SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

Pursuant to the Merger, the Company is required to replace certain profits interests awards with restricted stock units (“RSUs”) in System 1 (the “Replacement Awards”). The Replacement Awards will continue to vest over the original vesting schedule of the original underlying awards. The Company recognized a total stock-based compensation expense of $23,705 upon the Merger transaction during the period January 1, 2022 through January 26, 2022 (Predecessor). Subsequent to the Merger, the remaining amount of $30,724 will be amortized over the weighted average period of 2.3 years. The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense of $15,547 under these awards during the period January 27, 2022 through June 30, 2022 (Successor). The unrecognized stock-based compensation expense associated with these unvested Replacement Awards at June 30, 2022 was $21,241.

In addition to the Replacement Awards, the Company issued 1,450 Class D shares that were exchanged for 1,450 Trebia's legacy shares, in a like for like transaction ("Sponsor RSAs"). The founders of S1 Holdco and Protected were also issued with 1,450 Class D shares ("Seller RSUs"). The Sponsor RSAs and Seller RSUs vested if the Company’s common stock traded at a VWAP equal or exceeding $12.50 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading day period. When the VWAP of the Company’s common stock price exceeded the threshold in March 2022 the Sponsor RSAs and Seller RSUs vested, and the Company recorded their conversion from Class D common stock to Class A common stock on its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity. The Company also recorded $12,745 in stock-based compensation expense associated with the vesting of the Seller RSUs during the period January 27, 2022 through March 31, 2022 (Successor). Since these Sponsor RSAs and Seller RSUs had a market condition to vest, the Company estimated the fair values of these market-based RSUs and RSAs using a Monte Carlo simulation.

The key assumptions used to determine the fair value of these market-based RSUs and RSAs were as follows:


Inputs
Risk-free interest rate	1.6		%
Expected stock price volatility	50.0		%
Cost of equity	23.6		%
Expected term (years)	5
Fair Value of Class A Common Stock	$	10.00

The Company recorded $7,706 in stock-based compensation expense for Sponsor Promote Shares during the period January 27, 2022 through March 31, 2022 (Successor).

The Company recorded the following total share-based compensation expense for the periods presented:


	Successor		Predecessor		Successor		Predecessor
	Three Months Ended June 30, 2022		Three Months Ended June 30, 2021		Period from January 27, 2022 through June 30, 2022		Period from January 1, 2022 through January 26, 2022		s	Six Months Ended June 30, 2021
Share-based compensation expense	$	25,168	$	120	$	57,470	$	23,705		$	266

On April 27, 2022, the Company registered the System1, Inc. 2022 Incentive Award Plan ("Award Plan”). On May 10, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the issuance of 1,900 replacement RSU’s in connection with S1 Holdco unvested value creation units at the time of the Merger as required per the Business Combination Agreement and 4,900 RSUs from the authorized Award Plan pool of shares (as defined in the Award Plan).

Protected.net Incentive Plan

In connection with the Merger and acquisition of Protected.net described in Note 3, which was consummated on January 26, 2022, the Company effected an incentive plan for eligible recipients as defined in the Business Combination Agreement (see Note 3), which may include employees and non-employees, including the Protected CEO, totaling up to $100,000 payable in fully-vested shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock. As defined in the Business Combination Agreement, if the Protected business exceeds last twelve months (“LTM”) Cash EBITDA (as defined in the Business Combination Agreement) of $55,000 on or prior to December 31, 2023, a pool of $50,000 payable in fully-vested shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (the “2023 Award”) shall be allocated to eligible recipients as of December 31, 2023. Shares under the 2023 Award will be issued to eligible recipients within 30 days of December 31, 2023. Further, if the Protected business exceeds LTM Cash EBITDA (as defined in the Business Combination Agreement) of $65,000 on or prior to December 31, 2024, a separate pool of $50,000 payable in fully-vested shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock (the “2024 Award") shall be allocated to eligible recipients as of December 31, 2024. Shares under the 2024 Award will be issued to eligible recipients within 30 days of December 31, 2024. The number of shares payable under the 2023 and 2024 Awards will be determined based on the volume-weighted average price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock over the 20 consecutive trading days preceding the 5 trading days prior to settlement. The distribution of shares to eligible recipients for both the 2023 and 2024 Awards shall be at the sole discretion of the Protected CEO, or the System1, Inc. Board if the Protected CEO is no longer employed by the Company.

As of June 30, 2022, although neither of the LTM Cash EBITDA targets for the 2023 Award and 2024 Award were met, the Company determined that they were both probable of achievement, and accordingly, it recorded a portion of the $100,000 payable for these awards, within salaries, commissions, and benefits on the Consolidated Statement of

Operations for the three months ended June 30, 2022. As of June 30, 2022, $18,163 of stock-based compensation has been recorded as a liability for these awards within “Protected Incentive Plan Liability”. The remaining liability for these awards will be recorded over the remaining service period to the extent that management determines that the achievement of the LTM Cash EBITDA targets and issuance of the Series A common stock is considered probable.

