Form 10-K
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 001-40103
Alvarium Tiedemann Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
520 Madison Avenue, 21
st
Floor
New York, New York10022
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(212) 396-5904
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
Title of Each Class TradingSymbol (s) Name of Each Exchangeon Which Registered
Class A Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share ALTI Nasdaq Capital Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant computed by reference to the closing sales price for the registrant’s common stock on June 30, 2022 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), as reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market, was approximately $339.1 million. For purposes of this computation, all officers, directors and 10% beneficial owners of the registrant are deemed to be affiliates. Such determination should not be deemed to be an admission that such officers, directors or 10% beneficial owners are, in fact, affiliates of the registrant.
As of April 14, 2023, the registrant had approximately 57,995,513 shares of Class A common stock outstanding and 55,032,961 shares of Class B common stock outstanding.
Documents Incorporated By Reference
None.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 4
Item 1a. Risk Factors 44
Item 1b. Unresolved Staff Comments 84
Item 2. Properties 84
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 84
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 85
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 86
Item 7a. Quantitative And Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 90
Item 8. Financial Statements And Supplementary Data 91
Item 9a. Controls And Procedures 91
Item 9b. Other Information 92
Item 9c. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent Inspections 92
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers And Corporate Governance 93
Item 11. Executive Compensation 100
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees And Services 114
Item 15. Exhibits And Financial Statement Schedules 115
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary F-28
SIGNATURES
2
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
On January 3, 2023 (the “Closing Date”), Cartesian Growth Corporation, a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Cartesian”), consummated the previously announced business combination (the “Business Combination”) pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Business Combination Agreement, dated as of October 25, 2022 (as amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among Cartesian, Rook MS LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Umbrella Merger Sub”), Tiedemann Wealth Management Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TWMH”), TIG Trinity GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TIG GP”), TIG Trinity Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TIG MGMT” and, together with TIG GP, the “TIG Entities”), Alvarium Investments Limited, an English private limited company (“Alvarium” and, together with TWMH and the TIG Entities, the “Target Companies” and each a “Target Company”), and Alvarium Tiedemann Capital, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Umbrella”). In connection with the Business Combination, Cartesian was renamed “Alvarium Tiedemann Holdings, Inc.” (the “Company”). As used herein, the “Company” refers to Cartesian Growth Corporation as a Delaware corporation by way of continuation, following the deregistration under the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised) and a domestication under Section 388 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), pursuant to which Cartesian’s jurisdiction of registration was changed from the Cayman Islands to the State of Delaware (the “Domestication”), and the Business Combination, which in connection with the Domestication and simultaneously with the Business Combination, changed its corporate name to “Alvarium Tiedemann Holdings, Inc.”
The Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), is now listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “ALTI”, and warrants to purchase the Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50 per share (the “SPAC Public Warrants”) are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “ALTIW.”
Because we closed the Business Combination after the end of our fiscal year, this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Annual Report”) principally describes our business and operations following the closing of the Business Combination (the “Closing”), but includes the financial statements of Cartesian and related Management’s Discussion and Analysis, which describe the business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and capital resources of Cartesian prior to the Business Combination, and disclosure in “Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services” relates to fees paid in respect of Cartesian’s financial statements. Substantially concurrently with the filing of this Annual Report, we will file Amendment No. 1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, initially filed on January 9, 2023, which will include the audited consolidated financial statements of TWMH, the TIG Entities and Alvarium for the year ended December 31, 2022 and related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Interested parties should refer to our Current Reports on Form 8-K for more information.
As used in this Annual Report, unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise requires:
• references to “Sponsor” are to CGC Sponsor LLC.
1
Table of Contents
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report and some of the information incorporated herein by reference includes forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, our plans, strategies and prospects, both business and financial. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management. Although we believe that our plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including statements concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, and any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes,” “continues,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “aims,” “works,” “focuses,” “aspires,” “strives” or “sets out” or similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward looking. You should understand that the following important factors could affect our future results, and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements herein:
• our ability to realize the benefits expected from the Business Combination;
• our projected financial information, growth rate, and market opportunity;
• our ability to grow and manage growth profitably;
• our ability to raise financing in the future, if and when needed;
• our ability to achieve or maintain profitability;
• our ability to successfully compete against other companies;
2
Table of Contents
• the impact of any defaults by third-party investors;
• the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the foregoing; and
• other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors.”
