UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 Form 13F FORM 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: December 31, 2002 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 February 13, 2003 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: $641,861,980 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) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adams Express Company COMMON 006212104 945,277 89,430 N X 89,430 American International Gro COMMON 026874107 19,958,250 345,000 N X 345,000 Alkermes, Inc. COMMON 01642T108 2,131,800 340,000 N X 340,000 Annuity and Life Re (Holdi COMMON G03910109 2,320,000 1,000,000 N X 1,000,000 ASM International N.V. COMMON N07045102 3,225,000 250,000 N X 250,000 The Boeing Company COMMON 097023105 16,495,000 500,000 N X 500,000 Bancroft Convertible Fund COMMON 059695106 313,559 17,725 N X 17,725 Bristol-Myers Squibb Compa COMMON 110122108 6,945,000 300,000 N X 300,000 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. COMMON 084670108 21,825,000 300 N X 300 Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc COMMON 11434A100 1,931,010 168,500 N X 168,500 Central Securities Corpora COMMON 155123102 1,725,299 105,977 N X 105,977 CIENA Corporation COMMON 171779101 2,827,000 550,000 N X 550,000 Costco Wholesale Corporati COMMON 22160K105 19,642,000 700,000 N X 700,000 Cox Communications, Inc. - COMMON 224044107 17,608,000 620,000 N X 620,000 Cisco Systems, Inc. COMMON 17275R102 11,790,000 900,000 N X 900,000 Genentech, Inc. COMMON 368710406 21,554,000 650,000 N X 650,000 EMC Corporation COMMON 268648102 1,842,000 300,000 N X 300,000 EMCORE Corporation COMMON 290846104 431,430 197,000 N X 197,000 El Paso Corporation COMMON 28336L109 5,220,000 750,000 N X 750,000 El Paso Corporation 0% CONV C 28336LAC3 1,550,000 5,000,000 N X 5,000,000 Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. COMMON 297602104 9,451,750 275,000 N X 275,000 Ford Motor Company COMMON 345370860 2,092,500 225,000 N X 225,000 Golden West Financial COMMON 381317106 30,519,250 425,000 N X 425,000 Genaera Corporation COMMON 36867G100 172,800 270,000 N X 270,000 Genta Incorporated COMMON 37245M207 3,076,000 400,000 N X 400,000 Halliburton Company COMMON 406216101 15,903,500 850,000 N X 850,000 The Home Depot, Inc. COMMON 437076102 46,602,200 1,945,000 N X 1,945,000 Health Net, Inc. COMMON 42222G108 14,520,000 550,000 N X 550,000 IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corpo COMMON 449370105 8,292,500 250,000 N X 250,000 John Hancock Financial Ser COMMON 41014S106 12,136,500 435,000 N X 435,000 Juniper Networks, Inc. COMMON 48203R104 3,060,000 450,000 N X 450,000 Lucent Technologies Inc. COMMON 549463107 897,750 712,500 N X 712,500 Medtronic, Inc. COMMON 585055106 13,224,000 290,000 N X 290,000 MedImmune, Inc. COMMON 584699102 6,493,630 239,000 N X 239,000 MedImmune Vaccines, Inc. 5 CONV C 053762AD2 9,900,000 10,000,000 N X 10,000,000 MetLife, Inc. COMMON 59156R108 11,897,600 440,000 N X 440,000 Millennium Pharmaceuticals COMMON 599902103 952,800 120,000 N X 120,000 Molex Incorporated Class A COMMON 608554200 13,773,825 692,500 N X 692,500 M&T Bank Corporation COMMON 55261F104 25,392,000 320,000 N X 320,000 Max Re Capital Ltd. COMMON G6052F103 2,204,000 200,000 N X 200,000 Annaly Mortgage Management COMMON 035710409 9,400,000 500,000 N X 500,000 NTL Incorporated COMMON 629407107 2,880 180,000 N X 180,000 Newell Rubbermaid Inc. COMMON 651229106 3,033,000 100,000 N X 100,000 OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. COMMON 671040103 2,050,000 125,000 N X 125,000 PepsiCo, Inc. COMMON 713448108 6,333,000 150,000 N X 150,000 Pfizer Inc COMMON 717081103 31,334,250 1,025,000 N X 1,025,000 PartnerRe Ltd. COMMON G6852T105 27,205,500 525,000 N X 525,000 PSC Inc. COMMON 69361E107 894 298,000 N X 298,000 Everest Re Group, Ltd. COMMON G3223R108 37,327,500 675,000 N X 675,000 Reinsurance Group of Ameri COMMON 759351109 13,269,200 490,000 N X 490,000 Royce Value Trust COMMON 780910105 1,047,396 79,049 N X 79,049 SunTrust Banks, Inc. COMMON 867914103 13,091,600 230,000 N X 230,000 The TJX Companies, Inc. COMMON 872540109 47,336,000 2,425,000 N X 2,425,000 Transatlantic Holdings, In COMMON 893521104 15,341,000 230,000 N X 230,000 Wind River Systems, Inc. COMMON 973149107 1,391,950 339,500 N X 339,500 Waste Management, Inc. COMMON 94106L109 13,499,880 589,000 N X 589,000 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. COMMON 931142103 28,790,700 570,000 N X 570,000 Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. COMMON 989139100 565,000 250,000 N X 250,000