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Related Party Transactions
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2022
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions Related Party Transactions
Ralph Bartel, who founded Travelzoo and who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company, is the sole beneficiary of the Ralph Bartel 2005 Trust, which is the controlling shareholder of Azzurro Capital Inc. (“Azzurro”). As of June 30, 2022, Ralph Bartel is the Company's largest shareholder, holding approximately 35.7% of the Company's outstanding shares. Holger Bartel, the Company's Global Chief Executive Officer, is Ralph Bartel's brother and holds approximately 3.9% of the Company's outstanding shares.
Asset Purchase Agreement between Metaverse Travel Experiences, Inc. f/k/a Azzurro Brands Inc. and Travelzoo
On March 17, 2022, the Company, as Buyer, entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “APA”) with Metaverse Travel Experiences, Inc. f/k/a Azzurro Brands Inc., a New York corporation (the “Seller”) and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Azzurro Capital Inc., the Company’s largest shareholder. Pursuant to the APA, the Company acquired certain assets, primarily comprised of all U.S. members of Secret Escapes Limited, which Seller acquired in March 2021 and licensed exclusively to Travelzoo pursuant to the previously disclosed License Agreement, dated as of March 12, 2021 (the “License Agreement”), in accordance with data privacy and other applicable laws. The License Agreement allowed the Company to exclusively utilize the assets in exchange for a license fee of $412,500 per quarter with a one-year term that automatically renewed. The License Agreement was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, which consists solely of independent directors. 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) were eliminated.
Stock Repurchase Agreement
Travelzoo, from time to time, engages in share repurchases, and on March 27, 2021, the Company entered into a Stock Repurchase Agreement (the “SRA”) with Holger Bartel, the Company's Global Chief Executive Officer, to repurchase an aggregate of 100,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $15.83 per share. The SRA provides that the purchase price is based on the 10-day volume weighted average price calculated using the VWAP function on Bloomberg, from the dates of March 15, 2021 through and including March 26, 2021, less a 5% discount. The aggregate purchase price of $1.6 million was paid on the first business day following the execution of the SRA and because Mr. Bartel is an executive officer of the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors and Audit Committee of the Board of Directors delegated to its Compensation Committee, which consists of independent and disinterested directors, the exclusive power and authority to determine whether any potential transaction to acquire shares from Mr. Bartel was advisable, fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, other than Mr. Bartel. In connection with its determination, the Compensation Committee engaged independent legal counsel and an independent financial advisor and unanimously approved the SRA. The SRA contains customary terms for transactions of this type, including, but not limited to, representations and warranties made by the Company and Mr. Bartel.
WeGo Investment
The Company sold all of its shares in WeGo to trivago for a total purchase price of approximately $2.9 million, of which $196,000 was placed in escrow for one year. The Company received the full escrow payment in January 2022 and recorded the gain in Other income (loss), net in the first quarter of 2022.
Stock Option Agreement
In March 2022, the Company 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.