DigitalBridge Group, Inc. 10-K

Item 1A. Risk Factors. The following risk factors and other information included in this Annual Report should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us that we currently deem immaterial or that generally apply to all businesses also may adversely impact our business. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flow and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. Risks Related to Our Business We require capital to continue to operate and grow our business, and the failure to obtain such capital, either through the public or private markets or other third-party sources of capital, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to maintain our distributions to our stockholders. We require capital to fund acquisitions and originations of our target investments, to fund our operations, including overhead costs, to fund distributions to our stockholders and to repay principal and interest on our borrowings. We expect to meet our capital requirements using cash on hand, cash flow generated from our operations and investment management activities, sale proceeds from non-core investments and principal and interest payments received from legacy debt investments. However, we may also have to rely on third-party sources of capital, including public and private offerings of securities and debt financings. In addition, the fee income generated from or expected to be generated from our current and future managed investment vehicles is driven, both directly and indirectly, by the ability to raise capital at such investment vehicles. Our ability to raise capital at our Company, as well as at our current and future managed investment vehicles, through the public and private capital markets depends on a number of factors, including many that are outside our control, such as the general economic environment, the regulatory environment, competition in the marketplace, media attention and investor investment allocation preferences. Poor performance by, or negative publicity about, our Company, our strategy, our management or our managed companies could also make it more difficult for us or our managed investment vehicles to raise new capital. Investors in our managed companies may decline to invest in future vehicles we manage, and investors may withdraw their investments in our managed companies (subject to the terms of agreements with such managed company) as a result of poor performance or negative perceptions of our Company or our leadership. In addition, third-party financing may not be available to us when needed, on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing to fund or grow our business, it would have a material adverse effect on our ability to acquire additional assets and make our debt service payments and our financial condition, results of operations and the ability to fund our distributions to our stockholders would be materially adversely affected. Adverse changes in general economic and political conditions could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our business is materially affected by general economic and political conditions and events throughout the world, such as changes in interest rates, fiscal and monetary stimulus and withdrawal of stimulus, availability of credit, inflation rates, economic uncertainty, changes in laws (including laws relating to taxation), trade barriers, commodity prices, currency exchange rates and controls, national and international political circumstances (including wars, terrorist acts or security operations) and responses to widespread health events, such as the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and our ability to manage our exposure to these conditions may be very limited. These conditions and/or events can adversely affect our business in many ways, including by reducing the ability of our managed vehicles to raise or deploy capital, reducing the value or performance of our investments and the investments made by our managed vehicles and making it more difficult for us and our managed vehicles to realize value from existing investments. Adverse changes in market and economic conditions in the United States or the countries or regions in which we or our managed vehicles invest would likely have a negative impact on the value of our assets and spending and demand for digital and communications infrastructure and technology and, accordingly, our and our managed vehicle’s financial performance, the market prices of our securities, and our ability to pay dividends. 16 Table of Contents The condition of the digital infrastructure and real estate markets in which we operate is cyclical and depends on the condition of the economy in the United States, Europe, Asia and other foreign markets where we operate as a whole and on the perceptions of investors of the overall economic outlook. In 2022, persistent inflation in the United States and other countries led the United States Federal Reserve and other central banks to take actions to raise interest rates. Rising interest rates, declining employment levels, declining demand for real estate, declining real estate values or periods of general economic slowdown or recession, increasing political instability or uncertainty, or the perception that any of these events may occur have negatively impacted the digital infrastructure and real estate markets in the past and may in the future negatively impact our operating performance, resulting in a more difficult fund raising environment and reducing exit opportunities in which to realize the value of our investments. During periods of difficult market or economic conditions (which may occur across one or more industries or geographies), the various companies or assets in which we have investments may experience several issues, including decreased revenues, increased costs, credit rating downgrades, difficulty in obtaining financing and even severe financial losses or insolvency. In addition, political uncertainty may contribute to potential risks beyond our control, such as changes in governmental policy on a variety of matters including trade, manufacturing, development and investment, the restructuring of trade agreements, and uncertainties associated with political gridlock. Any such changes in U.S. or international political conditions, or political uncertainty and instability, in the territories and countries where we or our tenants and customers operate could adversely affect our operating results, our business and the market price of our stock. We have only a limited ability to change our portfolio promptly in response to changing economic, political or other conditions, which impedes us from responding quickly to changes in the performance of our investments and could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, certain significant expenditures, such as debt service costs, real estate taxes, and operating and maintenance costs, are generally not reduced when market conditions are poor. We invest in a wide array of asset classes within the digital infrastructure industry; however, we may not successfully implement this strategy or ultimately realize any of the anticipated benefits of diversification. We have invested and plan to continue to invest, primarily through our managed funds, in multiple asset classes within digital infrastructure, including data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, small cells and edge infrastructure, throughout the United States and around the world. However, we may not successfully implement our investment strategy and our investments may become concentrated in type or geographic location. Even if we do implement this strategy, it is possible our multi-asset class portfolios will not perform as well as a portfolio that is concentrated in a particular type of digital infrastructure assets. Our operations in Europe and other foreign markets expose our business to risks inherent in conducting business in foreign markets. A portion of our revenues are sourced from our foreign operations in Europe, Asia and other foreign markets. Accordingly, our firm-wide results of operations depend in part on our foreign operations. Conducting business abroad carries significant risks, including: • changes in real estate and other tax rates, the tax treatment of transaction structures and other changes in operating expenses in a particular country where we have an investment; • restrictions and limitations relating to the repatriation of profits; • complexity and costs of staffing and managing international operations; • the burden of complying with multiple and potentially conflicting laws; • changes in relative interest rates; • translation and transaction risks related to fluctuations in foreign currency and exchange rates; • lack of uniform accounting standards (including availability of information in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP")); • unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; • the impact of different business cycles and economic instability; • political instability and civil unrest; 17 Table of Contents • legal and logistical barriers to enforcing our contractual rights, including in perfecting our security interests, collecting accounts receivable, foreclosing on secured assets and protecting our interests as a creditor in bankruptcies in certain geographic regions; • share ownership restrictions on foreign operations; • compliance with U.S. laws affecting operations outside of the United States, including sanctions laws, or anti-bribery laws such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”); and • geographic, time zone, language and cultural differences between personnel in different areas of the world. Each of these risks might adversely affect our performance and impair our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. In addition, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies and a lack of uniform financial accounting standards and practices (including the availability of information in accordance with GAAP) which could impair our ability to analyze transactions and receive timely and accurate financial information from our investments necessary to meet our reporting obligations to financial institutions or governmental or regulatory agencies. We face possible risks associated with natural disasters, wildfires, weather events, and the physical effects and other impacts of climate change. We are subject to the risks associated with natural disasters, wildfires, weather events, and the physical effects and other impacts of climate change, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our properties, operations and business. Over time, our properties located in coastal markets and other areas that may be impacted by climate change are expected to experience increases in storm intensity and rising sea-levels that may cause damage to our properties. As a result, we could become subject to significant losses and/or repair costs that may or may not be fully covered by insurance. Other markets may experience prolonged variations in temperature or precipitation that significantly increase energy costs or result in additional regulatory burdens, such as stricter energy efficiency standards. Weather events and climate change may also affect our business by increasing the cost of (or making unavailable) property insurance on terms we find acceptable in areas most vulnerable to such events, increasing operating costs, such as energy costs, and requiring us to expend funds as we seek to repair and protect our properties against such risks. There can be no assurance that natural disasters, wildfires, weather events, or climate change will not have a material adverse effect on our properties, operations or business. We are subject to increasing focus by our fund investors, our stockholders and regulators on environmental, social and governance matters. Our fund investors, stockholders, regulators and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on ESG matters. Certain fund investors, including public pension funds, consider our record of socially responsible investing and other ESG factors in determining whether to invest in our funds. Similarly, certain of our stockholders, particularly institutional investors, use third-party benchmarks or scores to measure our ESG practices, and use such information to decide whether to invest in our common stock or engage with us to require changes to our practices. If our ESG practices do not meet the standards set by these fund investors or stockholders, they may choose not to invest in our funds or exclude our common stock from their investments, and we may face reputational challenges by other stakeholders. