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Significant Transactions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
Significant Transactions [Abstract] |
Significant Transactions | Significant Transactions Acquisitions The following acquisitions are included in White Mountains’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. The total assets acquired and liabilities assumed have been measured at their acquisition date fair values. Buzzmove On August 4, 2016, White Mountains acquired a 70.9% ownership share in Buzzmove for a purchase price of GBP 6.1 million (approximately $8.1 million based upon the foreign exchange spot rate at the date of acquisition). White Mountains recognized total assets acquired related to Buzzmove of $11.5 million, including $7.6 million of goodwill and $1.1 million of intangible assets, and total liabilities assumed of $0.1 million, reflecting acquisition date fair values. MediaAlpha On March 14, 2014, White Mountains acquired 60.0% of the outstanding Class A common units of MediaAlpha. White Mountains paid an initial purchase price of $28.1 million. The purchase price was subject to adjustment equal to 62.5% of the 2015 gross profit in excess of the 2013 gross profit. On February 26, 2016, White Mountains paid $7.8 million in settlement of the final purchase adjustment. After adjustment for the estimated contingent purchase price adjustment, White Mountains recognized total assets acquired related to MediaAlpha of $70.1 million, including $18.3 million of goodwill and $38.5 million of other intangible assets, and total liabilities assumed of $10.0 million, reflecting acquisition date fair values. On January 15, 2016, MediaAlpha acquired certain assets from Oversee.net for a purchase price of $3.9 million. The majority of assets acquired, which are included in other intangible assets, consists of customer relationships, a customer contract, a non-compete agreement from the seller, domain names and technology. Wobi On February 19, 2014, White Mountains acquired 54.0% of the outstanding common shares of Wobi for NIS 14.4 million (approximately $4.1 million based upon the foreign exchange spot rate at the date of acquisition). During 2014, in addition to the common shares, White Mountains also purchased NIS 31.5 million (approximately $9.0 million based upon the foreign exchange spot rate at the dates of acquisition) of convertible preferred shares of Wobi. As of the acquisition date, White Mountains recognized total assets acquired related to Wobi of $13.4 million, including $5.5 million of goodwill and $2.9 million of other intangible assets; and total liabilities assumed of $0.7 million at their estimated acquisition date fair values. During 2015, White Mountains purchased NIS 79.6 million (approximately $20.7 million based upon the foreign exchange spot rate at the dates of acquisition) of convertible preferred shares of Wobi. In addition, during 2015 White Mountains also purchased NIS 11.8 million (approximately $3.1 million based upon the foreign exchange spot rate at the date of acquisition) of common shares of Wobi. On February 23, 2015, Wobi acquired 56.2% of the outstanding share capital of Tnuva Finansit Ltd. (“Cashboard”) for NIS 9.5 million (approximately $2.4 million). The acquisition of Cashboard accelerated Wobi’s development of its pension products comparison service. As of the acquisition date, Wobi recognized total assets acquired of $5.5 million, including $0.3 million of goodwill and $2.8 million of other intangible assets; and total liabilities assumed of $1.2 million at their estimated acquisition date fair values. During 2015, Wobi purchased the remaining share capital of Cashboard for NIS 26.4 million (approximately $6.5 million). During 2016, White Mountains purchased NIS 35.9 million (approximately $9.6 million based upon the foreign exchange spot rates at the dates of acquisitions) of convertible preferred shares of Wobi. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, White Mountains’s ownership share was 95.0% and 96.1%. Star & Shield On January 31, 2014, White Mountains acquired certain assets and liabilities of Star & Shield Holdings LLC, including SSRM, the attorney-in-fact for SSIE, for a purchase price of $1.8 million. During 2015 and 2014, White Mountains also purchased $4.0 million and $17.0 million of SSIE Surplus Notes. Principal and interest on the SSIE Surplus Notes are payable to White Mountains only with approval from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. On July 1, 2016, SSIE voluntarily ceased writing new policies. As a result, White Mountains wrote off its investment in the SSIE Surplus Notes which resulted in a $21.0 million total decrease to net income attributable to White Mountain’s common shareholders and a corresponding increase to net income attributable to non-controlling interests. On January 13, 2017, White Mountains reached an agreement to sell Star & Shield and its investment in SSIE Surplus Notes to K2 Insurance Services LLC. As a result, White Mountains has presented Star & Shield's and SSIE’s assets and liabilities as held for sale as of December 31, 2016 and 2015. On December 30, 2016, SSIE entered into a Consent Order with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation governing its wind down and the surrender and termination of SSIE’s Certificate of Authority as a domestic reciprocal in the State of Florida. Pursuant to the Consent Order, it is anticipated that SSIE will non-renew its last policy in August 2017. SSIE is a Florida-domiciled reciprocal insurance exchange providing private passenger auto insurance to the public safety community and their families. SSIE is a VIE. SSRM’s role as the attorney-in-fact for SSIE gives it the power to direct the significant economic activities of SSIE and therefore, White Mountains is required to consolidate SSIE. See Note 18 — “Variable Interest Entities”. Dispositions Sale of Sirius Group On April 18, 2016, White Mountains completed the sale of Sirius Group to CMI for approximately $2.6 billion. $161.8 million of this amount was used to purchase certain assets to be retained by White Mountains out of Sirius Group, including shares