UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form 13F
FORM 13F COVER PAGE
Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: September 30, 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 October 26, 2004
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: 58
Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $1,049,614,286
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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Adams Express Company COMMON 006212104 1,193,061 94,090 N X 94,090
American International Gro COMMON 026874107 18,017,350 265,000 N X 265,000
Alkermes, Inc. COMMON 01642T108 3,923,600 340,000 N X 340,000
American Tower Corporation COMMON 029912201 8,442,500 550,000 N X 550,000
Annuity and Life Re (Holdi COMMON G03910109 250,000 625,000 N X 625,000
Apache Corporation COMMON 037411105 19,542,900 390,000 N X 390,000
Bank of America Corporatio COMMON 060505104 15,945,440 368,000 N X 368,000
Baxter International Inc. COMMON 071813109 26,532,000 825,000 N X 825,000
Bancroft Convertible Fund COMMON 059695106 386,642 21,070 N X 21,070
Biogen Idec Inc. COMMON 09062X103 15,292,500 250,000 N X 250,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Compa COMMON 110122108 7,101,000 300,000 N X 300,000
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. COMMON 084670108 25,995,000 300 N X 300
Brooks Automation, Inc. COMMON 114340102 6,954,725 491,500 N X 491,500
Central Securities Corpora COMMON 155123102 2,515,140 113,040 N X 113,040
CIENA Corporation COMMON 171779101 1,089,000 550,000 N X 550,000
Costco Wholesale Corporati COMMON 22160K105 29,057,000 700,000 N X 700,000
Cox Communications, Inc. - COMMON 224044107 20,540,600 620,000 N X 620,000
Cisco Systems, Inc. COMMON 17275R102 16,290,000 900,000 N X 900,000
CEMEX, S.A. de C.V. COMMON 151290889 26,733,000 950,000 N X 950,000
Diageo plc COMMON 25243Q205 17,650,500 350,000 N X 350,000
Genentech, Inc. COMMON 368710406 29,355,200 560,000 N X 560,000
Devon Energy Corporation COMMON 25179M103 56,808,000 800,000 N X 800,000
EMC Corporation COMMON 268648102 3,462,000 300,000 N X 300,000
EMCORE Corporation COMMON 290846104 388,090 197,000 N X 197,000
El Paso Corporation 0% CONV C 28336LAC3 11,475,000 22,500,000 N X 22,500,000
Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. COMMON 297602104 9,556,250 275,000 N X 275,000
Golden West Financial COMMON 381317106 36,058,750 325,000 N X 325,000
Genaera Corporation COMMON 36867G100 1,055,700 270,000 N X 270,000
Genta Incorporated COMMON 37245M207 1,008,750 375,000 N X 375,000
Halliburton Company COMMON 406216101 20,214,000 600,000 N X 600,000
The Home Depot, Inc. COMMON 437076102 75,264,000 1,920,000 N X 1,920,000
Juniper Networks, Inc. COMMON 48203R104 3,540,000 150,000 N X 150,000
Lamar Advertising Company COMMON 512815101 20,805,000 500,000 N X 500,000
Medtronic, Inc. COMMON 585055106 23,355,000 450,000 N X 450,000
MedImmune, Inc. COMMON 584699102 10,783,500 455,000 N X 455,000
MetLife, Inc. COMMON 59156R108 16,812,750 435,000 N X 435,000
MFA Mortgage Investments, COMMON 55272X102 7,828,500 850,000 N X 850,000
Millennium Pharmaceuticals COMMON 599902103 1,640,400 120,000 N X 120,000
Molex Incorporated Class A COMMON 608554200 18,818,800 715,000 N X 715,000
Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd COMMON G62185106 6,419,000 175,000 N X 175,000
Microsoft Corporation COMMON 594918104 42,166,250 1,525,000 N X 1,525,000
M&T Bank Corporation COMMON 55261F104 31,581,000 330,000 N X 330,000
Annaly Mortgage Management COMMON 035710409 13,275,750 775,000 N X 775,000
NetIQ Corporation COMMON 64115P102 6,666,100 623,000 N X 623,000
PepsiCo, Inc. COMMON 713448108 7,297,500 150,000 N X 150,000
Pfizer Inc COMMON 717081103 40,545,000 1,325,000 N X 1,325,000
PartnerRe Ltd. COMMON G6852T105 27,345,000 500,000 N X 500,000
Everest Re Group, Ltd. COMMON G3223R108 48,314,500 650,000 N X 650,000
Reinsurance Group of Ameri COMMON 759351109 18,334,000 445,000 N X 445,000
Republic Services, Inc. COMMON 760759100 34,968,000 1,175,000 N X 1,175,000
Royce Value Trust COMMON 780910105 1,812,580 100,867 N X 100,867
SunTrust Banks, Inc. COMMON 867914103 14,434,050 205,000 N X 205,000
The TJX Companies, Inc. COMMON 872540109 55,100,000 2,500,000 N X 2,500,000
Total S.A. ADR COMMON 89151E109 25,235,990 247,000 N X 247,000
Transatlantic Holdings, In COMMON 893521104 15,285,938 281,250 N X 281,250
Unocal Corporation COMMON 915289102 8,600,000 200,000 N X 200,000
VeriSign, Inc. COMMON 92343E102 4,641,980 233,500 N X 233,500
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. COMMON 931142103 35,910,000 675,000 N X 675,000