Holding(s) in Company

RNS Number:3919Q
BHP Billiton PLC
01 October 2003

Issued by:      BHP Billiton Plc
To:                                                                  cc:
Company Announcements Office                                         New York Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange                                            Swiss Stock Exchange
Old Broad Street                                                     NZX
London EC2N 1HP                                                      Johannesburg Stock Exchange
United Kingdom                                                       Euronext
                                                                     Deutsche Bank
Company Announcements Office
The Australian Stock Exchange
4th Floor, 20 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia



Date:             1 October 2003

For Release:      Immediately

Contact:      Ines Watson [phone]



                   Notification of Major Interests in Shares





The following notification was received yesterday by BHP Billiton Plc in a
communication from Old Mutual plc dated 30 August 2003 relating to major
interests in shares of BHP Billiton Plc as at 26 September 2003:

"Please find notification pursuant to section 198 of the Companies Act 1985,
that, as at 26th September 2003, Old Mutual plc and its direct and indirect
subsidiaries, have an interest in 175,201,469 ordinary shares of the company
representing 7.10% of the issued share capital. The shares are registered as per
the attached schedule."

Registered holdings of BHP Billiton Plc share capital by Old Mutual Companies at
26 September 2003
Total Shares issued Number of Shares               Company                         Registered Holder                % of

                                                                                                                  issued
                                                                                                                  shares
      2,468,147,002       94,459,396 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Life Assurance Company         3.83%
                                     Africa) (Pty) Ltd                   (South Africa) Ltd
                             134,668 Stanlib Asset Management Ltd (not   Old Mutual Life Assurance Company         0.01%
                                     an Old Mutual Company)              (South Africa) Ltd
                             402,631 Prudential Portfolio Managers SA    Old Mutual Life Assurance Company         0.02%
                                     (Pty) Ltd (not an Old Mutual        (South Africa) Ltd
                                     Company
                             268,384 PeregrineQuant (Pty) Ltd (Not an    Old Mutual Life Assurance Company         0.01%
                                     Old Mutual Company)                 (South Africa) Ltd
                             140,609 Coronation Fund Managers Ltd (Not   Old Mutual Life Assurance Company         0.01%
                                     an Old Mutual Company)              (South Africa) Ltd
                           2,538,073 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Unit Trusts (SA) Limited       0.10%
                                     Africa) (Pty) Ltd
                          41,968,758 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Asset Managers (South          1.70%
                                     Africa) (Pty) Ltd                   Africa) (Pty) Ltd (Managed Fund
                                                                         Client Assets)
                             108,576 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Omnibon No 13 (Pty) Limited               0.00%
                                     Africa) (Pty) Ltd
                           1,679,383 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia) Old Mutual Life Assurance Company         0.07%
                                     (Pty) Ltd                           (Namibia) Ltd
                             232,849 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia) Old Mutual Holdings (Namibia) (Pty)       0.01%
                                     (Pty) Ltd                           Ltd
                             833,851 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia) Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia)       0.03%
                                     (Pty) Ltd                           (Pty) Ltd (Managed Fund Client
                                                                         Assets)
                              39,376 Old Mutual Asset Managers (South    Old Mutual Unit Trusts (Namibia)          0.00%
                                     Africa) (Pty) Ltd                   Limited
                           3,705,874 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Bermuda) Old Mutual Global Asset Fund              0.15%
                                     Ltd
                          11,730,448 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Bermuda) Old Mutual South Africa Equity Trust      0.48%
                                     Ltd                                 Limited
                           1,032,406 Old Mutual Asset Managers (Bermuda) Old Mutual South African Trust Plc        0.04%
                                     Ltd
                              27,935 Quantitive Asset Management         ABSA Nominees                             0.00%
                           3,217,485 Quantitive Asset Management         Nedbank Nominees Ltd                      0.13%
                           2,921,495 Quantitive Asset Management         Standard Bank Nominees Ltd                0.12%
                                 115 Syfrets Securities                  Syfrets Securities Nominees (Pty) Ltd     0.00%
                             627,724 Franklin Templeton/NIB Investments  Nedcor Bank Nominees Ltd                  0.03%
                               2,277 Old Mutual                          Nedcor Bank Nominees                      0.00%
                           1,972,805 BOE Private Clients                 Standard Bank Nominees                    0.08%
                              43,439 BOE Private Clients                 Registered Own Name                       0.00%
                           1,388,838 BOE Private Clients (NTRAC)         Nedcor Bank Nominees                      0.06%
                              89,499 BOE Fiduciary                       Nedcor Bank Nominees                      0.00%
                           1,936,848 Mutual & Federal Limited            Mutual & Federal Limited                  0.08%
                           3,077,844 Quaystone Ltd                       Standard Bank Nominees (Transvaal)        0.12%
                                                                         (Pty) Limited
                             295,841 Quaystone Ltd                       Nedcor Bank Nominees Ltd                  0.01%
                             324,042 Quaystone Ltd                       ABSA                                      0.01%
                         175,201,469                                                                               7.10%


BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077                 BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia                                 Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: 600 Bourke Street Melbourne Victoria Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH United
3000                                                    Kingdom
Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]     Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]

              The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia




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