CouponFollow Incentive Plan

In connection with the acquisition of CouponFollow described in Note 4, which was consummated on March 4, 2022, the Company approved and adopted the CouponFollow Incentive Plan, which includes CouponFollow’s key employees, including CouponFollow’s founder (“Principal Participant” and together collectively the “Participants”). The CouponFollow Incentive Plan provides for total payments of $35,000 payable at the Company’s option in cash or in fully-vested shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, consisting of a fixed amount of $10,000 and contingent amounts of $25,000, which can be earned over a three calendar year period between each January 1 to December 31 of 2022, 2023 and 2024 (each a “Performance Period” and collectively, the “Performance Periods”). In order to receive any payments under the CouponFollow Incentive Plan, the Participants must maintain continuous employment through the last day of each Performance Period to be eligible for the following earnout payment amounts (with the exception of the Principal Participant who is still eligible if terminated without cause or if he terminates his employment for good reason) in the amounts and at the times set forth below:

•Fixed Amount. Over the course of the Performance Periods, the Company shall pay to each of the employed eligible Participants a total of $10,000 (the “Fixed Amount”) in three substantially equal pro rata installment payments (as set forth in each Participant’s applicable award agreement) within 60 days of the end of each Performance Period.

•Tier 1 Target. If, during any of the Performance Periods, the CouponFollow business achieves the first tier TTM EBITDA (as defined in the CouponFollow Incentive Plan) for the first time (the “Tier 1 Target”), the Company will pay a total of $10,000 (the “Tier 1 Amount”) in substantially equal pro rata amounts (as set forth in each Participant’s applicable award agreement) at the times in the table set forth below.

•Tier 2 Target. If, during any of the Performance Periods, the CouponFollow business achieves the second tier TTM EBITDA for the first time (the “Tier 2 Target”), the Company will pay an additional $7,500 (the “Tier 2 Amount”) in substantially equal pro rata amounts (as set forth in each Participant’s applicable award agreement) at the times in the table set forth below.

•Tier 3 Target. If, during any of the Performance Periods, the CouponFollow business achieves the third tier TTM EBITDA for the first time (the “Tier 3 Target” and together with the Tier 1 Target and Tier 2 Target, collectively the “Targets”), the Company will pay an additional $7,500 (the “Tier 3 Amount” and together with the Tier 1 Amount and the Tier 2 Amount, collectively the “Tier Amounts”) in substantially equal pro rata amounts (as set forth in each Participant’s applicable award agreement) at the times in the table set forth below.

•


Performance Period*	Fixed Amount		Tier 1 Amount**		Tier 2 Amount**		Tier 3 Amount**		Total Maximum Payment per Performance Period
Dec. 31, 2022	$	3,333	$	3,333	$	—	$	—	$	6,666
Dec. 31, 2023	3,333		3,333		3,750		—		10,416
Dec. 31, 2024	3,334		3,334		3,750		7,500		17,918
	$	10,000	$	10,000	$	7,500	$	7,500	$	35,000

*Payments for each applicable Performance Period are paid within 60 calendar days of the end of the applicable Performance Period.

**If the Tier 1 Amount is not achieved in the first Performance Period but is achieved in the second Performance Period, the Tier 1 Amount for the first Performance Period shall be paid out at the end of the second Performance Period and if achieved in the third Performance period the full amount will be paid at the end of the third Performance Period. If the Tier 2 Amount is not achieved in the second Performance Period but is achieved in the third Performance Period, the Tier 2 Amount will be paid at the end of the third Performance Period. If the Tier 2 Amount or the Tier 3 Amount is achieved in the first Performance Period, such Tier Amounts shall be paid as noted in the table above.

If a Participant’s continued employment is terminated prior to applicable payment date(s), with the exception of the Principal Participant as discussed above, the Company will reverse all prior liabilities for their pro rata share of any Tier Amounts associated with that Participant. If the Company elects to settle the payment obligations with respect to any Tier Amount in shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, the number of shares payable under the CouponFollow Incentive Plan will be determined based on the VWAP of the Company’s Class A common stock over the 30 trading day period immediately preceding the respective settlement date, but in any event, shall be capped at 4,667 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock in the aggregate. Any amount over the maximum number of shares is to be settled in cash.

As of June 30, 2022, the Company has determined that it was not probable that the CouponFollow business would achieve any of the Targets during the Performance Periods, and accordingly, it did not record a liability for any of the Tier Amounts set forth in the CouponFollow Incentive Plan. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized $1,001 and $1,309, respectively, for the Fixed Amount, within Salaries, commissions, and benefits on the condensed consolidated statements of operations.