LEGATUM is a privately owned, international investment organisation, headquartered in Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates. Legatum's mission is to promote prosperity through excellence in both global investment and sustainable development.

Organisation and Operations

The Legatum group is active in the international markets for both financial and social capital. Legatum's activities are undertaken through three divisions:

• Legatum Capital;
• Legatum Global Development ("LGD"); and
• The Legatum Institute for Global Development (“LIGD”)

Legatum Capital

Legatum Capital is a long-term, value-oriented portfolio investor with a special emphasis on emerging markets, and countries and industries in transition. With twenty years of experience investing proprietary capital, Legatum Capital provides capital to companies and governments across the globe in various industry sectors.

Legatum Global Development

Legatum Global Development was established to promote sustainable global prosperity through the application of market-based solutions to solve long-term development problems. The company is active in two main areas:

1. Venture Capital - engaging in "double bottom line" investing that delivers extraordinary social returns while generating financial returns that allow activities to be increased in both scale and scope;
2. Humanitarian Grants – supporting community-based projects run by local entrepreneurs in the priority sectors of Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, Human Liberty, Disaster Recovery and the Environment;

Legatum's Prosperity Ladder graphically demonstrates the Group's approach to investment at all levels of the economic and social scale.

Investment Activity

A review of Legatum's investment activities can be found at www.legatum.com. A sample of these includes the following investments.

• Legatum Capital has invested more than $1 billion in India, with an emphasis on the financial services sector.
• In May 2007, Legatum Global Development invested US$25 million in SHARE Microfin Ltd. (www.sharemicrofin.com), SHARE is India's leading and largest microfinance institution based in Hyderabad, with over 1 million clients. This is the biggest capital investment of its kind in the sector.
• Legatum Global Development’s recent initiatives include:
  • Funding a project to eliminate seven waterborne diseases from two post-conflict countries in Africa
  • Funding over 100 community-based projects in the last 18 months that address education, prevention and care relating to HIV and AIDS.
  • Partnering with Professor Michael Kremer of Harvard University in a study in India, where Legatum’s grant will provide scholarships, covering the full cost of tuition for 6,000 children in 100 villages in Andhra Pradesh, and enabling them to attend primary schools for full five year terms.
  • Funding for 11 anti-slavery projects in Ecuador, The grants provided anti-trafficking education for 143,000 people and rescued nearly 4,000 victims of slavery. Importantly, the joint efforts of the grantees resulted in changes to Ecuadorian law to criminalise all forms of slavery and ensure appropriate punishment for traffickers.
  • Alleviating suffering caused by war, famine and other disasters. In addition to funding basic needs such as shelter, food and water, Legatum also funds projects that draw the world's attention to otherwise ignored ongoing crises. One example is Northern Uganda, where Legatum invested in the production of a documentary film and an awareness campaign called "Invisible Children" (www.invisiblechildren.com).

History

• Legatum was founded in December 2006 by Christopher Chandler, Chairman of Legatum Global Holdings. Mr. Chandler was formerly President of the holding company for the Sovereign Global group of companies ("Sovereign"), which he co-founded in 1986. From 1986 to 2006, Sovereign provided capital to companies and governments in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe, and to industries including telecommunications, electric utilities, steel, oil and gas, banking and oil refining.
• Legatum's name originates from the Latin noun for "legacy", meaning a "gift provided to others without charge".

External Links

Corporate website

Legatum Prosperity Ladder

SHARE Microfin Ltd.

Invisible Children