Exhibit 5.1
[Letterhead of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz]
June 28, 2023
Nasdaq, Inc.
151 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to Nasdaq, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.650% senior notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes”), $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.350% senior notes due 2028 (the “2028 Notes”), $1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.550% senior notes due 2034 (the “2034 Notes”), $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.950% senior notes due 2053 (the “2053 Notes”) and $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.100% senior notes due 2063 (the “2063 Notes”, and together with the 2025 Notes, 2028 Notes, 2034 Notes and 2053 Notes, the “Notes”). The Notes were sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, dated June 22, 2023, among Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), and the Company. The Notes were issued pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement, dated June 22, 2023 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 26, 2023, and the Prospectus, dated April 30, 2021, that forms a part of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-255666), filed with the SEC on April 30, 2021 (the “Registration Statement”) and which automatically became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (including the rules and regulations thereunder, the “Act”), upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(e) promulgated thereunder. The Notes were issued under the Indenture, dated as of June 7, 2013 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (“Wells Fargo”), as supplemented by (i) with respect to the 2025 Notes, the Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture (the “Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture”), dated June 28, 2023, by and between the Company and Computershare Trust Company, N.A (in its capacity as successor trustee to Wells Fargo, the “Trustee”), (ii) with respect to the 2028 Notes, the Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture (the “Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture”), dated June 28, 2023, by and between the Company and the Trustee, (iii) with respect to the 2034 Notes, the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture (the “Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture”), dated June 28, 2023, by and between the Company and the Trustee, (iv) with respect to the 2053 Notes, the Seventeenth Supplemental Indenture (the “Seventeenth Supplemental Indenture”), dated June 28, 2023, by and between the Company and the Trustee and (v) with respect to the 2063 Notes, the Eighteenth Supplemental Indenture (the “Eighteenth Supplemental Indenture”, and together with the Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture, Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture, Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, Seventeenth Supplemental Indenture and Eighteenth Supplemental Indenture, the “Supplemental Indentures” and, together with the Base Indenture, the “Indentures”), between the Company and the Trustee. The Supplemental Indentures, which include the form of the applicable series of Notes, are filed as exhibits to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated the date hereof (the “Form 8-K”).
In rendering this opinion, we have examined and relied on the Registration Statement, the Indentures, the form of the Notes and such corporate records and other documents, and we have reviewed such matters of law, as we have deemed necessary or appropriate. We have also conducted such investigations of fact and law as we have deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of this letter. In rendering this opinion, we have, with your consent, relied upon oral and written representations of officers of the Company and certificates of officers of the Company and public officials with respect to the accuracy of the factual matters addressed in such representations and certificates. In addition, in rendering this opinion we have, with your consent, assumed (a) the authenticity of original documents and the genuineness of all signatures, (b) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, (c) each natural person signing any document reviewed by us had the legal capacity to do so, (d) each person signing in a representative capacity any document reviewed by us had authority to sign in such capacity, (e) the truth, accuracy and completeness of the information, representations and warranties contained in the records, documents, instruments and certificates we have reviewed, (f) that all Notes will be issued and sold in compliance with