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse impact on new fundraises and negatively affect the price of our stock. In addition, there has also been an increased regulatory focus on ESG-related practices by investment managers by the SEC and other regulators. If regulators disagree with the procedures or standards we use for ESG investing, or new regulation or legislation requires a methodology of measuring or disclosing ESG impact that is different from our current practice, our business and reputation could be adversely affected. We often pursue investment opportunities that involve business, regulatory, legal or other complexities and the failure to successfully manage such risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We often pursue unusually complex investment opportunities involving substantial business, regulatory or legal complexity that would deter investors. Our tolerance for complexity presents risks, as such transactions can be more difficult, expensive and time-consuming to finance, execute and disclose, it can be more difficult to manage or realize value from the assets acquired in such transactions, and such transactions sometimes entail a higher level of regulatory scrutiny or a greater risk of contingent liabilities. Failure to successfully manage these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 18 Table of Contents Risks Related to our Investment Management Business The investment management business is intensely competitive. The investment management business is intensely competitive, with competition based on a variety of factors, including investment performance, the quality of service provided to clients, brand recognition and business reputation. Our investment management business competes for clients, personnel and investment opportunities with a large number of private equity funds, specialized investment funds, hedge funds, corporate buyers, traditional investment managers, commercial banks, investment banks, other investment managers and other financial institutions, and we expect that competition will increase. Numerous factors serve to increase our competitive risks, some of which are outside of our control, including that: • a number of our competitors have more personnel and greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources than we do; • many of our competitors have raised, or are expected to raise, significant amounts of capital, and many of them have investment objectives similar to ours, which may create additional competition for investment opportunities and reduce the size and duration of pricing inefficiencies that we seek to exploit; • some of our competitors (including strategic competitors) may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us, which may create competitive disadvantages for us with respect to our managed companies, particularly our managed companies that directly use leverage or rely on debt financing of their portfolio companies to generate superior investment returns; • some of our competitors have higher risk tolerances, different risk assessments or lower return thresholds, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and to bid more aggressively than us for investments; • our competitors may be able to achieve synergistic cost savings in respect of an investment that we cannot, which may provide them with a competitive advantage in bidding for an investment; • there are relatively few barriers to entry impeding new funds, and the successful efforts of new entrants into our various lines of business, including major commercial and investment banks and other financial institutions, have resulted in increased competition; • some investors may prefer to invest with an investment manager whose equity securities are not traded on a national securities exchange; • some investors may prefer to pursue investments directly instead of investing through one of our managed companies; • other industry participants will from time to time seek to recruit our investment professionals and other employees away from us; and • other investment managers may offer more products and services than we do, have more diverse sources of revenue or be more adept at developing, marketing and managing new products and services than we are. We may find it harder to raise capital in the private funds and other investment vehicles that we manage, and we may lose investment opportunities in the future, if we do not match the fees, structures and terms offered by competitors to their fund clients. Alternatively, we may experience decreased profitability, decreased rates of return and increased risk of loss if we match the prices, structures and terms offered by competitors. This competitive pressure could adversely affect our ability to make successful investments and limit our ability to raise future managed investment vehicles, either of which would adversely impact our business, revenues, results of operations and cash flow. Poor performance of our current and future managed investment vehicles could cause a decline in our revenue, income and cash flow. The fee arrangements we have with certain of our managed investment vehicles are based on the respective performance of such companies. As a result, poor performance or a decrease in value of assets under management of such managed companies (or any companies we may manage in the future with similar performance-based fees) would result in a reduction of our investment management and other fees, carried interest and/or other incentive fees and consequently cause our revenue, income and cash flow to decline. Further, to the extent that we have an investment in a managed investment vehicle, poor performance at such investment vehicle could cause us to suffer losses on such investments of our own capital. 19 Table of Contents Investors in our current or future managed investment vehicles may negotiate terms less favorable to us than those of investment vehicles we currently manage, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In connection with sponsoring new managed investment vehicles or securing additional capital commitments in existing investment vehicles, we will negotiate terms for such investment vehicles and commitments from investors. In addition, we have agreed and may in the future agree to re-negotiate terms in the agreements with our investment vehicles due to performance of such investment vehicles or other market conditions. The outcome of such negotiations have and could in the future result in our agreement to terms that are materially less favorable to us economically than the existing terms of our investment vehicles or vehicles advised by our competitors. We have recorded and may in the future need to record impairments in the goodwill associated with such agreements as a result of amended economic terms in such agreements. Further, we may also agree to terms that could restrict our ability to sponsor competing investment vehicles, require us to dispose of an investment within a certain period of time, restrict our ability to sell all or a portion of our position in a co-investment, increase our obligations as the manager or require us to take on additional potential liabilities. Agreement to terms that are materially less favorable to us could result in a decrease in our profitability, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Valuation methodologies for certain assets in our managed institutional private funds can involve subjective judgments, and the fair value of assets established pursuant to such methodologies may be incorrect, which could result in the misstatement of performance and accrued performance fees of an institutional private fund. There are often no readily ascertainable market prices for a substantial majority of the illiquid investments of our managed institutional private funds. We determine the fair value of the investments of each of our institutional private funds at least quarterly based on the fair value guidelines set forth by GAAP. The fair value measurement accounting guidance establishes a hierarchal disclosure framework that ranks the observability of market inputs used in measuring financial instruments at fair value. The observability of inputs is impacted by a number of factors, including the type of financial instrument, the characteristics specific to the financial instrument and the state of the marketplace, including the existence and transparency of transactions between market participants. Financial instruments with readily available quoted prices, or for which fair value can be measured from quoted prices in active markets, will generally have a higher degree of market price observability and a lesser degree of judgment applied in determining fair value. Investments for which market prices are not observable include, but are not limited to, illiquid investments in operating companies, real estate, energy ventures and structured vehicles, and encompass all components of the capital structure, including equity, mezzanine, debt, preferred equity and derivative instruments such as options and warrants. Fair values of such investments are determined by reference to (1) the market approach (i.e., multiplying a key performance metric of the investee company or asset, such as earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), by a relevant valuation multiple observed in the range of comparable public entities or transactions, adjusted by management as appropriate for differences between the investment and the referenced comparables), (2) the income approach (i.e., discounting projected future cash flows of the investee company or asset and/or capitalizing representative stabilized cash flows of the investee company or asset) and (3) other methodologies such as prices provided by reputable dealers or pricing services, option pricing models and replacement costs. The determination of fair value using these methodologies takes into consideration a range of factors including but not limited to the price at which the investment was acquired, the nature of the investment, local market conditions, the multiples of comparable securities, current and projected operating performance and financing transactions subsequent to the acquisition of the investment. These valuation methodologies involve a significant degree of management judgment. For example, as to investments that we share with another sponsor, we may apply a different valuation methodology than the other sponsor does or derive a different value than the other sponsor has derived on the same investment, which could cause some investors to question our valuations. Because there is significant uncertainty in the valuation of, or stability of the value of, illiquid investments, the fair values of such investments as reflected in an institutional private fund’s net asset value do not necessarily reflect the prices that would be obtained by us on behalf of the institutional private fund when such investments are realized. Realizations at values significantly lower than the values at which investments have been reflected in prior institutional private fund net asset values would result in reduced earnings or losses for the applicable fund and the loss of potential management fees, carried interest and incentive fees. Changes in values attributed to investments from quarter to quarter may result in volatility in the net asset values and results of operations that we report from period to period. Also, a situation where asset values turn out to be materially different than values reflected in prior institutional fund net asset values could cause investors to lose confidence in us, which could in turn result in difficulty in raising additional institutional private funds. 20 Table of Contents Further, the SEC has highlighted valuation practices as one of its areas of focus in investment advisor examinations and has instituted enforcement actions against advisors for misleading investors about valuation. If the SEC were to investigate and find errors in our methodologies or procedures, we and/or members of our management could be subject to penalties and fines, which could harm our reputation and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The organization and management of our current and future investment vehicles may create conflicts of interest. We currently manage, and may in the future manage, private funds and other investment vehicles that may be in competition with us and each other with respect to investment opportunities and financing opportunities. In general, our investment funds and certain portfolio companies thereof have priority over the Company with respect to investment opportunities in digital infrastructure, and investors in our managed funds and investment vehicles typically have priority with regard to any related co-investment opportunities. We have implemented certain procedures to manage any perceived or actual conflicts among us and our managed investment vehicles, including the following: • allocating investment opportunities based on numerous factors, including investment objectives, available cash, diversification/concentration, leverage policy, the size of the investment, tax, anticipated pipeline of suitable investments, fund life and existing contractual obligations such as first-look rights and non-compete covenants; and • investment allocations are reviewed at least annually by the chief compliance officer of our applicable registered investment adviser. In addition, subject to compliance with the rules promulgated under the Investment Advisers Act and the governing documents of our managed investment vehicles, we have and may continue to allow a managed investment vehicle to enter into principal transactions with us or cross-transactions with other managed investment vehicles or strategic vehicles. For certain cross-transactions, we may receive a fee from, or increased fees from, the managed investment vehicle and conflicts may exist. If our interests and those of our managed funds and investment vehicles are not aligned, we may face conflicts of interests that result in action or inaction that is detrimental to us, our managed investment vehicles, our strategic partnerships or our joint ventures. Further, certain officers and senior management who make allocation decisions may have financial interests in a particular fund or managed investment vehicle, which may increase such conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest may also arise in the allocation of fees and costs among our managed companies that we incur in connection with the management of their assets. This allocation sometimes requires us to exercise discretion and there is no guarantee that we will allocate these fees and costs appropriately. Appropriately dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult and our reputation could be damaged if we fail, or appear to fail, to deal appropriately with one or more potential or actual conflicts of interest. Regulatory scrutiny of, or litigation in connection with, conflicts of interest would have a material adverse effect on our reputation, which would materially adversely affect our business and our ability to raise capital in future managed companies. Conflicts of interest may also arise in the allocation of fees and costs among our managed companies that we incur in connection with the management of their assets. This allocation sometimes requires us to exercise discretion and there is no guarantee that we will allocate these fees and costs appropriately. Our organizational documents do not limit our ability to enter into new lines of businesses, and we may expand into new investment strategies, geographic markets and businesses, each of which may result in additional risks and uncertainties in our businesses. We intend, to the extent that market conditions warrant, to seek to grow our businesses by increasing AUM in existing businesses, pursuing new investment strategies, developing new types of investment structures and products (such as separately managed accounts and structured products), and expanding into new geographic markets and businesses. Introducing new types of investment structures and products could increase the complexities involved in managing such investments, including ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. We may also pursue growth through acquisitions of other investment management companies, such as our recent acquisition of the global infrastructure equity investment management business from AMP Capital. The success of our organic growth strategy will depend on, among other things, our ability to correctly identify and create products that appeal to the limited partners of our