Hello Fox, I wasn't around when they retired shares in 2012, but I read about it. It wasn't a buyback, rather, they had an arrangement with a consultant which obligated HIMR to pay the consultant 5B common shares. The consultant was to further HIMR image/interests in Asia, which I suppose means secure to some degree a concession there. HIMR was dissatisfied with services rendered and choose at their discretion to terminate the arrangement. The settlement of that terminated arrangement involved the consultant returning 3.5B shares which were then retired. HIMR also retired some treasury shares at the same time. That consultant has a very small royalty on future gross revenue.