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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )*
WESTAR ENERGY, INC.
(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, $5.00 par value
(Title of Class of Securities)
95709T100
(CUSIP Number)
January 10, 2003
(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)
Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to
which this Schedule is filed:
[ ] Rule 13d-1(b)
[ X ] Rule 13d-1(c)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a
reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to
the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amend-
ment containing information which would alter the disclosures
provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page
shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise
subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall
be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
CUSIP No. 95709T100
1. Names of Reporting Persons.
I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons
(entities only).
LEON G. COOPERMAN
2. Check Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group*
(a) [ ]
(b) [ X]
3. SEC Use Only
4. Citizenship or Place of Organization:
UNITED STATES
5. Sole Voting Power
2,377,200
Number of
Shares Bene- 6. Shared Voting Power
ficially by 1,439,000
Owned by 7. Sole Dispositive Power
Each Report- 2,377,200
ing Person 8. Shared Dispositive Power
With: 1,439,000
9. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting
Person: 3,816,200
10. Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11)Excludes
Certain Shares *
11. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11):
5.3%
12. Type of Reporting Person*
IN
Item 1(a) Name of Issuer:
Westar Energy, Inc. (the "Issuer").
Item 1(b) Address of the Issuer's Principal Executive
Offices:
818 South Kansas Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66612
Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:
This statement is filed on behalf of Leon G. Cooperman ("Mr.
Cooperman").
Mr. Cooperman is the Managing Member of Omega Associates,
L.L.C. ("Associates"), a limited liability company organized
under the laws of the State of Delaware. Associates is a private
investment firm formed to invest in and act as general partner of
investment partnerships or similar investment vehicles.
Associates is the general partner of four limited partnerships
organized under the laws of Delaware known as Omega Capital
Partners, L.P. ("Capital LP"), Omega Institutional Partners, L.P.
("Institutional LP"), Omega Capital Investors, L.P.("Investors
LP"), and Omega Equity Investors, L.P. ("Equity LP"). These
entities are private investment firms engaged in the purchase and
sale of securities for investment for their own accounts.
Mr. Cooperman is the President and majority stockholder of
Omega Advisors, Inc. ("Advisors"), a Delaware corporation,
engaged in providing investment management services and is deemed
to control said entity. Advisors serves as the investment
manager to Omega Overseas Partners, Ltd. ("Overseas"), a Cayman
Islands exempted company, with a business address at British
American Tower, Third Floor, Jennrett Street, Georgetown, Grand
Cayman Island, British West Indies. Mr. Cooperman has investment
discretion over portfolio investments of Overseas and is deemed
to control such investments.
Advisors also serves as a discretionary investment advisor
to a limited number of institutional clients (the "Managed
Accounts"). As to the Shares owned by the Managed Accounts,
there would be shared power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of such Shares because the owners of the Managed
Accounts may be deemed beneficial owners of such Shares pursuant
to Rule 13d-3 under the Act as a result of their right to
terminate the discretionary account within a period of 60 days.
Mr. Cooperman is the ultimate controlling person of
Associates, Capital LP, Institutional LP, Investors LP, Equity
LP, and Advisors.
Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office or, if None,
Residence:
The address of the principal business office of each of Mr.
Cooperman, Capital LP, Institutional LP, Investors LP, Equity LP,
Overseas, and Advisors is 88 Pine Street, Wall Street Plaza - 31st
Floor, New York, New York 10005.
Item 2(c) Citizenship:
Mr. Cooperman is a United States citizen;
Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities:
Common Stock, $5.00 par value (the "Shares")
Item 2(e) CUSIP Number: 95709T100
Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to
Sections 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b)
or (c):
This Item 3 is not applicable.
Item 4. Ownership:
Item 4(a) (b) Amount Beneficially Owned and Percent of Class:
Mr. Cooperman may be deemed the beneficial owner of
3,816,200 Shares which constitutes approximately 5.3% of the
total number of Shares outstanding. This is based on the
Company's Form 10-Q/A for the quarterly period ended June 30,
2002 which reflected 71,488,497 Shares outstanding as of
August 6, 2002.
This consists of 1,221,900 Shares owned by Capital LP;
73,800 Shares owned by Institutional LP; 92,200 Shares owned by
Investors; 161,900 Shares owned by Equity LP; 827,400 Shares
owned by Overseas; and 1,439,000 Shares owned by the Managed
Accounts.
Item 4(c) Number of Shares as to which such person has:
(i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
2,377,200
(ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
1,439,000
(iii)Sole power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of:
2,377,200
(iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of:
1,439,000
Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
This Item 5 is not applicable.
Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of
Another Person:
This Item 6 is not applicable.
Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary
Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the
Parent Holding Company:
This Item 7 is not applicable.
Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members
of the Group:
This Item 8 is not applicable.
Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group:
This item 9 is not applicable.
Item 10. Certification:
By signing below the undersigned certifies that, to the
best of his knowledge and belief, the securities referred to
above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or
with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the
Issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held
in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
that purpose or effect.
SIGNATURES
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the undersigned certifies that the information set forth
in this statement is true, complete and correct.
DATED: January 17, 2003
LEON G. COOPERMAN, individually,
as Managing Member of Omega
Associates, L.L.C. on behalf of
Omega Capital Partners, L.P.,
Omega Institutional Partners, L.P.,
Omega Capital Investors, L.P.,
Omega Equity Investors, L.P., and
as President of Omega Advisors, Inc.
By /s/ ALAN M. STARK
Alan M. Stark
Attorney-in-Fact
Power of Attorney on file
ATTENTION: INTENTIONAL MISSTATEMENTS OR OMISSIONS OF FACT
CONSTITUTE FEDERAL CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS (SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001).