funds and vehicles. While we have made significant expenditures to develop these new strategies and products, there is no assurance that they will achieve a satisfactory level of scale and profitability. To raise new funds and pursue new strategies, we have and expect to continue to use our balance sheet to warehouse seed investments, which may decrease the liquidity available for other parts of our business. If a new strategy or fund does not develop as anticipated and such investments are not ultimately transferred to a fund, we may not be able 21 Table of Contents to dispose of such investments at an advantageous time and may be forced to realize losses on these retained investments. To the extent we expand into new investment strategies, geographic markets and businesses and attempt to expand our business through acquisitions, we will face numerous risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with: • our ability to successfully negotiate and enter into beneficial arrangements with our counterparties; • our ability to realize the anticipated operational and financial benefits from an acquisition and to effectively integrate an acquired business; • the required investment of capital and other resources; • the possibility of diversion of management's time and attention from our core business; • the possibility of disruption of our ongoing business; • the assumption of liabilities in any acquired business and the potential for litigation; • the broadening of our geographic footprint, including the risks associated with conducting operations in foreign jurisdictions, such as taxation; • properly managing conflicts of interests; and • our ability to comply with new regulatory regimes. Our funds may be forced to dispose of investments at a disadvantageous time. Our funds may make investments of which they do not advantageously dispose of prior to the date the applicable fund is dissolved, either by expiration of such fund’s term or otherwise. Although we generally expect that our funds will dispose of investments prior to dissolution, we may not be able to do so. The general partners of our funds have only a limited ability to extend the term of the fund with the consent of fund investors or the advisory board of the fund, as applicable, and therefore, we may be required to sell, distribute or otherwise dispose of investments during liquidation, which may be at a disadvantageous time. This would result in a lower than expected return on the investments and, perhaps, on the fund itself. Risks Related to our Digital Infrastructure Investments Any failure of our physical infrastructure or services could lead to significant costs and disruptions that could harm our business reputation and could adversely affect our earnings and financial condition. Our business reputation depends on providing customers with highly reliable services, including with respect to power supply, physical security and maintenance of environmental conditions. We may fail to provide such service as a result of numerous factors, including mechanical failure, power outage, human error, physical or electronic security incidents, war, terrorism, fire, earthquake, hurricane, flood, climate change and other natural disasters, sabotage and vandalism. Problems at one or more of our data centers or other digital infrastructure assets, whether or not within our control, could result in service interruptions or equipment damage. Substantially all of the customer leases associated with our digital infrastructure assets include terms requiring us to meet certain service level commitments to such customers. Any failure to meet these or other commitments or any equipment damage in our data centers, including as a result of mechanical failure, power outage, human error or other reasons, could subject us to liability under our lease terms, including service level credits against customer rent payments, monetary damages, or, in certain cases of repeated failures, the right by the customer to terminate the lease. Service interruptions, equipment failures or security incidents may also expose us to additional legal liability, regulatory requirements, penalties and monetary damages and damage our brand and reputation, and could cause our customers to terminate or not renew their leases. In addition, we may be unable to attract new customers if we have a reputation for service disruptions, equipment failures or physical or electronic security incidents in our data centers or with regard to other digital infrastructure assets. Any such failures could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The digital infrastructure industry is highly competitive and such competition may materially and adversely affect our performance and ability to execute our strategy. The digital infrastructure industry is highly competitive based on a number of factors, including brand recognition, reputation and pricing pressure on the products and services offered by the companies in which we expect to invest. A reduction in the perceived quality of services and products offered, or if our competitors offer rental, leasing or similar rates at below market rates or below the rates charged by the companies in which we invest, the performance of the 22 Table of Contents companies in which we invest could be adversely impacted and, as a result, our ability to raise third party capital in our current and future digital focused funds and investment vehicles could be adversely impacted. In the event that we are unable to continue to grow our business as a result of our poor performance or lack of available funding for our investments, our results of operations, financial condition and prospects would be materially adversely affected. We depend on the development and growth of a balanced customer base, including key customers, and failure to attract, grow and retain this base of customers or future consolidation in the technology industry could harm our business and operating results. Our ability to maximize operating revenues depends on our ability to develop and grow a balanced customer base, consisting of a variety of companies, including cloud and IT service providers, network providers and other technology companies. We consider certain of these customers to be key in that they attract and assist in retaining other customers. Our ability to attract and maintain customers depends on a variety of factors, including the demand for data center space and other digital infrastructure and our operating reliability and security. In addition, our customer base may shrink as a result of mergers or acquisitions, resulting in a reduced number of customers or potential customers. Any of these factors may increase churn and hinder the development, growth and retention of a balanced customer base, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not directly control the operations of certain of our digital infrastructure assets and are therefore dependent on portfolio company management teams to successfully operate their businesses. Our digital infrastructure assets, including the data centers in our Operating segment, are typically operated by in-place management teams at the portfolio companies which hold these assets and in which we own our interests or by third party management companies. While we have or expect to have various rights as an owner of the portfolio companies, we may have limited recourse under our management agreements or investment interest documentation if we believe that such in-place management teams (who are not our employees) or third-party management companies are not performing adequately. Failure by the in-place management teams to adequately manage the risks associated with managing digital infrastructure assets could result in defaults under our borrowings and otherwise adversely affect our results of operations. Furthermore, if these portfolio companies or management companies experience any significant financial, legal, accounting or regulatory difficulties, such difficulties could have a material adverse effect on us. The financial performance of our digital infrastructure assets depends upon the demand for such assets. A reduction in the demand for our digital infrastructure assets, power or connectivity will adversely impact our ability to execute our business strategy and our performance. Demand for digital infrastructure assets is particularly susceptible to general economic slowdowns as well as adverse developments in the data center, internet and data communications and broader technology industries. Any such slowdown or adverse development could lead to reduced corporate IT spending or reduced demand for data center space and other digital infrastructure assets. Reduced demand could also result from business relocations, including to metropolitan areas that we do not currently or expect to serve. Changes in industry practice or in technology could also reduce demand for the physical data center space or other digital infrastructure assets. In addition, our customers may choose to develop new data centers or expand their own existing data centers or consolidate into data centers that we do not own or operate, which could reduce demand for our newly developed data centers or result in the loss of one or more key customers. If we lose a customer or a tenant, we cannot assure you that we would be able to replace that customer at a competitive rate, in a timely manner or at all. Mergers or consolidations of technology companies could reduce further the number of our customers/tenants and potential customers/tenants and make us more dependent on a more limited number of customers. If our customers merge with or are acquired by other entities that are not our customers, they may discontinue or reduce their use of our data centers or other digital infrastructure assets. Our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow for distributions could be materially adversely affected as a result of any or all of these factors. We are dependent upon third-party suppliers for power and certain other services, and we are vulnerable to service failures of our third-party suppliers and to price increases by such suppliers. We generally rely on third-party local utilities to provide power to our data centers. We are therefore subject to an inherent risk that such local utilities may fail to deliver such power in adequate quantities or on a consistent basis, and our recourse against the local utility and ability to control such failures may be limited. If power delivered from the local utility is insufficient or interrupted, we would be required to provide power through the operation of our on-site generators, generally at a significantly higher operating cost than we would pay for an equivalent amount of power from the local utility. We may not be able to pass on the higher cost to our customers. In addition, even when power supplies are adequate, we may be subject to pricing risks and unanticipated costs associated with obtaining power from various utility companies. Utilities are and may be subject to increasing regulation that could increase the costs of electricity, including wildfire mitigation plans. Utilities may be dependent on, and be 23 Table of Contents sensitive to price increases for, a particular type of fuel, such as coal, oil or natural gas. In addition, the price of these fuels and the electricity generated from them could increase as a result of proposed legislative measures related to climate change or efforts to regulate carbon emissions. In any of these cases, increases in the cost of power at any of our data centers could put those locations at a competitive disadvantage relative to data centers served by utilities that can provide less expensive power. We depend on third parties to provide network connectivity to the customers in our data centers, and any delays or disruptions in connectivity may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and ability to pay dividends as well as the market price of our common stock. Our customers require internet connectivity and connectivity to the fiber networks of multiple third-party telecommunications carriers. In order for us to attract and retain customers, we need to provide sufficient access for customers to connect to those carriers. While we provide space and facilities for carriers to locate their equipment and connect customers to their networks, any carrier may elect not to offer its services to us or may elect to discontinue its service. Furthermore, carriers may periodically experience business difficulties which could affect their ability to provide telecommunications services, or the service provided by a carrier may be inadequate or of poor quality. Any termination, degradation or interruption of connectivity could put us at a competitive disadvantage, and a material loss of adequate third-party connectivity could have an adverse effect on the businesses of our customers and, in turn, our business, financial condition and results of operations. We expect certain of the leases we have with our customers to expire monthly and to contain early termination provisions. If leases with our customers are not renewed on the same or more favorable terms or are terminated early by our customers, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be substantially harmed. Our customers may not renew their leases upon expiration. This risk is increased to the extent our customer leases expire on an annual basis. Upon expiration, our customers may elect not to renew their leases or renew their leases at lower rates, for less space, for fewer services or for shorter terms. If we are unable to successfully renew or continue our customer leases on the same or more favorable terms or subsequently re-lease available space when such leases expire, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. In addition, certain of our leases may contain early termination provisions that allow our customers to reduce the term of their leases subject to payment of an early termination charge that is often a specified portion of the remaining rent payable on such leases. The exercise by customers of early termination options could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The digital infrastructure assets that we own may become obsolete, which could materially adversely impact our revenue and operations. Data centers require infrastructure, such as power and cooling systems, that is difficult and costly to upgrade. If the infrastructure in our data centers or other digital infrastructure assets becomes obsolete due to the development of new server technologies, we may need to upgrade or change the systems in order to keep our existing tenants or