of OneBeacon. The amount paid at closing was based on an estimate of Sirius Group’s closing date tangible common shareholder’s equity. During 2016, White Mountains recorded $363.2 million of gain from sale of Sirius Group in discontinued operations and $113.3 million in other comprehensive income from discontinued operations. Through April 18, 2016, Sirius Group’s results are reported as discontinued operations and assets and liabilities held for sale within White Mountains’s GAAP financial statements. Assets held for sale do not include White Mountains’s investment in OneBeacon and certain other investments that were held in the Sirius Group legal entities as of December 31, 2015. The value of these investments, net of related tax effects, was approximately $686.2 million, of which $528.6 million was Symetra common shares, as of December 31, 2015. The transactions to purchase the investments in OneBeacon and the other investments held by Sirius Group prior to the closing are presented in the statement of cash flows as net settlement of investment cash flows with discontinued operations. See Note 22 — “Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations”. Symetra On February 1, 2016, White Mountains sold its investment in Symetra Financial Corporation (“Symetra”) for proceeds of $658.0 million, or $32.00 per share. See Note 17 — “Investments in Unconsolidated Affiliates”. Sale of Tranzact On July 21, 2016, White Mountains completed the sale of Tranzact to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC and received net proceeds of $221.3 million at closing. In connection with the sale of Tranzact, the purchaser directly repaid $56.3 million for the portion of Tranzact's debt attributable to White Mountains's common shareholders. On October 5, 2016, White Mountains received additional proceeds of $1.2 million following the release of the post-closing purchase price adjustment escrow. White Mountains recorded a $51.9 million gain from the sale of Tranzact in discontinued operations, which included a $30.2 million tax expense for the reversal of a tax valuation allowance that is offset by a tax benefit recorded in continuing operations. See Note 8 — “Income Taxes”. The increase to White Mountains’s book value from the sale of Tranzact was $82.1 million. A reconciliation of the gain reported in discontinued operations to the impact to White Mountains's book value is as follows:
Millions |  |
Gain from sale of Tranzact reported in discontinued operations |  | $ | 51.9 |
Add back reclassification from continuing operations for the release of a tax valuation allowance |  | 30.2 |
Comprehensive income from sale of Tranzact |  | $ | 82.1 |
Through July 21, 2016, Tranzact’s results of operations are reported as discontinued operations and assets and liabilities held for sale within White Mountains's GAAP financial statements. See Note 22 — “Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations”. OneBeacon Crop Business On July 31, 2015, OneBeacon exited its multiple peril crop insurance (“MPCI”) and its related crop-hail business (collectively, “Crop Business”) as its exclusive managing general agency, Climate Crop Insurance Agency (“CCIA”), exited the business through a sale of the agency to an affiliate of AmTrust. As a result of the transaction, OneBeacon and CCIA agreed to an early termination of the existing five-year agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2015, in connection with the termination of the agreement, OneBeacon received a payment of $3.0 million recorded in other revenues. Also related to the transaction, OneBeacon withdrew its 2016 Plan of Operations, which previously authorized it to write MPCI for the 2016 Reinsurance Year, and affiliates of AmTrust agreed to reinsure the Company’s remaining net Crop Business exposure for the 2015 Reinsurance Year under a related 100% quota share reinsurance agreement which, coupled with other transfer and assignment agreements as well as communications with policyholders and agents, had the effect of assumption reinsurance. Sale of OneBeacon Runoff Business On December 23, 2014, OneBeacon completed the sale of its Runoff Business to Trebuchet US Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Armour Group Holdings Limited (“Armour”). Financing was provided in the form of the OneBeacon Surplus Notes of $101.0 million that had a fair value of $64.9 million on the date of sale. Subsequent to closing, the OneBeacon Surplus Notes are included in OneBeacon’s investment portfolio, categorized within other long-term investments. See Note 5 - “Investment Securities”. The difference of $36.1 million between the par value and the fair value of the OneBeacon Surplus Notes at the date of sale is included in the loss from sale of discontinued operations. See Note 22 — “Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations”. Sale of Essentia Insurance Company Effective January 1, 2013, OneBeacon completed the sale of Essentia Insurance Company (“Essentia”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary which wrote the collector cars and boats business, to Markel Corporation. Concurrently therewith, OneBeacon and Hagerty Insurance Agency (“Hagerty”) terminated their underwriting arrangement with respect to the collector cars and boats business. OneBeacon recognized a pre-tax gain on sale of $23.0 million ($15.0 million after tax) in the first quarter of 2013. During the year ended December 31, 2015, OneBeacon recognized in other revenues a $3.7 million negative adjustment to the pre-tax gain on sale of Essentia in connection with an assessment from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (“MCCA”) payable to Markel Corporation pursuant to the indemnification provisions in the stock purchase agreement governing the sale of Essentia.

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- Definition Significant Transactions [Abstract] + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Description of various transactions that are significant to White Mountains financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. + References No definition available. + Details
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