Apollo Global Management Inc
For the period ended Mar 31, 2024. Filed May 7, 2024.
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Mar 31, 2024 · Filed May 7, 2024
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
For a discussion of our potential risks and uncertainties, see the information under the heading "Risk Factors" in our 2023 Annual Report, which is accessible on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. The risks described in our 2023 Annual Report are not the only risks facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results. There have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in our 2023 Annual Report, except for the following:
We have been and may be the target or the subject of third-party litigation from time to time that could result in significant liabilities and/or reputational harm, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.
The activities of our businesses, including the investment activities of the funds we manage and activities of our employees in connection with the funds, their portfolio companies, our insurance subsidiaries, as well as publicly listed vehicles we manage or sponsor may subject us and certain of our employees to the risk of litigation, including class actions, by third parties, including fund investors dissatisfied with the performance or management of such funds, holders of our or the funds’ portfolio companies’ debt or equity, policyholders of our retirement services business, public stockholders and a variety of other potential litigants. In general, we will be exposed to risk of litigation by our investors if our management of any fund is alleged to constitute bad faith, gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, willful or reckless disregard for our duties to the fund, breach of fiduciary duties or securities laws, or other forms of misconduct. If such allegations are made against our Board or management, Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) allows stockholders to access corporate books and records to investigate wrongdoing. Fund investors could sue us to recover amounts lost by the funds we manage due to our alleged misconduct, up to the entire amount of loss. Further, we may be subject to litigation arising from investor dissatisfaction with the performance of the funds we manage or from third-party allegations that we (i) improperly exercised control or influence over companies in which the funds we manage have large investments or (ii) are liable for actions or inactions taken by portfolio companies that such third parties argue we control. We are also exposed to risks of litigation or investigation relating to transactions that presented conflicts of interest that were not properly addressed. Our rights to indemnification by the funds we manage may not be upheld if challenged, and our indemnification rights generally do not cover bad faith, gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, willful or reckless disregard for our duties to the fund or other forms of misconduct. With many highly paid investment professionals and complex compensation and incentive arrangements, we face the risk of lawsuits relating to claims for compensation, which may individually or in the aggregate be significant in amount. We are also increasingly faced with the risk of litigation or investigation in relation to environmental, social and/or governance-related issues given the increasing scrutiny of such issues by investors, other stakeholders, regulators, and other third parties as well as due to the increasing disclosure obligations on our businesses, the funds we manage, and their portfolio companies. Such risks may relate to accusations concerning but not limited to: (i) the activities of portfolio companies, including environmental damage and violations of labor and human rights; (ii) misrepresentations of the investment strategies of the funds we manage as well as about our, the funds’, and their investments’ performance against environmental, social and/or governance-related measures and/or initiatives; or (iii) breaches of fiduciary duty in relation to the funds we manage and other violations of law related to the management of environmental, social and/or governance-related risks.
If any civil or criminal litigation brought against us were to result in a finding of substantial legal liability or culpability, the litigation could, in addition to any financial damage, cause significant reputational harm to us, which could seriously harm our business. In addition, we may not be able to obtain or maintain sufficient insurance on commercially reasonable terms or with adequate coverage levels against potential liabilities we may face in connection with potential claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
In addition, our business has been, and may continue to be, the subject of litigation between third parties that could negatively impact us. For example, beginning in March 2024, four putative class actions were filed in federal courts in the U.S. against certain customers of Athene, in their respective capacities as plan sponsors, alleging violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) in connection with their transfer of pension obligations under defined benefit plans governed under ERISA and their purchase of pension group annuity (“PGA”) contracts from Athene. The lawsuits seek, inter alia, that defendants guarantee the annuities purchased from Athene and disgorge any profits earned from the transactions. Although Athene is not a named defendant, the lawsuits make several negative allegations about Athene and its business, which we believe to be untrue. Negative public perceptions of Athene and its business could adversely affect (and may have already adversely affected) its ability to attract and retain customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition, these lawsuits could lead to increased regulatory and governmental scrutiny of Athene’s business and the industry overall, and/or result in Athene becoming involved in these lawsuits or even being named as a defendant in future lawsuits related to its PGA business, which could result in additional expenses, adverse regulations and oversight, and/or additional reputational harm. These lawsuits could also spur similar copycat lawsuits, which could further impact Athene’s PGA business. To the extent that the inflows in Athene’s PGA business are negatively impacted by these lawsuits and any related regulatory and governmental scrutiny, Athene may seek to increase its inflows in its other distribution channels, including by issuing additional funding agreements within its institutional channel. However, there are no assurances that Athene would be successful in replacing any PGA inflows with inflows from other distribution channels or that such other inflows would result in comparable spreads.
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