attract new tenants. We may not be able to effectively or efficiently upgrade or change such infrastructure and may incur substantial costs in doing so. Any inability to upgrade or change our digital infrastructure assets in connection with technological developments may result in the loss of tenants and adversely impact our ability to attract new tenants, all of which could materially and adversely impact our revenues and operations. Digital infrastructure investments are subject to substantial government regulation . Digital infrastructure investments are subject to substantial government regulation related to the acquisition and operation of such investments. Failure to comply with applicable government regulations or the inability to obtain or maintain any required government permits, licenses, concessions, leases or contracts needed to operate our digital infrastructure investments could adversely affect our ability to achieve our investment objectives. In addition, governments often have considerable discretion to implement regulations that affect our digital infrastructure investments. Changes in existing regulations could be costly for us to comply with and may delay or prevent the operation of our assets, all of which could adversely impact the performance of our investments. Many of our investments may be illiquid and we may not be able to vary our investment portfolio in response to changes in economic and other conditions. Our investments are relatively illiquid. As a result, our ability to vary our investment portfolio promptly in response to changed economic and other conditions is limited, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and our ability to pay dividends and make distributions. In addition, the liquidity of our investments may also be impacted by, among other things, legal or contractual restrictions, the lack of available financing for assets, the absence of 24 Table of Contents a willing buyer or an established market and turbulent market conditions. The illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments at advantageous times or in a timely manner if the need or desire arises, including, if necessary, to maintain our exemption from the 1940 Act. If we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less upon a sale than the value at which we have previously recorded our assets. If and to the extent that we use leverage to finance our investments that are or become liquid, the adverse impact on us related to trying to sell assets in a short period of time for cash could be greatly exacerbated. Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure and Business Operations We depend on our key personnel, and the loss of their services or the loss of investor confidence in such personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We depend on the efforts, skill, reputations and business contacts of our key personnel, including our Chief Executive Officer, our President and our Chief Financial Officer, each of whom has entered into an employment agreement with us. For instance, the extent and nature of the experience of our executive officers and the nature of the relationships they have developed with digital real estate professionals, financial institutions, investors in certain of our investment vehicles and other members of the business community are critical to the success of our business. Changes to our management team have occurred in the past, and we cannot assure stockholders of the continued employment of these individuals with the Company. As previously disclosed, Mr. Wu and Mr. Sanders have entered into amended and restated employment agreements that provide for their terms of employment to end in 2023. In addition, our success depends, to a significant extent, upon the continued services of key personnel in our investment management business, including Mr. Ganzi and Mr. Jenkins. Although Mr. Ganzi and Mr. Jenkins received equity interests in us and are subject to employment agreements and other agreements containing restrictions on engaging in activities that are deemed competitive to our business, there can be no assurances that they will continue employment with us. The loss of Mr. Ganzi, Mr. Jenkins or other key personnel could harm our business. In addition, certain of our current and former key personnel have been and may continue to be the subject of media attention, which includes scrutiny or criticism of our Company, business and leadership. Such attention and scrutiny could negatively impact our reputation as well as that of our key personnel, which could in turn negatively impact the relationships our key personnel have with current and potential investors, business partners, vendors and employees. Negative perceptions of or a loss of investor confidence in our key personnel could adversely impact our business prospects. Our position as an owner, operator and investment manager of digital infrastructure assets and change in strategy to focus on investment management may adversely impact our stock price. We are a leading owner, operator and investment manager of digital infrastructure and currently manage digital infrastructure assets both on our balance sheet and through our investment management platform. As of the date of this report, substantially all of the digital investments on the Company’s balance sheet are data centers, primarily located in the United States, which subjects us to concentration risks. We believe that any advantages to having both direct digital infrastructure investments and an investment management platform are frequently not recognized by the investment community and that investors view this strategy as overly complex. To the extent we are unable to transfer or dispose of our the direct digital infrastructure investments on our balance sheet, our stock price and our ability to raise capital may be adversely affected. In addition, at such time as we no longer have a controlling interest in DataBank and Vantage SDC, our determination to consolidate such entities would likely change, resulting in significant changes to our financial statements, which may also adversely impact our stock price. There may be conflicts of interest between us and our Chief Executive Officer and certain other senior DBH employees that could result in decisions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders. Prior to our combination with DBH, Marc C. Ganzi, our Chief Executive Officer, and Benjamin Jenkins, our President, made personal investments in certain portfolio companies and/or related vehicles (collectively, the “DBH Portfolio Companies”), which DBH acquired along with a consortium of third-party investors. In the DBH combination, we acquired the contracts to provide investment advisory and other business services to the DBH Portfolio Companies, while Mr. Ganzi and Mr. Jenkins retained their respective investments in the DBH Portfolio Companies. As a result of these personal investments and related outside business activities, Mr. Ganzi, Mr. Jenkins and certain other senior DBH employees may have control, veto rights or significant influence over, or be required to represent the interests of certain third-party investors in, major decisions and other operational matters at the DBH Portfolio Companies. In addition, Mr. Ganzi, Mr. Jenkins and certain other DBH employees may be entitled to receive carried interest payments from the DBH Portfolio Companies upon the occurrence of certain events. As a result, Mr. Ganzi, Mr. Jenkins, and certain other senior DBH employees, may have different objectives than us regarding the performance and management of, transactions with or investment allocations to, the DBH Portfolio Companies. The Company has attempted, and will continue to attempt, to 25 Table of Contents manage and mitigate actual or potential conflicts of interest between us, on the one hand, and Mr. Ganzi, Mr. Jenkins and certain other senior DBH employees, on the other hand; however, there can be no assurances that such attempts will be effective. As a result of their personal investments in DataBank and Vantage SDC prior to the Company’s acquisition of DBH, additional investments made by the Company in DataBank and Vantage SDC subsequent to their initial acquisitions may trigger future carried interest payments to Mr. Ganzi and Mr. Jenkins upon the occurrence of future realization events. Such investments made by the Company include ongoing payments for the buildout of expansion capacity, including lease-up of the expanded capacity and existing inventory, in Vantage SDC and the acquisition of additional interest in DataBank from an existing investor in January 2022. In such transactions, the Company takes a series of steps to mitigate the conflicts in the transactions, including, among others, obtaining approval from an independent committee of the board of directors. For additional information regarding payments to Messrs. Ganzi and Jenkins relating to DataBank and Vantage SDC acquisitions, see Note 16. Transactions with Affiliates, in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Subject to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and related party transaction policies and procedures, as applicable, we may continue to enter into transactions or other arrangements with the DBH Portfolio Companies in which there are actual or potential conflicts of interests between us and Mr. Ganzi, Mr. Jenkins and certain other senior employees. Despite having related party transaction policies and procedures in place and having conflict mitigants in such transactions, such transactions may not be on terms as favorable to us as they would have been if they had been negotiated among unrelated parties. In addition, such transactions may result in future conflicts of interest if Mr. Ganzi’s or Mr. Jenkins’ continuing interests in the transaction (if any) are not aligned with the Company's. We have been and may continue to be subject to the actions of activist stockholders, which could cause us to incur substantial costs, divert management's attention and resources, and have an adverse effect on our business. We have been and may continue to be the subject of increased activity by activist stockholders. Responding to stockholder activism can be costly and time-consuming, disrupt our operations and divert the attention of management and our employees from executing our business plan. Activist campaigns can create perceived uncertainties as to our future direction, strategy or leadership and may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, harm our ability to attract new investors, tenants/operators/managers and joint venture partners, cause us to incur increased legal, advisory and other expenses and cause our stock price to experience periods of volatility or stagnation. Moreover, if individuals are elected to our board of directors with a specific agenda, even though less than a majority, our ability to effectively and timely implement our current initiatives and execute on our long-term strategy may be adversely affected. Our assets may continue to be subject to impairment charges, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We evaluate our long-lived assets, primarily real estate held for investment, for impairment periodically or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. In evaluating and/or measuring impairment, the Company considers, among other things, current and estimated future cash flows associated with each property, market information for each sub-market and other quantitative and qualitative factors. Another key consideration in this assessment is the Company's assumptions about the highest and best use of its real estate investments and its intent and ability to hold them for a reasonable period that would allow for the recovery of their carrying values. These key assumptions are subjective in nature and could differ materially from actual results if the property was disposed. Changes in our strategy or changes in the marketplace may alter the hold period of an asset or asset group, which may result in an impairment loss, and such loss could be material to our financial condition or operating performance. If, after giving effect to such changes, we conclude that the carrying values of such assets or asset groups are no longer recoverable, we may recognize impairments in future periods equal to the excess of the carrying values over the estimated fair value. Such impairments could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In addition, we have and may continue to recognize impairments on the Company's equity method investments and goodwill. For example, in 2022, the Company determined that its investment in BrightSpire Capital, Inc. ("BRSP") was other-than-temporarily impaired and recorded an impairment charge of $60 million. These subjective assessments have a direct impact on our net income because recording an impairment charge results in an immediate negative adjustment to net income. There can be no assurance that we will not take additional charges in the future related to the impairment of our assets. Any future impairment could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period in which the charge is taken. 