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Other Investments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Investments, All Other Investments [Abstract]  
Other Investments

Note 8—Other Investments

The Company’s other investments and its proportionate share of earnings (losses) from equity method investments were as follows ($ in thousands):

Carrying Value

Equity in Earnings (Losses)

As of December 31, 

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2022

    

2021

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Real estate equity investments

  

 

  

  

 

  

 

  

Safehold Inc. ("SAFE")(1)

$

1,237,086

$

1,168,532

$

38,885

$

108,393

$

53,476

Ground Lease Plus Fund

 

65,791

 

17,630

 

2,807

 

6

 

Other real estate equity investments(2)

 

32,405

 

44,349

 

19,625

 

36,600

 

(12,929)

Subtotal

 

1,335,282

 

1,230,511

 

61,317

 

144,999

 

40,547

Other strategic investments(3)

 

25,400

 

66,770

 

(2,637)

 

9,345

 

(1,075)

Total

$

1,360,682

$

1,297,281

$

58,680

$

154,344

$

39,472

(1)As of December 31, 2022, the Company owned 33.9 million shares of SAFE common stock which, based on the closing price of $28.62 on December 31, 2022, had a market value of $1.0 billion. Pursuant to ASC 323-10-40-1, an equity method investor shall account for a share issuance by an investee as if the investor had sold a proportionate share of its investment. Any gain or loss to the investor resulting from an investee’s share issuance shall be recognized in earnings. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, equity in earnings includes $0.9 million, $60.7 million and $14.4 million, respectively, of dilution gains resulting from SAFE equity offerings. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company distributed shares of SAFE common stock to its shareholders in the form of a dividend and realized a loss of $49.3 million on the distribution in equity in earnings from equity method investments.
(2)During the year ended December 31, 2022, one of the Company’s real estate equity investments closed on the sale of a multifamily property. The Company received a distribution of $15.9 million from the sale and recognized a gain of $11.5 million in “Earnings from equity method investments” in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
(3)During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company identified observable price changes in an equity security held by the Company as evidenced by orderly private issuances of similar securities by the same issuer. In accordance with ASC 321, the Company remeasured its equity investment at fair value and recognized aggregate mark-to-market gains during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 of $18.9 million and $23.9 million, respectively, in “Other income” in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The Company’s equity security was redeemed at its carrying value in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Safehold Inc.—Refer to Note 1 – Merger with Safehold Inc.

SAFE is a publicly-traded company formed by the Company primarily to acquire, own, manage, finance and capitalize ground leases. Ground leases generally represent ownership of the land underlying commercial real estate projects that is net leased by the fee owner of the land to the owners/operators of the real estate projects built thereon (“Ground Leases”).

In January 2019, the Company purchased 12.5 million newly designated limited partnership units (the “Investor Units”) in SAFE’s operating partnership (“SAFE OP”), at a purchase price of $20.00 per unit, for a total purchase price of $250.0 million. In May 2019, after the approval of SAFE’s shareholders, the Investor Units were exchanged for shares of SAFE’s common stock on a one-for-one basis. Following the exchange, the Investor Units were retired.

In connection with the Company’s purchase of the Investor Units, it entered into a Stockholder’s Agreement with SAFE in January 2019. The Stockholder’s Agreement:

limits the Company’s discretionary voting power to 41.9% of the outstanding voting power of SAFE’s common stock until its aggregate ownership of SAFE common stock is less than 41.9%; and
provides the Company certain preemptive rights.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company is the external manager of SAFE and is entitled to a management fee. In addition, the Company is also the external manager of a venture in which SAFE is a member. Following are the key terms of the management agreement with SAFE:

The Company receives a fee equal to 1.0% of total SAFE equity (as defined in the management agreement) up to $1.5 billion; 1.25% of total SAFE equity (for incremental equity of $1.5 billion - $3.0 billion); 1.375%
of total SAFE equity (for incremental equity of $3.0 billion - $5.0 billion); and 1.5% of total SAFE equity (for incremental equity over $5.0 billion);
Fee to be paid in cash or in shares of SAFE common stock, at the discretion of SAFE’s independent directors;
The stock is locked up for two years, subject to certain restrictions;
There is no additional performance or incentive fee;
The management agreement is non-terminable by SAFE through June 30, 2023 except for cause; and
Automatic annual renewals thereafter, subject to non-renewal upon certain findings by SAFE’s independent directors and payment of termination fee equal to three times the prior year’s management fee.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company purchased 0.2 million shares of SAFE's common stock for $10.5 million, for an average cost of $66.83 per share, in open market purchases made in accordance with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In March 2022, the Company acquired 3,240,000 shares of SAFE’s common stock in a private placement for $191.2 million. In December 2022, the Company paid a non-cash dividend of approximately 6.63 million shares of SAFE common stock to its shareholders.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company purchased 1.0 million shares of SAFE's common stock for $69.5 million, for an average cost of $72.96 per share, in open market purchases made in accordance with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, in the fourth quarter 2021 the Company purchased 24,108 shares of SAFE’s common stock for $1.8 million, for an average cost of $73.86 per share, in an open market transaction.

In September 2021, the Company acquired 657,894 shares of SAFE’s common stock in a private placement for $50.0 million. In November 2020, the Company acquired 1.1 million shares of SAFE’s common stock in a private placement for $65.0 million. In March 2020, the Company acquired 1.7 million shares of SAFE’s common stock in a private placement for $80.0 million. As of December 31, 2022, the Company owned approximately 54.3% of SAFE’s common stock outstanding.

During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded $20.3 million, $14.9 million and $12.7 million, respectively, of management fees pursuant to its management agreement with SAFE.

The Company is also entitled to receive certain expense reimbursements, including for the allocable costs of its personnel that perform certain legal, accounting, due diligence tasks and other services that third-party professionals or outside consultants otherwise would perform. Historically, pursuant to the Company’s option under the management agreement, the Company has elected to not seek reimbursement for certain expenses. This historical election is not a waiver of reimbursement for similar expenses in future periods and the Company has started to elect to seek, and may further seek in the future, reimbursement of such additional expenses that it has not previously sought, including, without limitation, rent, overhead and certain personnel costs. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized $12.5 million, $7.5 million and $5.0 million, respectively, of expense reimbursements pursuant to its management agreement with SAFE.

The Company has an exclusivity agreement with SAFE pursuant to which it agreed, subject to certain exceptions, that it will not acquire, originate, invest in, or provide financing for a third party’s acquisition of, a Ground Lease unless it has first offered that opportunity to SAFE and a majority of its independent directors has declined the opportunity.

Following is a list of investments that the Company has transacted with SAFE, all of which were approved by the Company’s and SAFE’s independent directors, for the periods presented:

In October 2017, the Company closed on a 99-year Ground Lease and a $80.5 million construction financing commitment to support the ground-up development of a to-be-built luxury multi-family project. The transaction included a combination of: (i) a newly created Ground Lease and a $7.2 million leasehold improvement allowance, which was fully

funded; and (ii) an $80.5 million leasehold first mortgage. The Company sold the Ground Lease to SAFE in September 2020 for $34.0 million and recognized a gain of $6.1 million in “Income from sales of real estate” in connection with the sale and in January 2021 sold the leasehold first mortgage to an entity in which the Company has a 53% noncontrolling equity interest (refer to “Other strategic investments” below) for $63.3 million.

In June 2020, Net Lease Venture II (see Note 3) acquired the leasehold interest in an office laboratory property in Honolulu, HI and simultaneously entered into a 99 year Ground Lease with SAFE. In November 2021, the Company acquired the property from Net Lease Venture II. The Company paid $0.6 million to its partner to acquire its equity interest in the property and assumed a $44.4 million mortgage on the property. The Company sold the property in the first quarter of 2022. Prior to the sale, SAFE paid $0.3 million to terminate a purchase option that allowed the Company to purchase the land at the expiration of the Ground Lease.

In October 2020, the Company provided a $22.5 million loan to the ground lessee of a Ground Lease originated at SAFE. The loan was for the Ground Lease tenant’s recapitalization of an existing multi-family property. The Company received $2.3 million of consideration from SAFE in connection with this transaction.

In February 2021, the Company provided a $50.0 million loan to the ground lessee of a Ground Lease originated at SAFE. The loan was for the Ground Lease tenant’s recapitalization of a hotel property. The Company received $1.9 million of consideration from SAFE in connection with this transaction. The Company sold the loan in July 2021 and recorded no gain or loss on the sale.

