UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                               (Amendment No. _)*


                            CHIMERA INVESTMENT CORP.
           -----------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  Common Shares
           -----------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    16934Q109
           -----------------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                February 1, 2013
           -----------------------------------------------------------
             (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 amendment 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).

     Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form
     are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently  valid OMB
     control number.






CUSIP No. 16934Q109
          ---------

1.   Names of Reporting  Persons/  I.R.S.  Identification  Nos. of Above Persons
     (entities only):
                                 LEON G. COOPERMAN

----------------------------------------------------------------

2.  Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)

         (a)   [_]
         (b)   [X]
-----------------------------------------------------------------

3.  SEC  Use  Only
-----------------------------------------------------------------

4.  Citizenship or Place of Organization:       UNITED STATES
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Number of             5.  Sole Voting Power:            37,959,486
Shares Bene-
ficially              6.  Shared Voting Power           17,161,489
Owned by
Each Report-          7.  Sole Dispositive Power:       37,959,486
ing Person
With                  8.  Shared Dispositive Power      17,161,489
-----------------------------------------------------------------

9.  Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person:

                             55,120,975
-----------------------------------------------------------------

10.  Check Box if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares [_]
-----------------------------------------------------------------

11.  Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9):      5.4%
-----------------------------------------------------------------

12.  Type of Reporting Person:          IN
-----------------------------------------------------------------




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CUSIP No. 16934Q109
          ---------

Item 1(a) Name of Issuer:

                CHIMERA INVESTMENT CORP. (the "Issuer").

Item 1(b) Address of the Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                1211 Avenue of the Americas
                Suite 2902
                New York NY 10036


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 limited  partnerships  organized
under the laws of Delaware known as Omega Capital Partners, L.P. ("Capital 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
Island  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,
Investors LP, Equity LP, and Advisors.

     Mr.  Cooperman  is  married to an  individual  named  Toby  Cooperman.  Mr.
Cooperman  has an adult son named Michael S.  Cooperman  and a minor  grandchild
named  Asher  Silvin  Cooperman.  The Michael S.  Cooperman  WRA Trust( the "WRA
Trust"),  is an irrevocable  trust for the benefit of Michael S. Cooperman.  Mr.
Cooperman  has  investment  authority  over the Michael S.  Cooperman,  the UTMA
account for Asher Silvin Cooperman, and the WRA Trust accounts.

     Mr. Cooperman helps manage the investments of JCF Metrowest of NJ ("JCF") a
charitable organization, and JCF is the sponsoring organization of the Cooperman
Family Fund for a Jewish Future ("Family Fund"), a Type 1 charitable  supporting
foundation. Mr. Cooperman is one of the Trustees of the Family Fund.


                                        3



CUSIP No. 16934Q109
          ---------



 Item 2(b)        Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence:

     The address of the principal  business office of Mr.  Cooperman is 2700 No.
Military Trail, Suite 230, Boca Raton FL 33431 and the principal business office
of each Capital LP, Equity LP, Investors LP,  Overseas,  and Advisors is 88 Pine
Street, Wall Street Plaza - 31st Floor, New York, NY 10005.

Item    3. 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 55,120,975 Shares which
constitutes approximately 5.4% of the total number of Shares deemed outstanding.

     This  consists of 9,598,400  Shares owned by Capital LP;  2,706,053  Shares
owned by Investors LP;  3,920,380  Shares owned by Equity LP;  8,989,553  Shares
owned by  Overseas;  17,161,489  Shares  owned by the Managed  Accounts;  50,000
Shares owned by the Family Fund; 10,019,200 Shares owned by Mr.Cooperman;600,000
Shares  owned by Toby  Cooperman;  11,900  Shares  owned by the UTMA account for
Asher Silvin  Cooperman;  64,000 Shares owned by JCF;  1,000,000 Shares owned by
Michael S. Cooperman; and 1,000,000 Shares owned by the WRA Trust.

Item 4(c). Number of Shares as to which such person has:

   (i)   Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:                 37,959,486

   (ii)  Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:               17,161,489

   (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:    37,959,486

   (iv)  Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:  17,161,489


Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

     This Item 5 is not applicable.



                                        4



CUSIP No. 16934Q109
          ---------


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 I certify  that,  to the best of my 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 such purpose or effect.


                                    SIGNATURE

After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify
that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

DATED: February 11, 2013

LEON G. COOPERMAN

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).


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