26 Table of Contents The occurrence of a security incident or a deficiency in our cybersecurity has the potential to disrupt our operations, cause material harm to our financial condition, result in misappropriation of assets, compromise confidential information and/or damage our business relationships. As an asset manager, our business is highly dependent on information technology networks and systems, including systems provided by third parties over which we have no control. We may also have limited opportunity to verify the effectiveness of systems provided by third parties or to cause third parties to implement necessary or desirable improvements for such systems. In the normal course of business, we and our service providers process proprietary, confidential, and personal information provided by our customers, employees, and vendors. The risk of a security incident or system or network disruption to networks and systems, including through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusions, including by computer hackers, nation-state affiliated actors, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. A security incident or a significant and extended disruption to our systems or systems provided by third parties, may result in compromise or corruption of, or unauthorized access to or acquisition of, proprietary, confidential, or personal information collected in the course of conducting our business; misappropriation of assets; disruption of our operations, material harm to our financial condition, cash flows, and the market price of our common shares; significant remediation expenses; and increased cybersecurity protection and insurance costs. A security incident or disruption could also interfere with our ability to comply with financial reporting requirements or result in loss of competitive position, regulatory actions or increased regulatory scrutiny, litigation, breach of contracts, reputational harm, damage to our stakeholder relationships, or legal liability. These risks require continuous and likely increasing attention and resources from us to, among other actions, identify and quantify these risks; upgrade and expand our technologies, systems, and processes to adequately address them; and provide periodic training for our employees to assist them in detecting phishing, malware, and other schemes. This diverts time and resources from other activities. In addition, the cost and operational consequences of responding to a security incident or deficiency in our cybersecurity could be significant. And although we make efforts to maintain the security and integrity of our networks and systems, and the proprietary, confidential and personal information that resides on or is transmitted through them, and we have implemented various cyber security policies, procedures capabilities to manage the risk of a security incident or disruption, there can be no assurance that our security efforts and measures will be effective or that attempted security incidents or disruptions would not be successful or damaging. Moreover, data protection laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where we operate often require “reasonable,” “appropriate” or “adequate” technical and organizational security measures, and the interpretation and application of those laws and regulations are often uncertain and evolving; there can be no assurance that our security measures will be deemed adequate, appropriate or reasonable by a regulator or court. While we have purchased cybersecurity insurance, there are no assurances that the coverage would be adequate in relation to any incurred losses. Moreover, as cyber-attacks and cyber intrusions increase in frequency and magnitude, we may be unable to obtain cybersecurity insurance in amounts and on terms we view as adequate for our operations. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our strategic partnerships and joint ventures. We have and may continue to enter into strategic partnerships and joint ventures to support growth in our business. We may also make investments in partnerships or other co-ownership arrangements or participations with third parties. In connection with our investments, our partners provide, among other things, property management, investment advisory, sub-advisory and other services to us and certain of the companies that we manage. We may not realize any of the anticipated benefits of our strategic partnerships and joint ventures. Such investments and any future strategic partnerships and/or joint ventures subject us and the companies we manage to risks and uncertainties not otherwise present with other methods of investment. For a substantial portion of our assets, we rely upon joint venture partners to manage the day-to-day operations of the joint venture and underlying assets, as well as to prepare financial information for the joint venture. Any failure to perform these obligations may have a negative impact on our financial performance and results of operations. In addition, the terms of the agreements with our partners may limit or restrict our ability to make additional capital contributions for the benefit of properties or to sell or otherwise dispose of properties or interests held in joint ventures, even for ventures where we are the controlling partner. In certain instances, we may not control our joint venture investments. In these ventures, the controlling partner(s) may be able to take actions which are not in our best interests or the best interests of the investments we manage. Furthermore, to the extent that our joint venture partner provides services to the companies we manage, certain conflicts of interest will exist. Moreover, we may decide to terminate a strategic relationship or joint venture partner, which could be costly and time-consuming for our management team. Any of the above might subject us to liabilities and thus reduce our returns on our investment with that joint venture partner, which in turn may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, 27 Table of Contents disagreements or disputes between us and our joint venture partner(s) could result in litigation, which could increase our expenses and potentially limit the time and effort our officers and directors are able to devote to our business. We are subject to substantial litigation risks and may face significant liabilities and damage to our professional reputation as a result of litigation allegations and negative publicity. In the ordinary course of business, we are subject to the risk of substantial litigation and face significant regulatory oversight. Such litigation and proceedings, including, regulatory actions and shareholder class action suits, may result in defense costs, settlements, fines or judgments against us, some of which may not be covered by insurance. Litigation could be more likely in connection with a change of control transaction or during periods of market dislocation, shareholder activism or proxy contests. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation and regulatory proceedings, we cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such litigation or proceedings. An unfavorable outcome could negatively impact our cash flow, financial condition, results of operations and trading price of our shares of class A common stock. In addition, even in the absence of misconduct, we may be exposed to litigation or other adverse consequences where investments perform poorly and investors in or alongside our managed companies experience losses. We depend to a large extent on our business relationships and our reputation for integrity and high-caliber professional services to attract and retain investors and to pursue investment opportunities for us and our managed companies. As a result, allegations of improper conduct by private litigants (including investors in or alongside our managed companies) or regulators, whether the ultimate outcome is favorable or unfavorable to us, as well as negative publicity and press speculation about us, our investment activities or the private equity industry in general, whether or not valid, may harm our reputation, which may be more damaging to our business than to other types of businesses. Employee misconduct could harm us by impairing our ability to attract and retain clients and subjecting us to significant legal liability and reputational harm. Fraud and other deceptive practices or other misconduct at our funds’ portfolio companies could similarly subject us to liability and reputational damage and also harm performance. Our employees could engage in misconduct that adversely affects our business. We are subject to a number of obligations and standards arising from our asset management business and our authority over the assets managed by our asset management business. The violation of these obligations and standards by any of our employees would adversely affect our clients and us. Our business often requires that we deal with confidential matters of great significance to companies in which we may invest. If our employees were to improperly use or disclose confidential information, we could suffer serious harm to our reputation, financial position and current and future business relationships. Detecting or deterring employee misconduct is not always possible, and the extensive precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in all cases. If one of our employees were to engage in misconduct or were to be accused of such misconduct, our business and our reputation could be adversely affected. In recent years, the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC have devoted greater resources to enforcement of the FCPA. In addition, the U.K. has also significantly expanded the reach of its anti-bribery laws. While we have developed and implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure strict compliance by us and our personnel with the FCPA, such policies and procedures may not be effective in all instances to prevent violations. Any determination that we have violated the FCPA, the U.K. anti-bribery laws or other applicable anti-corruption laws could subject us to, among other things, civil and criminal penalties or material fines, profit disgorgement, injunctions on future conduct, securities litigation and a general loss of investor confidence, any one of which could adversely affect our business prospects, financial position or the market value of our common stock. In addition, we may also be adversely affected if there is misconduct by personnel of portfolio companies in which our funds invest. For example, financial fraud or other deceptive practices at our funds’ portfolio companies, or failures by personnel at our funds’ portfolio companies to comply with anti-bribery, trade sanctions, anti-harassment, anti-discrimination or other legal and regulatory requirements, could subject us to, among other things, civil and criminal penalties or material fines, profit disgorgement, injunctions on future conduct and securities litigation, and could also cause significant reputational and business harm to us. Such misconduct may undermine our due diligence efforts with respect to such portfolio companies and could negatively affect the valuations of the investments by our funds in such portfolio companies. In addition, we may face an increased risk of such misconduct to the extent our investment in non-U.S. markets, particularly emerging markets, increases. 28 Table of Contents Risks Related to Financing We may not be able to generate sufficient cash flow to meet all of our existing or potential future debt service obligations. Our ability to meet all of our existing or potential future debt service obligations (including those under our securitized debt instruments), to refinance our existing or potential future indebtedness, and to fund our operations, working capital, acquisitions, capital expenditures, and other important business uses, depends on our ability to generate sufficient cash flow in the future. Our future cash flow is subject to, among other factors, general economic, industry, financial, competitive, operating, legislative, and regulatory conditions, many of which are beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future sources of cash will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all, in amounts sufficient to enable us to meet all of our existing or potential future debt service obligations, or to fund our other important business uses or liquidity needs. Furthermore, if we incur additional indebtedness in connection with future acquisitions or for any other purpose, our existing or potential future debt service obligations could increase significantly and our ability to meet those obligations could depend, in large part, on the returns from such acquisitions or projects, as to which no assurance can be given. Furthermore, our obligations under the terms of our borrowings could impact us negatively. For example, such obligations could: • limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, acquisitions and general corporate or other purposes; • restrict us from making strategic acquisitions or cause us to make non-strategic divestitures; • restrict us from paying dividends to our stockholders; • increase our vulnerability to general economic and industry conditions; and • require a substantial portion of cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our borrowings, thereby reducing our ability to use cash flow to fund our operations, capital expenditures and future business opportunities. We may also need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness at or prior to the scheduled maturity. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness or obtain additional financing will depend on, among other things, (i) our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, distributable earnings ("DE") prospects, and then-current market conditions; and (ii) restrictions in the agreements governing our indebtedness. As a result, we may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness or obtain additional financing on favorable terms, or at all. In particular, our securitization co-issuers’ ability to refinance the securitization debt instruments or sell their interests in the securitization collateral will be affected by a number of factors, including the availability of credit for the collateral, the fair market value of the securitization collateral, our securitization entities’ financial condition, the operating history of the securitization managed funds, tax laws and general economic conditions. The ability of our securitization entities to sell or refinance their interests in the securitization collateral at or before the anticipated repayment date of the securitization debt instruments will also be affected by the degree of our success in forming new funds as additional managed funds for the securitization collateral pool. In the event that our securitization entities are not able to refinance the securitization debt instruments prior to the anticipated repayment date for such instruments, the interest payable on such securitization debt instruments will increase, which will reduce the cash flow available to us for other purposes. If we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations and additional borrowings or refinancings are not available to us, we may be unable to meet all of our existing or potential future debt service obligations. As a result, we would be forced to take other actions to meet those obligations, such as selling properties, raising equity or delaying capital expenditures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that we will be able to effect any of these actions on favorable terms, or at all. The securitization transaction documents impose certain restrictions on our activities or the activities of our subsidiaries, and the failure to comply with such restrictions could adversely affect our business. The indenture and other agreements entered into by certain of our subsidiaries contain various covenants that limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to engage in specified types of transactions. For example, among other things covenants restrict (subject to certain