
Section 172(1) Statement
continued
The Board engages with the key stakeholders in a
variety of ways, including the publication of Annual
and Half–Yearly Reports and Accounts, monthly
fact sheets, announcements of results, information
provided on the Company’s website and at the Annual
General Meeting Shareholders are invited to contact
the Directors at any opportunity either via Acheron
or through the Company Secretary The Company
produces a Key Information Document (“KID”) and
has engaged a third party supplier to monitor and
update this document as necessary
During the year the Board has considered:
Mutual Benefits Keep Policy Trust (“MBC”)
As reported in previous Annual Reports the Board
has known for a number of years that MBC, which
held fractional policies in the United States, was
approaching the end of its life and would be seeking
to dispose of the remaining life policies, some in
which the Company already held a partial underlying
interest The Company through the Acheron Portfolio
Trust engaged lawyers in the US to protect its
interests in the US Courts in the fractional policies and
if appropriate acquire further interests in any policies
held by MBC if made available when MBC ceased
The Board sought to ensure any outcome protected
the Company’s Stakeholders
In the second half of 2022, and through the US Courts
who were overseeing the winding down of MBC, a
sale process of all the MBC policies was instigated
Acheron Portfolio Trust actively participated in
this sale process to acquire the policies at a price
beneficially appropriate to the Company. An offer
was made for the policies in the last quarter of 2022,
which was overseen by and subject to the approval of
the US Courts. The offer was approved by the Courts
in the first Quarter of 2023 and the Company paid
the gross proceeds of USD 24 million to acquire the
policies held by the MBC Trust The Company would
receive the net proceeds, after costs, for the effective
66% of the MBC policies it already beneficially owned.
At the year-end the policies of the MBC Trust had
been transferred and the Company now has direct
control and 100% beneficial interest of these policies.
As reported in the Chairman’s Statement on page 9,
the Company has received USD 5.7 million as the first
tranche of the MBC sale proceeds together with a
refund of overpaid premiums of USD 40 million The
remaining amount due from MBC is shown in note 17
and is expected to be received during the year 2025
Acheron Capital Performance Fee
During the year the Board reviewed the performance
fee arrangements for Acheron Capital Limited
In recognition of the receipt of USD 40 million in
respect of the overpaid premiums made to the MBC
Trust, the Board agreed a performance fee of 15%
of the refund received and this was paid to Acheron
in October 2024
Servicing Agent
Following the purchase of the policies from the MBC
Trust and the transfer of the fractional policies the
Company and Trustee engaged in discussion with
Vespera as the Servicing Agent It was agreed that
continuity of Vespera acting as Servicing Agent would
be beneficial to the Company. All policies would be
transferred to Vespera and a new agreement was
negotiated with Vespera for this ongoing work
Shareholders
Following the receipt of monies from maturities during
the year and the proceeds from the MBC Trustee
the Board undertook a review to utilise the cash
and return monies to Shareholders Views of major
Shareholders were sought and after a USD 3 million
dividend was paid out in March 2024 the Company
then announced a buyback programme which was
to create liquidity in the shares, reduce the discount
and be accretive to NAV to remaining Shareholders
Trustee
The trustee maintains ongoing contact with the
Directors outside of the formal Board Meetings He
also attends Board Meetings by video conference
when required and usually attends in person once a
year
Employees
The Company has no employees as it engages
third parties to provide all necessary services to the
Company
Community and Environment
As an investment trust, the Company outsources its
activities to third parties, has no offices of its own nor
any employees Where possible, meetings are held
electronically to reduce the Company’s impact on the
environment The Company has minimal greenhouse
gas emissions from its operations, nor does it have
responsibility for any other emissions producing
sources under the Companies Act 2006 (Strategic
Report and Directors’ Reports) Regulations 2013
Strategic Report Key Issues
continued
6
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Life Settlement Assets PLC
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Annual Report 2024