Deere & Company (DE): Bill Gates’ Investment Manager Appointed to Company’s Board

 

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 

This Amendment No. 4 to Schedule 13D (Amendment) relates to the Common Stock, $1.00 par value per share (the Common Stock), of Deere & Company (the Issuer).  Cascade Investment, L.L.C. (Cascade) and William H. Gates III (collectively, the Reporting Persons) are jointly filing this Amendment to amend and supplement the Items set forth below of the Reporting Persons Schedule 13D previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 23, 2011; as amended December 11, 2012; December 18, 2013; and June 1, 2015.

 

 

Item 4.                                 Purpose of Transaction

 

Effective on December 20, 2016, the board of directors of the Issuer elected Alan Heuberger as a director.  Mr. Heuberger is a senior investment manager for William H. Gates III.  Mr. Heuberger has no investment or voting power over the Common Stock beneficially owned by Cascade and Mr. Gates.

 

Item 5.                                 Interest in Securities of the Issuer

 

(a)     See items 11 and 13 of the cover pages to this Schedule 13D for the aggregate number of shares and percentage of Common Stock beneficially owned by each of the Reporting Persons.

 

(b)     See items 7 through 10 of the cover pages to this Schedule 13D for the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by each of the Reporting Persons as to which there is sole power to vote or to direct the vote, shared power to vote or to direct the vote and sole or shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition.

 

(c)    None.

 

(d)    None.

 

(e)    Not applicable.

 

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