In March 2021, the Company acquired land and simultaneously structured and entered into with the seller a Ground Lease on which a multi-family project will be constructed. At closing, the Company entered into an agreement with SAFE pursuant to which, subject to certain conditions being met, SAFE would acquire the ground lessor entity from the Company. The Company sold the ground lessor entity to SAFE in September 2021 and recognized no gain or loss on the sale (refer to Note 7 - Loans receivable held for sale). The Company also committed to provide a $75.0 million construction loan to the Ground Lease tenant. The Company received $2.7 million of consideration from SAFE in connection with this transaction. In September 2021, the construction loan commitment and the $2.7 million of consideration was transferred to the Loan Fund (refer to “Other strategic investments” below).

In June 2021, the Company sold to SAFE its rights under a purchase option agreement for $1.2 million. The Company had previously acquired such purchase option agreement from a third-party property owner for $1.0 million and incurred $0.2 million of expenses. Under the option agreement, upon certain conditions being met by an outside developer who may become the Ground Lease tenant, SAFE has the right to acquire for $215.0 million a property and hold a Ground Lease under approximately 1.1 million square feet of office space that may be developed on the property. No gain or loss was recognized by the Company as a result of the sale.

In June 2021, the Company and SAFE entered into two agreements pursuant to each of which SAFE would acquire land and a related Ground Lease originated by the Company when certain construction related conditions are met by a specified time period. The purchase price to be paid for each is $42.0 million, plus an amount necessary for the Company to achieve the greater of a 1.25x multiple and a 9% return on its investment. In addition, each Ground Lease provides for a leasehold improvement allowance up to a maximum of $83.0 million, which obligation would be assumed by SAFE upon acquisition. If certain construction conditions are not met within a specified time period, SAFE will have no obligation to acquire the Ground Leases or fund the leasehold improvement allowances. In January 2022, the Company sold the Ground Leases to the Ground Lease Plus Fund (see below). There can be no assurance that the conditions to closing will be satisfied and that SAFE will acquire the properties and Ground Leases from the Ground Lease Plus Fund.

In November 2021, the Company and SAFE entered into an agreement pursuant to which SAFE would acquire land and a related Ground Lease originated by the Company when certain construction related conditions are met by a specified time period. The purchase price to be paid is $33.3 million, plus an amount necessary for the Company to achieve the greater of a 1.25x multiple and a 12% return on its investment. In addition, the Ground Lease provides for a leasehold improvement allowance up to a maximum of $51.8 million, which obligation would be assumed by SAFE upon acquisition. If certain construction conditions are not met within a specified time period, SAFE will have no obligation to acquire the Ground Lease or fund the leasehold improvement allowance. There can be no assurance that the conditions to

closing will be satisfied and that SAFE will acquire the land and Ground Lease from the Ground Lease Plus Fund (refer to Ground Lease Plus Fund below).

In December 2021, the Company’s partner in a venture recapitalized an existing multifamily property, which included a Ground Lease provided by SAFE. As part of the recapitalization, the Company’s partner acquired its 50% equity interest in the entity and the mezzanine loan held by the Company was repaid in full. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded $2.3 million and $2.4 million respectively, of interest income on the mezzanine loan.

In January 2022, the Company and SAFE entered into an agreement pursuant to which SAFE would acquire land and a related Ground Lease originated by the Company when certain construction related conditions are met. The Company sold the Ground Lease to SAFE in July 2022 for $36.0 million when the construction related conditions were met and recognized a gain of $1.0 million in “Income from sales of real estate” in its consolidated statements of operations.

In February 2022, the Loan Fund (refer to Other Strategic Investments below) committed to provide a $130.0 million loan to the ground lessee of a Ground Lease originated at SAFE. The loan is for the Ground Lease tenant’s recapitalization of a life science property. The Loan Fund received $9.0 million of consideration from SAFE in connection with this transaction.

In April 2022, the Company exchanged its 50% equity interest with a carrying value of $4.4 million in a venture that owned a hotel property for land underlying the property with an in-place Ground Lease valued at $9.0 million and recorded a gain of $4.6 million in “Earnings from equity method investments” in the consolidated statements of operations. Subsequently, the Company sold the Ground Lease on the land to SAFE for $9.0 million and did not recognize any gain or loss on the sale.