exceptions) the ability of certain subsidiaries to: • incur or guarantee additional indebtedness; • sell certain assets; 29 Table of Contents • alter the business conducted by our subsidiaries; • create new subsidiaries or alter our current cash distribution arrangements; • create or incur liens on certain assets; or • consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the assets held within the securitization entities. In addition, under the transaction documents related to our securitization transactions, a failure to comply with certain covenants could prevent our securitization entities from distributing any excess cash to us, which may limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. As a result of these restrictions, we may not have adequate resources or the flexibility to continue to manage the business and provide for our growth, which could adversely affect our future growth prospects, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. The securitized debt instruments issued by certain of our wholly-owned subsidiaries have restrictive terms, and any failure to comply with such terms could result in default, which could adversely affect our business. The securitization debt instruments are subject to a series of covenants and restrictions customary for transactions of this type, including (i) that the securitization co-issuers maintain specified reserve accounts to be used to make required payments in respect of the securitization notes, (ii) provisions relating to optional and mandatory prepayments and the related payment of specified amounts, including specified prepayment consideration in the case of the securitization term notes under certain circumstances, (iii) in the event that the securitization notes are not fully repaid by their applicable respective anticipated repayment dates, provisions relating to additional interest that will begin to accrue from and after such respective anticipated repayment dates and (iv) covenants relating to record keeping, access to information and similar matters. The securitization notes are also subject to customary amortization events, including events tied to failure to maintain stated debt service coverage ratios. The securitization notes are also subject to certain customary events of default, including events relating to non-payment of required interest, principal, or other amounts due on or with respect to the securitization notes, failure to comply with covenants within certain time frames, certain bankruptcy events, breaches of specified representations and warranties and the termination for cause of certain limited partnership agreements of investment vehicles managed by us resulting in a specified percentage decrease of annualized recurring fees. In the event that an amortization event occurs under the indenture which would require repayment of the securitization debt instruments or in the event of failure to repay or refinance the securitized debt instruments prior to the anticipated repayment date, the funds available to us would be reduced, which would in turn reduce our ability to operate and/or grow our business. If our subsidiaries are not able to generate sufficient cash flow to service their debt obligations, they may need to refinance or restructure debt, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital. If our subsidiaries are unable to implement one or more of these alternatives, they may not be able to meet debt payment and other obligations which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition. Our use of leverage to finance our businesses exposes us to substantial risks. As of December 31, 2022, we had $300 million in borrowings outstanding under our securitized financing facility, $278 million aggregate principal amount of convertible and exchangeable senior notes outstanding and approximately $4.6 billion of non-recourse investment level secured debt associated with our balance sheet investments. We may choose to finance our businesses operations through further borrowings under the securitized financing facility or by issuing additional debt. Our existing and future indebtedness exposes us to the typical risks associated with the use of leverage, including the risks related to changes in debt financing markets and higher interest rates described below. In addition, until such time as the financials of our Operating segment cease to be consolidated with our financial statements, the non-recourse debt associated with our balance sheet investments may impact assessments of our leverage by investors and rating agencies which may adversely impact our stock price and our ability to obtain and maintain favorable credit ratings. Changes in the debt financing markets or higher interest rates could negatively impact the value of certain assets or investments and the ability of our funds and their portfolio companies to access the capital markets on attractive terms, which could adversely affect investment and realization opportunities, lead to lower-yielding investments and potentially decrease our net income. A significant contraction or weakening in the market for debt financing or other adverse change relating to the terms of debt financing, including higher interest rates and equity requirements and more restrictive covenants, could have a material adverse impact on our business and that of our investment funds and their portfolio companies. Additionally, higher interest rates may create downward pressure on the price of digital infrastructure assets, increase the cost and availability of debt financing for the transactions our funds may pursue and decrease the value of fixed-rate debt 30 Table of Contents investments made by our funds. If our funds are unable to obtain committed debt financing for potential acquisitions or are only able to obtain debt financing at unfavorable interest rates or on unfavorable terms, our funds may have difficulty completing acquisitions that may have otherwise been profitable or if completed, such acquisitions could generate lower than expected profits, each of which could lead to a decrease in our net income. Further, should the equity markets experience a period of sustained declines in values as a result of concerns regarding rising interest rates, our funds may face increased difficulty in realizing value from investments. Our funds’ portfolio companies also regularly utilize the corporate debt markets in order to obtain financing for their operations. To the extent monetary policy, tax or other regulatory changes or difficult credit markets render such financing difficult to obtain, more expensive or otherwise less attractive, this may also negatively impact the financial results of those portfolio companies and, therefore, the investment returns on our funds. In addition, to the extent that market conditions and/or tax or other regulatory changes make it difficult or impossible to refinance debt that is maturing in the near term, some of our funds’ portfolio companies may be unable to repay such debt at maturity and may be forced to sell assets, undergo a recapitalization or seek bankruptcy protection. Increases in interest rates could adversely affect the value of our investments and cause our interest expense to increase, which could result in reduced earnings or losses and negatively affect our profitability as well as the cash available for distribution to our stockholders. The value of our investments in certain assets may decline if long-term interest rates continue to increase. Declines in the value of our investments may ultimately reduce earnings or result in losses to us, which may negatively affect cash available for distribution to our stockholders. In addition, in a period of rising interest rates, our operating results will partially depend on the difference between the income from our assets and financing costs. We anticipate that, in some cases, the income from such assets will respond more slowly to interest rate fluctuations than the cost of our borrowings. Consequently, changes in interest rates, particularly short-term interest rates, may significantly influence our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income we earn on our interest-earning investments and the interest expense we incur in financing these investments. Increases in these rates could decrease our net income and the market value of our assets. Rising interest rates may also affect the yield on our investments or target investments and the financing cost of our debt. If rising interest rates cause us to be unable to acquire a sufficient volume of our target investments with a yield that is above our borrowing cost, our ability to satisfy our investment objectives and to generate income and pay dividends may be materially and adversely affected. Due to the foregoing, significant fluctuations in interest rates could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial conditions and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. The changes to the reference rate used in our existing floating rate debt instruments and hedging arrangements are uncertain and may adversely affect interest rates on our current or future indebtedness and could hinder our ability to maintain effective hedges, potentially resulting in adverse impacts to our business operations and financial results. Our securitization variable funding notes, certain senior and junior subordinated notes and certain hedging transactions determine the applicable interest rate or payment amount by reference to a benchmark rate, such as the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) or to another financial metric. The publication of the one-week and two-month US Dollar LIBOR (“USD LIBOR”) maturities and non-USD LIBOR maturities ceased immediately after December 31, 2021, and the remaining USD LIBOR maturities will cease immediately after June 30, 2023. The composition and characteristics of SOFR differ from those of LIBOR in material respects: SOFR is a secured rate, LIBOR is an unsecured rate, and while SOFR is an overnight rate, LIBOR represents interbank funding for a specified term. SOFR is a measure of the cost of borrowing cash overnight, collateralized by U.S. Treasury securities, and is based on directly observable U.S. Treasury-backed repurchase transactions. Liquidity in SOFR-linked products has increased significantly since 2021 after the implementation of the SOFR First best practice as recommended by the Market Risk Advisory Committee of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. There can be no assurance that SOFR will perform in the same way as LIBOR would have at any time, including, without limitation, as a result of changes in interest and yield rates in the market, bank credit risk, market volatility or global or regional economic, financial, political, regulatory, judicial or other events. Further, we can provide no assurance regarding when our current floating rate debt instruments and hedging arrangements will transition from LIBOR as a reference rate to SOFR or another reference rate. To date we have taken steps intended to minimize disruption in our business operations related to changes in the benchmark rate, including, where possible, by providing mechanisms in our LIBOR based instruments that permit or facilitate the movement from LIBOR to replacement benchmarks upon the occurrence of certain defined events occur related to the discontinuation of LIBOR. However, there can be no assurances that such steps will successfully minimize disruption or result in any of the benefits we anticipate. The discontinuation of a benchmark rate or other financial metric, changes in a benchmark rate or 31 Table of Contents other financial metric, or changes in market perceptions of the acceptability of a benchmark rate or other financial metric, including LIBOR, could, among other things, result in increased interest payments, changes to our risk exposures, or require renegotiation of previous transactions. In addition, any such discontinuation or changes, whether actual or anticipated, could result in market volatility, adverse tax or accounting effects, increased compliance, legal and operational costs, and risks associated with contract negotiations. Further, confusion related to the transition from USD LIBOR to SOFR or another replacement reference rate for our floating debt and hedging instruments could have an uncertain economic effect on these instruments, hinder our ability to establish effective hedges and result in a different economic value over time for these instruments than they otherwise would have had under USD LIBOR, any of which could adversely impact our business operations and financial results. Risks Related to Ownership of Our Securities The market price of our class A common stock has been and may continue to be volatile and holders of our class A common stock could lose all or a significant portion of their investment due to drops in the market price of our class A common stock. The market price of our class A common stock has been and may continue to be volatile. Our stockholders may not be able to resell their common stock at or above the implied price at which they acquired such common stock due to fluctuations in the market price of our class A common stock, including changes in market price caused by factors unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. Additionally, this volatility and other factors have and may continue to induce stockholder activism, which has been increasing in publicly traded companies in recent years and to which we have and continue to be subject, and could materially disrupt our business, operations and ability to make distributions to our stockholders. We may issue additional equity securities, which may dilute your interest in us. In order to expand our business, we may consider offering class A common stock and securities that are convertible into our class A common stock and may issue additional common stock in connection with acquisitions or joint ventures. If we issue and sell additional shares of our class A common stock, the ownership interests of our existing stockholders will be diluted to the extent they do not participate in the offering. The number of shares of class A common stock that we may issue for cash in non-public offerings without stockholder approval is limited by the rules of the NYSE. However, we may issue and sell shares of our class A common stock in public offerings, and there generally are exceptions that allow companies to issue a limited number of equity securities in private offerings without stockholder approval, which could dilute your ownership. In July 2020, the OP issued $300 million in aggregate principal balance of 5.75% exchangeable