CHANGES IN THE OWNERSHIP OF SAMPO PLC

SAMPO PLC STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 24 March 2004 at 4.45 p.m. CHANGES IN THE OWNERSHIP OF SAMPO PLC Sampo plc (business code 0142213-3) has today received a disclosure under chapter 2, section 9 of the Securities Markets Act, according to which the Finnish government and Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company (business code 0533297-9) have made the following share transaction: Varma has acquired from the Finnish government 44,336,000 A shares of Sampo plc, which represent eight (8) per cent of all of Sampo's A shares. After the transaction, the holdings of the parties are as follows: Finnish government Share type No. of shares % of share capital % of votes A shares 179,280,080 32.35 32.07 B shares - - - Total 179,280,080 32.35 32.07 Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company Share type No. of shares % of share capital % of votes A shares 86,462,285 15.60 15.47 B shares - - - Total 86,462,285 15.60 15.47 Sampo's share capital comprises 554,201,215 shares, of which 553,001,215 are A shares and 1,200,000 are B shares. Each A share entitles its holder to one (1) vote and each B share to five (5) votes. Thus, the total number of votes produced by all shares is 559,001,215 votes . SAMPO PLC Jarmo Salonen Head of Investor Relations tel. +358 10 516 0030 For more information, please contact: Jarmo Salonen, Head of Investor Relations, tel. 010 516 0030 Hannu Vuola, Head of Group Communications, tel. +358 (0)10 516 0040. 010 516 0040 Distribution: Helsinki Exchanges Principal news media www.sampo.fi/english Financial Supervision Authority ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/03/24/20040324BIT00750/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/03/24/20040324BIT00750/wkr0002.pdf