In June 2022, the Loan Fund (refer to Other Strategic Investments below) committed to provide a $105.0 million loan to the ground lessee of a Ground Lease originated at SAFE. The loan is for the Ground Lease tenant’s recapitalization of a mixed-use property. The Loan Fund received $5.0 million of consideration from SAFE in connection with this transaction.

Ground Lease Plus Fund—The Company formed and manages an investment fund that targets the origination and acquisition of Ground Leases for commercial real estate projects that are in a pre-development phase (the “Ground Lease Plus Fund”). The Company owns a 53% noncontrolling equity interest in the Ground Lease Plus Fund. The Company does not have a controlling interest in the Ground Lease Plus Fund due to the substantive participating rights of its partner and accounts for this investment as an equity method investment. In addition, the Ground Lease Plus Fund has first look rights through December 2023 on qualifying pre-development projects that SAFE has elected to not originate.

In November 2021, the Company acquired land for $33.3 million and simultaneously structured and entered into a Ground Lease on which a multi-family project will be constructed. In December 2021, the Company sold the Ground Lease to the Ground Lease Plus Fund and recognized no gain or loss on the sale. The Company and SAFE entered into an agreement pursuant to which SAFE would acquire the land and related Ground Lease from the Ground Lease Plus Fund when certain construction related conditions are met by a specified time period (refer to “Safehold Inc.” above).

In January 2022, the Company sold two Ground Leases to the Ground Lease Plus Fund (refer to Note 5) and recognized an aggregate $0.5 million of gains in “Income from sales of real estate” on the sale. The Company and SAFE entered into an agreement pursuant to which SAFE would acquire the land properties and related Ground Leases from the Ground Lease Plus Fund when certain construction related conditions are met by a specified time period (refer to “Safehold Inc.” above).

Other real estate equity investments—As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s other real estate equity investments include equity interests of 95% in real estate ventures comprised of investments of $32.4 million in three operating properties. As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s other real estate equity investments included $43.3 million in operating properties and $1.1 million in land assets.

In August 2018, the Company provided a mezzanine loan with a principal balance of $33.0 million to an unconsolidated entity in which the Company owns a 50% equity interest. In December 2021, the Company’s partner in the venture recapitalized the existing multifamily property, which included a Ground Lease provided by SAFE. As part of the recapitalization, the Company’s partner acquired its 50% equity interest in the entity and the mezzanine loan was repaid in full. During the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded $2.3 million, $2.4 million, respectively, of interest income on the mezzanine loan.

Other strategic investments—As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company also had investments in real estate related funds and other strategic investments in real estate entities.

In January 2021, the Company sold two loans for $83.4 million to a newly formed entity in which the Company owns a 53.0% noncontrolling equity interest (the “Loan Fund”). The Company did not recognize any gain or loss on the sales. In September 2021, the Company transferred a $75.0 million construction loan commitment to the Loan Fund. The Company does not have a controlling interest in the Loan Fund due to the substantive participating rights of its partner. The Company accounts for this investment as an equity method investment and receives a fixed annual fee in exchange for managing the entity.

In February 2022, the Loan Fund committed to provide a $130.0 million loan to the ground lessee of a Ground Lease originated at SAFE. The loan was for the Ground Lease tenant’s recapitalization of a life science property.

In June 2022, the Loan Fund committed to provide a $105.0 million loan to the ground lessee of a Ground Lease originated at SAFE. The loan was for the Ground Lease tenant’s recapitalization of a mixed-use property.

Summarized investee financial information—The following table presents the investee level summarized financial information of the Company’s equity method investments ($ in thousands):

    

As of December 31, 

    

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2022

    

2021

    

    

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Balance Sheets

Income Statements

Total assets

$

6,124,451

$

6,107,890

Revenues

$

640,429

$

889,131

$

129,789

Total liabilities

 

3,754,720

 

3,019,208

Expenses

 

(237,671)

 

(254,001)

 

(188,605)

Noncontrolling interests

 

23,587

 

3,024

Net income (loss) attributable to parent entities

 

393,492

 

634,896

 

(59,010)

Total equity attributable to parent entities

 

2,346,143

 

3,085,657

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, SAFE represented a significant subsidiary of the Company. For detailed financial information regarding SAFE, please refer to its financial statements, which are publicly available on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov under the ticker symbol "SAFE" and are incorporated herein by reference.