senior notes due 2025 (“5.75% exchangeable notes”), which are exchangeable by the noteholder at any time prior to maturity into shares of our class A common stock at an exchange rate of 108.6956 shares of class A common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events. As of December 31, 2022, there were approximately $78 million in aggregate principal balance of the 5.75% exchangeable notes outstanding. The exchange of some or all of the remaining exchangeable notes will further dilute the ownership interests of existing stockholders, and any sales in the public market of shares of our class A common stock issuable upon such exchange of the notes could adversely affect the prevailing market price. In addition, we have and may continue to issue OP Units in the OP to current employees or third parties without stockholder approval. Subject to any applicable vesting or lock-up restrictions and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the OP agreement, a holder of OP Units may elect to redeem such OP Units for cash or, at the Company's option, shares of our class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. As a result of such OP Unit issuances and potential future issuances, your ownership will be diluted. Our board of directors may modify our authorized shares of stock of any class or series and may create and issue a class or series of common stock or preferred stock without stockholder approval. Our Articles of Amendment and Restatement, as amended (our "Charter"), authorizes our board of directors to, without stockholder approval, classify any unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock; reclassify any previously classified, but unissued, shares of common stock or preferred stock into one or more classes or series of stock; and issue such shares of stock so classified or reclassified. Our board of directors may determine the relative rights, preferences, and privileges of any class or series of common stock or preferred stock issued. As a result, we may issue series or classes of common stock or preferred stock with preferences, dividends, powers, and rights (voting or otherwise) senior to the rights of current holders of our class A common stock. The issuance of any such classes or series of common stock or preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control transaction that might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders. 32 Table of Contents Risks Related to Our Incorporation in Maryland Certain provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes in control. Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law ("MGCL") may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or impeding a change of control that could provide our stockholders with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of our common stock, including: • “business combination” provisions that, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between us and an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock), or an affiliate thereof, for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, and thereafter imposes special appraisal rights and supermajority voting requirements on these combinations; and • “control share” provisions that provide that holders of “control shares” of our company (defined as voting shares which, when aggregated with all other shares owned or controlled by the stockholder, entitle the stockholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of issued and outstanding “control shares”) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by our stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding all interested shares. The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by a board of directors prior to the time that the “interested stockholder” becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has, by resolution, exempted any business combination between us and any person who is an existing, or becomes in the future, an “interested stockholder,” provided that any such business combination is first approved by our board of directors (including a majority of the directors of our Company who are not affiliates or associates of such person). Consequently, the five-year prohibition and the supermajority vote requirements will not apply to business combinations between us and any such person. As a result, such person may be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interest of our stockholders, without compliance with the supermajority vote requirements and the other provisions of the statute. Additionally, this resolution may be altered, revoked or repealed in whole or in part at any time and we may opt back into the business combination provisions of the MGCL. If this resolution is revoked or repealed, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. In the case of the control share provisions of the MGCL, we have elected to opt out of these provisions of the MGCL pursuant to a provision in our bylaws. Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise in the future with the OP and its members, which may impede business decisions that could benefit our stockholders. Conflicts of interest may exist or could arise as a result of the relationships between us and our affiliates, on the one hand, and the OP or any member thereof, on the other. Our directors and officers have duties to our Company and our stockholders under applicable Maryland law in connection with their management of our Company. At the same time, the Company, as sole managing member of the OP, has fiduciary duties to the OP and to its members under Delaware law in connection with the management of the OP. Our duties to the OP and its members, as the sole managing member, may come into conflict with the duties of our directors and officers to our Company and our stockholders. As of the date of this report, Mr. Ganzi and Mr. Jenkins indirectly own approximately 1.6% and 1.4%, respectively, in the OP. These conflicts may be resolved in a manner that is not in the best interest of our stockholders. Regulatory Risks Extensive regulation in the United States and abroad affects our activities, increases the cost of doing business and creates the potential for significant liabilities that could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Our business is subject to extensive regulation, including periodic examinations by governmental agencies and self-regulatory organizations in the jurisdictions in which we operate around the world. Many of these regulators, including U.S. and foreign government agencies and self-regulatory organizations and state securities commissions in the United States, are empowered to grant, and in specific circumstances to cancel, permissions to carry on particular activities, and to conduct investigations and administrative proceedings that can result in fines, suspensions of personnel or other sanctions, including censure, the issuance of cease-and-desist orders or the suspension or expulsion of applicable licenses and memberships. In recent years, the SEC and its staff have focused on issues relevant to global investment firms and have formed specialized units devoted to examining such firms and, in certain cases, bringing enforcement actions against the firms, their principals and their employees. Such actions and settlements involving U.S.-based private fund advisers generally 33 Table of Contents have involved a number of issues, including the undisclosed allocation of the fees, costs and expenses related to unconsummated co-investment transactions (i.e., the allocation of broken deal expenses), undisclosed legal fee arrangements affording the adviser greater discounts than those afforded to funds advised by such adviser and the undisclosed acceleration of certain special fees. Recent SEC focus areas have also included, among other things, the misuse of material non-public information, material impacts on portfolio companies owned by private funds (e.g., real estate related investments) due to recent economic conditions, and compliance with practices described in fund disclosures regarding the use of limited partner advisory committees, including whether advisory committee approvals were properly obtained in accordance with fund disclosures. The SEC’s oversight, inspections and examinations of global investment firms, including our firm, have continued to focus on transparency, investor disclosure practices, fees and expenses, valuation and conflicts of interest and whether firms have adequate policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal securities laws in connection with these and other areas of focus. For example, our managed companies routinely engage our affiliated entities to provide asset level services, in accordance with the relevant fund legal documents. While we believe we have procedures in place reasonably designed to monitor and make appropriate and timely disclosures regarding the engagement and compensation of our affiliated services providers and other matters of current regulatory focus, the SEC’s inspections of our firm have raised concerns about these and other areas of our operations. In September 2022, Colony Capital Investment Advisors, LLC (“CCIA”), the investment adviser to certain legacy funds and vehicles holding legacy assets, received an information request from the SEC’s Division of Enforcement related principally to certain alleged deficiencies identified in a recent examination of CCIA relating to CCIA’s compliance with its fiduciary duty, duty of care and disclosure of affiliate transactions involving certain legacy businesses and operations. We expect to cooperate with the SEC staff in this investigation. Although we believe that CCIA acted in accordance with applicable legal requirements and always conducted its business in the best interests of its clients, we have taken a number of steps to improve our investor disclosures and compliance processes in response to the CCIA examination. In addition, almost all of the relevant CCIA-managed investment vehicles and related legal entities have either been sold or wound down, and CCIA has not sponsored a new client investment vehicle in over two years and has no plans to do so. Nevertheless, at this time, we cannot predict the outcome of the SEC investigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, in recent years the SEC and several states have initiated investigations alleging that certain private equity firms and hedge funds, or agents acting on their behalf, have paid money to current or former government officials or their associates in exchange for improperly soliciting contracts with the state pension funds (i.e., “ pay to play” practices). Such “pay to play” practices are subject to extensive federal and state regulation, and any failure on our part to comply with rules surrounding “pay to play” practices could expose us to significant penalties and reputational damage. Further, we expect a greater level of SEC enforcement activity under the current administration, and it is possible this enforcement activity will target practices that we believe are compliant and that were not targeted by prior administrations. We regularly are subject to requests for information and informal or formal investigations by the SEC and other regulatory authorities, with which we routinely cooperate and, in the current environment, even historical practices that have been previously examined are being revisited. Even if an investigation or proceeding does not result in a sanction or the sanction imposed against us or our personnel by a regulator were small in monetary amount, the costs incurred in responding to such matters could be material and the adverse publicity relating to the investigation, proceeding or imposition of these sanctions could harm our reputation and cause us to lose existing investors or fail to gain new investors or discourage others from doing business with us. In addition, we regularly rely on exemptions from various requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the 1940 Act, the Commodity Exchange Act and ERISA in conducting our investment activities in the United States. Similarly, in conducting our investment activities outside the United States, we rely on available exemptions from the regulatory regimes of various foreign jurisdictions. These exemptions from regulation within the United States and abroad are sometimes highly complex and may, in certain circumstances, depend on compliance by third parties whom we do not control. If for any reason these exemptions were to become unavailable to us, we could become subject to regulatory action or third-party claims and our business could be materially and adversely affected. Moreover, the requirements imposed by our regulators are designed primarily to ensure the integrity of the financial markets and to protect investors in our funds and are not designed to protect our stockholders. Consequently, these regulations often serve to limit our activities and impose burdensome compliance requirements. It is difficult to determine the full extent of the impact on us of any new laws, regulations or initiatives that may be proposed or whether any of the proposals will become law. Any changes in the regulatory framework applicable to our business, including the changes as a result of, among others, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, may impose additional costs on us, require the attention of our senior management or result in limitations on the manner in which we conduct our business. It is expected that the current administration will increase the number of 34 Table of Contents financial regulations and regulators. Furthermore, we may become subject to additional regulatory and compliance burdens as we expand our product offerings and investment platform, including raising additional funds. Moreover, as calls for additional regulation have increased as a result of heightened regulatory focus in the financial industry, there may be a related increase in regulatory investigations of the trading and other investment activities of alternative asset management funds, including our managed companies. Compliance with any new laws or regulations could make compliance more difficult and expensive, affect the manner in which we conduct our business and adversely affect our profitability. Failure to satisfy the 40% limitation or to qualify for an exception or exemption from registration under the 1940 Act under Rule 3a-1 or otherwise could require us to register as an investment company or substantially change the way we conduct our business, either of which may have an adverse effect on us and the market price for shares of our class A common stock. We intend to