SAMPO PLC STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 7 October 2008 at 09.55 am DISCLOSURE UNDER CHAPTER 2 SECTION 9 OF THE SECURITIES MARKET ACT Sampo plc (business code 01422113-3) has today received the following disclosure in accordance with Chapter 2 Section 9 of the Securities Market Act regarding Sampo plc's shares. SAMPO PLC Jarmo Salonen Head of Investor Relations and Group Communication tel. +358 10 516 0030 Distribution: NASDAQ OMX Helsinki The principal media Financial Supervision Insurance Supervisory Authority www.sampo.com DISCLOSURE 7 October 2008 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION INTO OR IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN PROPOSED PLACING OF ORDINARY SHARES The Board of Directors of Exista hf. decided in its meeting yesterday to engage Citigroup Global Markets Limited (“Citi”) and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc (“Morgan Stanley” and together with Citi, the “Managers”) to conduct an accelerated bookbuilt offering of 114,257,867 shares (the “Placing Shares”) in Sampo Oyj. (the “Company”), representing an aggregate of 19.98% of the share capital of the Company (the “Placing”). Citi and Morgan Stanley are acting as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners in the Placing. The books for the Placing Shares will open with immediate effect. Pricing and allocations are expected to be announced as soon as practicable following the closing of the books. The timing of closing of the books will be at the absolute discretion of the Managers. Lydur Gudmundsson, Executive Chairman of Exista hf. comments: “In light of prolonged deterioration in global financial markets, it is prudent to scale down exposure and reduce leverage. Therefore we have decided to offer our holding in Sampo for sale in a bookbuilding process in order to significantly decrease Exista's outstanding liabilities. There are no plans to sell other assets.” Dated 7 October 2008 Enquiries: Exista (Media Enquiries) Sigurdur Nordal +354 550 8620 Paul Marriott +44 20 7269 7252 Citigroup Global Markets Limited Stephen Morris +44 20 7986 0740 Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc Henrik Gobel +44 20 7425 9069 Alex Abagian +44 20 7425 9059 MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER OF SECURITIES TO WHICH IT RELATES ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO AND DIRECTED AT PERSONS WHO ARE (1) QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF DIRECTIVE 2003/71/EC AND ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURES (THE “PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE”) AND (2) WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(1) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (THE “ORDER”) OR ARE PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) (“HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC”) OF THE ORDER OR ARE PERSONS TO WHOM AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE MADE (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS “RELEVANT PERSONS”). THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLACING SET OUT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA). THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY INVESTMENT DECISION TO BUY SECURITIES IN THE PLACING MUST BE MADE SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION WHICH HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED BY THE MANAGERS OR THE SELLERS. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR ANY COPY OF IT MAY BE TAKEN, TRANSMITTED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES, CANADIAN, AUSTRALIAN OR JAPANESE SECURITIES LAWS. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE OFFERING OR SALE OF THE PLACING SHARES IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS MAY BE RESTRICTED BY LAW. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE MANAGERS, OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON THAT WOULD PERMIT AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES OR POSSESSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY OTHER OFFERING OR PUBLICITY MATERIAL RELATING TO THE PLACING SHARES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED. PERSONS INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS ANNOUNCEMENT COMES ARE REQUIRED BY THE MANAGERS TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND TO OBSERVE ANY SUCH RESTRICTIONS. THE MANAGERS WILL ACT EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE SELLERS AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING. IT WILL NOT REGARD ANY OTHER PERSON (WHETHER OR NOT A RECIPIENT OF THIS DOCUMENT) AS ITS CLIENT IN RELATION TO THE PLACING AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE SELLERS FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO ITS CLIENTS NOR FOR GIVING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE PLACING OR ANY TRANSACTION, ARRANGEMENT OR OTHER MATTER REFERRED TO IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. Citigroup Global Markets Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Its registered address is at Citigroup Centre, Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5LB. Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Its registered address is at 25 Cabot Square, London E14 4QA