Ariel Fund, managed by John W. Rogers, Jr., is NOT the same entity referenced in the recent Bernard Madoff and J. Ezra Merkin news articles. 

Ariel Investments (which is comprised of the no-load mutual funds — Ariel Fund, Ariel Appreciation Fund and Ariel Focus Fund) is neither affiliated, associated nor in any way related to Ariel Fund Ltd, the hedge fund controlled by J. Ezra Merkin; Gabriel Capital LP fund; GMAC LLC; Cerberus Capital Management LP or any other feeder funds used by Bernard Madoff in his alleged Ponzi scheme.

For over 26 years, Ariel Investments has worked consistently to provide outstanding performance and service to our valued shareholders.  Our reputation has been built on integrity, transparency — and above all else — honesty.  As such, we are vigorously defending our registered name and trademark, and have formally issued a cease and desist notice to prevent J. Ezra Merkin and his entities from using our name. 

If you have any questions, please contact an Ariel Investments Specialist at 800-292-7435, option 4 or email@arielinvestments.com. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to serve our shareholders and will continue to work hard on their behalf.

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Updates in the Media

Bloomberg.com: "Merkin Fund Must Change Name to Avoid Madoff Link, Rival Says," January 7, 2009
Bloomberg.com discusses the steps Ariel Investments is taking to prevent further confusion between Ariel Fund and Merkin's similarly named hedge fund.

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This article was written on January 7, 2009 by Bloomberg. The information in this article is not guaranteed as to its accuracy or completeness. Information is current as of the date of this article and is subject to change.