Note Receivable

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

On July 2, 2024, Braemar, Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (“Ashford Trust”) and Ashford Inc. (collectively with the Company, Ashford Trust and each of Ashford Inc.’s, the Company’s and Ashford Trust’s respective affiliates (including Stirling Hotels & Resorts, Inc.) and any entity advised by Ashford Inc., the “Company Group”) entered into a Cooperation Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Blackwells Capital LLC, Blackwells Onshore I LLC, Blackwells Holding Co. LLC, Vandewater Capital Holdings, LLC, Blackwells Asset Management LLC, BW Coinvest Management I LLC and Jason Aintabi (collectively, the “Blackwells Parties”) regarding the withdrawal of the Blackwells Parties’ proxy campaign, dismissal of pending litigation involving the parties and certain other matters.

Pursuant to the Agreement, the Blackwells Parties have agreed to withdraw (i) the notice delivered to the Company on March 10, 2024 purporting to nominate four director candidates to the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) and make certain other proposals and (ii) the definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 3, 2024 to solicit proxies from stockholders of the Company to vote in favor of the Blackwells Parties’ director nominees and proposals.

The Blackwells Parties have also agreed to specified standstill restrictions with respect to the Company Group, which will expire on July 2, 2034. During the standstill period, the Blackwells Parties are required to (i) appear in person or by proxy at each meeting of stockholders of the members of the Company Group in which they beneficially own shares of stock and vote any Blackwells Parties’ shares then beneficially owned by them in accordance with the recommendation of the board of directors of such member of the Company Group on any proposals considered at such meeting and (ii) deliver consents or consent revocations in any action by written consent by stockholders of any member of the Company Group in which they beneficially own shares in accordance with the recommendation of the board of directors of such member of the Company Group.

The Agreement also provides for the voluntary dismissal, with prejudice, of the consolidated action previously pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to which the Company, Blackwells Capital LLC and certain of their respective related parties were parties (the “Consolidated Litigation”). Pursuant to the Agreement, the Consolidated Litigation was voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice, on July 3, 2024. The Company has agreed to reimburse Blackwells Capital LLC, in an amount agreed upon by the parties, for the Blackwells Parties’ reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Consolidated Litigation and related matters.

The Agreement contains various other obligations and provisions applicable to the Company Group and the Blackwells Parties, including a mutual release of claims and mutual non-disparagement.

Concurrently and in connection with the Agreement, certain of the parties thereto have also entered into a Share Ownership Agreement (the “Share Ownership Agreement”) and a Loan Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”), pursuant to which agreements the Company will provide to BW Coinvest I, LLC (“Borrower”) an unsecured loan (the “Loan”). The proceeds from the Loan will be used to reimburse Borrower for 70% of the amount expended by Borrower to purchase on the open market a total of 3,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Purchased Shares”) within six months of the date of Loan Agreement, at a price per Purchased Share not to exceed $10 and subject to the other limitations set forth therein. The Loan has a term of five years (the “Term”), is guaranteed by Jason Aintabi, Vandewater Capital Holdings, LLC, Blackwells Holding Co. LLC, and Blackwells Asset Management LLC and shall bear payment-in-kind interest during the Term at a rate equal to the sum of (a) Term SOFR (as defined in the Loan Agreement) and (b) 3.00% (three hundred basis points) per annum. The Company has agreed to reimburse Blackwells Capital LLC, in an amount agreed upon by the parties, for the Blackwells Parties’ reasonable due diligence expenses incurred on or prior to the date of the Share Ownership Agreement.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company has advanced approximately $8.1 million that has been used to purchase 3.5 million shares of Braemar common stock.

Note receivable is summarized in the table below (dollars in thousands):


Line Item	Interest Rate	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Note receivable	SOFR + 3.00%	$	8,283	$	—

We recognized interest income as presented in the table below (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
Line Item		2024		2023		2022
Interest income		$	207	$	—	$	—

We review receivables for impairment each reporting period. Under the model, the Company estimates credit losses over the entire contractual term of the instrument from the date of initial recognition of that instrument and is required to record a credit loss expense (or reversal) in each reporting period. Our assessment of impairment is based on considerable management judgment and assumptions. No impairment charges were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2024.