conduct our operations so that we and our subsidiaries are not required to register as investment companies under the 1940 Act. Compliance with the 40% limitation on holding investment securities under the 1940 Act and maintenance of applicable exceptions or exemptions, including Rule 3a-1 which provides an exemption for a company primarily engaged in a non-investment company business based on the nature of its assets and the sources of income, impose certain requirements on how we structure our balance sheet investments and manage our sponsored funds. Continuing satisfaction of the 40% limitation or qualification for Rule 3a-1 or another exception or exemption from registration under the 1940 Act will limit our ability to make certain investments or change the relevant mix of our investments. If we fail to satisfy the 40% limitation or to maintain any applicable exception or exemption from registration as an investment company under the 1940 Act, either because of changes in SEC guidance or otherwise, we could be required to, among other things: (i) substantially change the manner in which we conduct our operations and the assets that we own to avoid being required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act; or (ii) register as an investment company. Either of (i) or (ii) could have an adverse effect on us and the market price for shares of our class A common stock. If we are required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use leverage), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the 1940 Act), portfolio composition, including restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration, and other matters. Regulation regarding climate change may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Changes in federal and state legislation and regulations on climate change could result in utility expenses and/or capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our existing properties or other related aspects of our properties in order to comply with such regulations or otherwise adapt to climate change. These regulations may require unplanned capital improvements, and increased engagement to manage occupant energy use, which is a large driver of building performance. If our properties cannot meet performance standards, we could be exposed to fines for non-compliance, as well as a decrease in demand and a decline in value. As a result, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected. Privacy and data protection regulations are complex and rapidly evolving areas. Any failure or alleged failure to comply with these laws could harm our business, reputation, financial condition, and operating results. Various federal, state, and foreign laws and regulations as well as industry standards and contractual obligations govern the collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, cross-border transfer, localization, sharing, and security of the data we receive from and about our customers, employees, and other individuals. The regulatory environment for the collection and use of personal information for companies, including for those that own and manage data centers and other communications technologies, is evolving in the United States and internationally. The U.S. federal government, U.S. states, and foreign governments have enacted (or are considering) laws and regulations that may restrict our ability to collect, use, and disclose personal information and may increase or change our obligations with respect to storing or managing our own data, including our employees’ personal information, as well as our customers’ data, which may include individuals’ personal information. For example, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) imposes detailed requirements related to the collection, storage, and use of personal information related to people located in the EU (or which is processed in the context of EU operations) and places new data protection obligations and restrictions on organizations, and may require us to make further changes to our policies and procedures in the future beyond what we have already done. In addition, in the wake of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, the United Kingdom has adopted a framework similar to the GDPR. The EU has confirmed that the UK data protection framework as being “adequate” to receive EU personal data. We are monitoring recent developments regarding amendments to the UK data protection framework and the impact this may have on our business. 35 Table of Contents Privacy and consumer rights groups and government bodies (including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”)), state attorneys general, the European Commission, and data protection authorities in Europe, the UK, Singapore, and other jurisdictions, are increasingly scrutinizing privacy, and we expect such scrutiny to continue to increase. This could result in loss of competitive position, regulatory actions or increased regulatory scrutiny, litigation, breach of contract, reputational harm, damage to our stakeholder relationships, or legal liability. We cannot predict how future laws, regulations and standards, or future interpretations of current laws, regulations and standards, related to privacy and data protection will affect our business, and we cannot predict the cost of compliance. Risks Related to Taxation Our obligations to pay income taxes will increase as a result of no longer qualifying for REIT status, effective January 1, 2022. We became a taxable C Corporation effective for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022. As a REIT, we generally were permitted to deduct any dividends paid on our stock from our REIT taxable income. We reinstated the dividend on our common stock in September of 2022 and we also currently pay dividends on our approximately $828 million of outstanding preferred stock. As a result of no longer qualifying for REIT status, we will not be allowed a deduction for dividends paid to our stockholders (including the preferred dividends we currently pay) in computing our taxable income and will be subject to U.S. federal and state income tax on our taxable income at corporate tax rates. This could impair our ability to satisfy our financial obligations and negatively impact the price of our securities. This treatment could also reduce our net earnings available for investment or distribution to our stockholders because of the additional tax liability to us. Further, federal and state income tax rates could increase in the future, exacerbating these risks. We also will be disqualified from electing REIT status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, through December 31, 2026. We are no longer subject to the REIT distribution requirements, and as such we are not required to make annual distributions of our net income to stockholders, which could have an adverse impact on our stock price. As a REIT, we were required to distribute annually at least 90% of our “REIT taxable income” (subject to certain adjustments and excluding any net capital gain) in order to qualify as a REIT. We no longer qualify for REIT status and became a taxable C Corporation effective for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022. Accordingly, we are no longer required to make distributions to our stockholders, which in turn could have an adverse impact on our stock price. We may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of becoming a taxable C Corporation or those benefits may take longer to realize than expected. We believe that no longer qualifying for REIT status and becoming a taxable C Corporation will, among other things, provide us with greater flexibility to use our free cash flows as we will no longer be required to operate under the REIT rules, including the requirement to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income to our stockholders. However, the amount of our free cash flows may not meet our expectations, which may reduce, or eliminate, the anticipated benefits of the transition from a REIT to a taxable C Corporation. For example, if our cash flows do not meet our expectations, we may be unable to reduce our net recourse debt and deleverage our debt as quickly as we desire. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the anticipated benefits of the transition from a REIT to a taxable C Corporation will offset its costs, which could be greater than we expect. Our failure to achieve the anticipated benefits of the transition from a REIT to a taxable C Corporation at all, or in a timely manner, or a failure of any benefits realized to offset its costs, could negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations or the market price of our common stock. Our ability to use capital loss and NOL carryforwards to reduce future tax payments may be limited. We have capital loss and NOL carryforwards that we may be able to use to reduce the income taxes that we owe following the termination of our REIT election beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 2022. However, we must have taxable income or gains in future periods to benefit from these capital loss and NOL carryforwards, and there is a risk that we may not be profitable in future periods. In addition, our ability to utilize capital loss and NOL carryforwards may be limited by various tax rules, including Sections 382 and 383 of the Code which generally apply if we undergo an “ownership change.” Our use of capital losses or NOLs arising after the date of an ownership change generally would not be affected by the limitations under Sections 382 and 383 (unless there were another ownership change after those new losses arose). In general, an “ownership change” occurs if there is a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in a corporation’s equity ownership by certain stockholders over a rolling three-year period. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of existing state tax attributes such as NOLs. While we do not believe that we have experienced ownership changes in the past that would materially limit our ability to utilize our capital loss and NOL carryforwards, the rules under Sections 382 and 383 are complex and there is no assurance our view is correct or that an ownership change will not occur in the 36 Table of Contents future. Also, to the extent not prohibited by our Charter we may decide in the future that it is necessary or in our interest to take certain actions, including issuing additional shares of our stock, that could result in an ownership change. In the event that we experience one or more ownership changes in the future, our ability to use our pre-change capital loss and NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset our taxable income will be subject to limitations. As a result, we may be unable to use a material portion of the capital loss and NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes, which could adversely affect our future cash flows. In addition, we may be discouraged from issuing additional common stock to raise capital or to acquire businesses or assets because such issuance may result in an ownership change that would cause the limitations imposed by Section 382 and 383 to apply to our capital loss and NOL carryforwards. We may incur adverse tax consequences if we failed to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes for the period during which we elected to be taxed as a REIT. We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the U.S. federal income tax laws commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2017 and ending with our taxable year ended December 31, 2021. Our qualification as a REIT for such period depends on our having satisfied, and in some cases other REITs we have merged with having satisfied, certain gross asset, gross income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements. If the IRS challenged our characterization, valuation, and treatment of investments (including our direct or indirect interests in subsidiary REITs, each of which must satisfy the same requirements for REIT qualification) for purposes of the REIT asset and income tests for any open tax year, and if such a challenge were sustained, we could fail to qualify as a REIT for such tax year, unless we could avail ourselves of relief provisions for the applicable tax period. If we failed to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year for which our REIT election was effective, we would be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our taxable income for such year at the regular corporate rate, and dividends paid to our stockholders would not be deductible by us in computing our taxable income for such year. Additionally, if any subsidiary REIT in which we own an interest fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year for which its REIT election is or was effective, it (i) would be subject to regular U.S. federal corporate income tax and (ii) would cease to be a qualifying asset for the REIT asset tests, which could have an adverse effect on our REIT qualification for any open tax year in which our REIT election was effective. Any resulting corporate tax liability could be substantial and would reduce the amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders, which in turn could have an adverse impact on the value of our class A common stock. We could be subject to increased taxes if the tax authorities in various international jurisdictions were to modify tax rules and regulations on which we have relied in structuring our international investments. We currently receive favorable tax treatment in various international jurisdictions through tax rules, regulations, tax authority rulings, and international tax treaties. Should changes occur to these rules, regulations, rulings or treaties, we may no longer receive such benefits, and consequently, the amount of taxes we pay with respect to our international investments may increase. There is a risk of changes in the tax law applicable to an investment in us. The IRS, the United States Treasury Department, and Congress frequently review U.S. federal income tax legislation, regulations, and other guidance. We cannot predict whether, when, or to what extent new U.S. federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations, or rulings will be adopted. Any legislative action may prospectively or retroactively modify our tax treatment and, therefore, may adversely affect our taxation or the taxation of our stockholders. We urge you to consult with your tax advisor with respect to the status of legislative, regulatory, or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our stock. Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments. None.