (South Africa) Ltd
                           212,209 Coronation Fund Managers Ltd (Not   Old Mutual Life Assurance Company           0.01%
                                   an Old Mutual Company)              (South Africa) Ltd
                         2,075,973 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Unit Trusts (SA) Limited         0.08%
                                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd
                        35,595,131 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Asset Managers (South            1.44%
                                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd (Managed Fund Client
                                                                       Assets)
                            74,800 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Omnibon No 13 (Pty) Limited                 0.00%
                                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd
                         1,414,383 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia) Old Mutual Life Assurance Company           0.06%
                                   (Pty) Ltd                           (Namibia) Ltd
                           232,849 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia) Old Mutual Holdings (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd     0.01%
                                   (Pty) Ltd
                           789,091 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia) Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia)         0.03%
                                   (Pty) Ltd                           (Pty) Ltd (Managed Fund Client Assets)
                            34,126 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Unit Trusts (Namibia)            0.00%
                                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd                   Limited
                         3,705,874 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Bermuda) Old Mutual Global Asset Fund                0.15%
                                   Ltd
                        11,717,248 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Bermuda) Old Mutual South Africa Equity Trust        0.47%
                                   Ltd                                 Limited
                           920,406 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Bermuda) Old Mutual South African Trust Plc          0.04%
                                   Ltd
                         6,098,054 Quantitive Asset Management         Nedbank Nominees Ltd                        0.25%
                            60,966 Quantitive Asset Management         Standard Bank Nominees Ltd                  0.00%
                            22,332 Syfrets Securities                  Syfrets Securities Nominees (Pty) Ltd       0.00%
                           583,736 Franklin Templeton/NIB Investments  Nedcor Bank Nominees Ltd                    0.02%
                             2,277 Old Mutual                          Nedcor Bank Nominees                        0.00%
                         2,042,903 BOE Private Clients                 Standard Bank Nominees                      0.08%
                            43,439 BOE Private Clients                 Registered Own Name                         0.00%
                         1,377,215 BOE Private Clients (NTRAC)         Nedcor Bank Nominees                        0.06%
                            79,123 BOE Fiduciary                       Nedcor Bank Nominees                        0.00%
                         1,936,848 Mutual & Federal Limited            Mutual & Federal Limited                    0.08%
                         2,023,868 Quaystone Ltd                       Standard Bank Nominees (Transvaal)          0.08%
                                                                       (Pty) Limited
                           356,800 Quaystone Ltd                       Nedcor Bank Nominees Ltd                    0.01%
                           368,200 Quaystone Ltd                       ABSA                                        0.01%
                       152,656,921                                                                                 6.19%


BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077                     BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia                                     Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: 600 Bourke Street Melbourne Victoria     Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH United
3000                                                        Kingdom
Telephone +61 3 9609 3333 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015         Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111

              The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

HOLGGGGLDMVGFZG