XML 30 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.23.2
Related Party Transactions
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2023
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions Related Party Transactions
Ralph Bartel, who founded Travelzoo and who is the sole beneficiary of the Ralph Bartel 2005 Trust, which is the controlling shareholder of Azzurro. As of June 30, 2023, Azzurro is the Company’s largest stockholder, and together with Ralph Bartel, in his individual capacity, hold approximately 48.9% of the Company’s outstanding shares. Holger Bartel, the Company’s Global Chief Executive Officer, is Ralph Bartel’s brother and holds approximately 3.4% of the Company’s outstanding shares.
Stock Purchase Agreement between Travelzoo and Azzurro Capital Inc.
In connection with the development of Travelzoo META, the Company acquired MTE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Azzurro, and also completed a private placement of newly issued shares. Ralph Bartel, who founded the Company, is the sole beneficiary of the Ralph Bartel 2005 Trust, which is the controlling shareholder of Azzurro. Azzurro is the Company’s largest shareholder as of the time of this transaction and as of December 31, 2022, Azzurro and Ralph Bartel owned approximately 50.3% the Company’s outstanding shares. On December 28, 2022, the stockholders of Travelzoo approved the issuance and sale of 3.4 million Shares to Azzurro, in exchange for certain consideration, and on the Closing Date, the transaction was consummated. The closing price of Travelzoo’s common stock on December 30, 2022 was $4.45 per share, resulting in an aggregate fair value $15.2 million. The purchase price was paid as follows: (a) $1.0 million in cash paid on the Closing Date; (b) $4.8 million paid in the form of a promissory note issued on the Closing Date and payable by June 30, 2023 with accrued interest of 12%; and (c) the transfer to the Company of all outstanding capital stock of MTE, which transfer was effected pursuant to a merger of MTE with a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company on the Closing Date. The Company recorded the $4.8 million promissory note as Note receivable from shareholder in the stockholders’ equity section on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. As of June 30, 2023, Azzurro paid the interest of $285,000, but has not yet paid the principal amount of the note. The Company submitted a letter to Azzurro seeking payment and the parties are in the process of negotiating a payment plan. Should satisfactory terms not be agreed for a payment plan, the Company shall have the right to pursue the shares serving as collateral under the promissory note.
License Agreement with Azzurro Brands Inc. and subsequent Asset Purchase Agreement
On March 12, 2021, the Company, with the approval of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, which consists solely of independent directors, entered into a License Agreement (the “License Agreement”) with Azzurro Brands Inc., a New York corporation (“Azzurro Brands”) and wholly-owned subsidiary of Azzurro, the Company’s largest shareholder. Pursuant to the terms of the License Agreement, the Company was granted the exclusive right and license to use a database of 2.2 million non-duplicated subscribers that Azzurro Brands purchased from a competitor of Travelzoo. The License Agreement required that the Company pay a license fee of $413,000 per quarter with an initial payment of $894,000 due upon execution, which covers the period from execution until September 30, 2021. The License Agreement had a term of one (1) year with an automatic renewal, terminable by either party with sixty (60) days’ written notice before the end of the term. The License Agreement contained customary representations and warranties. The payment of $894,000 was made in the first quarter of 2021 and recorded in sales and marketing expenses in 2021. The second payment of $701,000 was made in the second quarter of 2021 which covers the period from October 2021 through March 2022 and recorded in sales and marketing expenses and prepaid expenses and other. Travelzoo renewed the License Agreement in January 2022 for a license fee of $413,000 per quarter and made the payment of $800,000 to cover the period from April 2022 to September 2022 in the fourth quarter of 2021 and was recorded in Prepaid expenses-Related party, which totaled $1.15 million as of December 31, 2021.
On March 17, 2022, the Company, as Buyer, entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “APA”) with Azzurro Brands to purchase the database previously utilized by Travelzoo in accordance with the License Agreement. The purchase price for the transaction was $1.75 million, with $600,000 paid in cash upon closing in March 2022 and the remaining $1.15 million payable in the form of a credit with Seller relating to prepaid license fees, under the License Agreement. The remaining commitment of the Company under the License Agreement for the then-current remaining term (equal to $825,000) was eliminated.
Stock Option Agreement
In March 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors granted Holger Bartel 600,000 stock options that vest through December 31, 2023. This grant was approved by the shareholders of the Company at the 2022 annual meeting of shareholders. Holger Bartel is the brother of Ralph Bartel and is our Global Chief Executive Officer. See Note 3 to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for further information.
Profits from Sale and Purchase of Travelzoo Common Stock within Six Month Period
On May 23, 2023, Travelzoo was named as a nominal defendant in a complaint for recovery of short swing profits filed in the Southern District of New York under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act, by Dennis J. Donoghue and Mark Rubenstein, against Ralph Bartel, the Ralph Bartel 2005 Trust and Azzurro Capital Inc.
Holger Bartel completed sales and purchases of 25,000 shares of Travelzoo common stock within a six month period ended July 29, 2022. Per Section 16(b) of Securities and Exchange Act, he agreed to immediately remit to the Company $46,000 in profits gained from these transactions during the three months ended September 30, 2022.