Retired Fire Department Captain from St. Paul Wins the Merrill Lynch M

Retired Fire Department Captain from St. Paul Wins the Merrill Lynch Million Dollar Make-over-SM-; Over 18 Million Spending Transactions on MERRILL+SM and Merrill Lynch Visa-R- Signature Rewards-R- Cards During Promotion

    Business Editors

    NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 15, 2005--Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) today announced Dan Manthey, a retired fire department captain from St. Paul, Minnesota, is the grand prize winner of the Merrill Lynch Million Dollar Make-overSM. The sweepstakes gave all eligible MERRILL+SM and Merrill Lynch Visa(R) Signature Rewards(R) cardholders the chance to win one million dollars worth of make-over experiences, courtesy of Visa.
    During the next twelve months, Mr. Manthey will receive the ultimate lifestyle make-over, beginning with a home interior make-over with celebrity designer, Michael Payne, a designer wardrobe and fashion make-over with consultant Jenny Gering, followed by a new hairstyle with celebrity stylist Sally Hershberger and cooking classes with chef Jacques Pepin in Napa Valley. In addition he will receive a 2005 Porsche Boxster S, a 25-hour Marquis Jet Card and $250,000 in cash, among other prizes.
    Mr. Manthey was chosen as the winner by a random electronic drawing of more than 18 million entries from eligible MERRILL+ and Merrill Lynch Visa Signature cardholders. Entries were based on purchases made from October 15 - December 31, 2004. Mr. Manthey's winning transaction was a gasoline purchase at a local Holiday(R) Stationstore.
    "We know our clients don't need another card in their wallet, they need a better one," said Peter Barsoom, director of card payments for Merrill Lynch. "This sweepstakes is a great way for us to reward client loyalty with exceptional value, and illustrate our commitment to every aspect of clients' financial lives through Total Merrill."
    "This is a dream come true," said Mr. Manthey, sweepstakes winner and Merrill Lynch Visa Signature cardholder. "My Merrill Lynch financial advisor, Rick Thomas, called me and said, 'Remember that make-over sweepstakes I told you about? Well you won.' I just couldn't believe it, I never win anything! I've read about how credit card companies are rewarding their loyal customers, but this actually proves that Merrill really does."
    Mr. Manthey grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota where he worked for the Saint Paul Department of Fire and Safety Services for ten years. Retiring as a fire captain in 2000, Mr. Manthey and his companion of 28 years, Shari Kraft, now reside in Scandia, Minnesota where they recently built a new home. "I was so excited when we found out," said Ms. Kraft. "When they started telling us about all of the different prizes I asked them which one do we get and they said, 'You won all of these things!' That's when I screamed, I was just so shocked."
    When designing the Merrill Lynch Million Dollar Make-Over sweepstakes, Merrill Lynch conducted a third-party omnibus survey of more than one thousand U.S. adult consumers to determine how they would spend one million dollars. Six in 10 U.S. adults said that if they had a million dollars, they would change or upgrade their homes. Almost one-fifth said they would change their lives by traveling and one-third of U.S. adults point to Tuscany, Italy, for their dream family vacation.
    The complete list of prizes - courtesy of Visa - Mr. Manthey will receive as the grand prize winner includes $250,000 in cash and:

    HOME MAKE-OVER

--	Michael Payne, host of "Designing for the Sexes," will re-design one or two rooms in Mr. Manthey's home, including brand new home furnishings
--	A home theater system including plasma televisions, DVD and CD players
--	Complete security system and new lighting throughout entire home
--	TiVo for life
--	PC computer package with LCD monitor, printer and accessories
--	Cyber shot 5.0 megapixel digital camera

    PERSONAL MAKE-OVER

    -- Wardrobe consultation and personal shopping with fashion
    consultant Jenny Gering, for Mr. Manthey and Ms. Kraft

    -- Hairstyle and make-up session with a Sally Hershberger,
    including top-line cosmetics for Mr. Manthey and Ms. Kraft

    -- Personal home gymnasium including a stair stepper, treadmill,
    weight machine and sauna

    LEISURE MAKE-OVER

    -- One-week vacation for six, including luxury accommodations at
    a villa in Tuscany, Italy

    -- 25 hours travel time via private jet with a Marquis Jet Card

    -- A 2005 Porsche Boxster S and one day at the Porsche Driving
    Experience School for Mr. Manthey and his guest, including
    travel

    -- Personal Cooking class in Napa Valley, CA with celebrity chef
    Jacques Pepin, including dinner party for four, personal wine
    tasting from COPIA, first-class roundtrip travel and luxury
    hotel accommodations

    For more information about the MERRILL+ Visa card, please visit www.card.ml.com, or for the Merrill Lynch Visa Signature Rewards card, please visit www.signaturerewards.ml.com. Information about Total Merrill, the firm's integrated approach to managing wealth, can be found by visiting www.askmerrill.ml.com.
    Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading financial management and advisory companies, with offices in 36 countries and total client assets of approximately $1.6 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global underwriter of debt and equity securities and strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Through Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, the company is one of the world's largest managers of financial assets. Firmwide, assets under management total $501 billion. For more information on Merrill Lynch, please visit www.ml.com.

--30--MEM/ny*

CONTACT: Merrill Lynch Erik Hendrickson, 212-449-7293 erik_hendrickson@ml.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA MINNESOTA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BANKING PRODUCT SOURCE: Merrill Lynch

Copyright Business Wire 2005