The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the other documents we file from time to time with the SEC. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
3
Table of Contents
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
AN INTRODUCTION TO ALTI
We are a multi-disciplinary financial services business, with a diverse array of investment, advisory, and administrative capabilities with which we serve our clients and investors around the globe, and provide value to our shareholders:
• we manage and advise both public and private investment funds;
Our business is global, with approximately 470 professionals operating in 22 cities in 10 countries across three continents, as of December 31, 2022.
The services that we provide (each of which is discussed in more detail under the heading “Our Business Lines” below) form what we believe is a comprehensive ecosystem for our target markets of clients, investors, and businesses, many of whom share common interests and goals that we are able to connect and serve. We have an acquisitive strategy for inorganic growth through acquisitions and joint ventures and believe the complementary nature of our services positions us well for organic growth across our business lines. We also believe we are well positioned to capitalize on market trends and dynamics that we see facing our industry and the clients, investors, and businesses we serve.
In addition to the growth opportunities that we believe exist for our platform, the scope of our services also means we have diversified sources of revenue, many of which have historically provided a high degree of stability and predictability. See “—Our Business Lines.”
Impact investing (“Impact Investing”), a commitment to generating net positive impact through our business activities, and our firm values are demonstrated by our decade-long commitment to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”), socially responsible investing, and other forms of Impact Investing strategies, and we aim to use our access to capital, expertise, and innovation to pursue these goals. See “—Our Focus on Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing.”
4
Table of Contents
Generating a net positive impact, broadly defined, is not only a core strength of our services, but the underlying principles are also central to our corporate culture. We are committed to further developing and enhancing a corporate culture of diversity and inclusion, good and transparent governance, and corporate social responsibility. See “—Diverse, Inclusive and Responsible Corporate Culture.”
OUR BUSINESS LINES
Global Wealth Management Services
Our Wealth Management Clients
We offer a holistic wealth management solution to our clients across multiple jurisdictions. Our services principally consist of independent discretionary investment management and non-discretionary investment advisory services. In addition to a wide range of investment capabilities, we offer a full suite of complementary and customized family office services for families seeking comprehensive oversight of their financial affairs, including family governance and education, trusts, financial planning and administration services.
Our wealth management client base includes large global family offices and high net worth individuals (“HNWIs”) on a global basis, with over 42% of the billable assets of our top 25 clients (as measured by billable assets) located outside of the United States. The billable assets of our top 25 clients represent 24% of our firmwide assets as of December 31, 2022. Our average wealth management relationship spans over nine years. Further, we have a high client retention rate of more than 97%, as measured by lost clients since 2019.
Investment Management and Advisory Services
In our investment management and advisory services teams, our objective is to maximize our clients’ wealth over the long term by optimizing their risk/return ratio, adhering to disciplined risk management and diversification, focusing on valuations, and seeking to avoid investment structures that could result in forced selling of assets at inopportune times. Together with that objective, we seek to support those families and clients committed to exploring how their wealth may also be deployed in alignment with their values and commitment to addressing issues critical to diverse communities and eco-systems. To this end, we provide:
Our multi-layered assessment process allows us to design bespoke solutions for our clients:
5
Table of Contents
As a result, we believe our investment programs are objective, flexible, and closely aligned with the goals and values of our clients.
We proactively manage risk and assess it from multiple angles. We focus on avoiding permanent loss of capital. We continually analyze allocation decisions using our own risk measurement tools, as well as third-party risk monitoring and exposure-reporting systems. Additionally, we are in active dialogue with managers and continually monitor them for performance, turnover of personnel, changes in ownership, and deviation from strategy.
We diversify our clients’ portfolios across risk factors, geographies, and asset classes, including private equity, real estate, and other assets through highly experienced third-party managers. Our team uses a combination of our own tools and third party research providers to monitor valuations in each major asset class across dozens of geographies and sectors, and to position portfolios where we believe they will have the best return. In building portfolios, we also consider the need to access funds for unexpected expenses, thereby seeking to avoid forced selling of assets at inopportune times. In addition, we offer robust Impact Investing services that can be delivered across all asset classes and with investors from all asset levels.
With regard to the unique opportunities that we offer access to, we have established a platform through which we are able to provide clients of our wealth management services with access to investments in strategies and asset classes to which they would otherwise likely not be able to gain exposure (for example, because of very high minimum investment thresholds in the underlying funds). We operate a number of such vehicles focused on vintage private equity strategies and hedge fund strategies. The vehicles invest in either a single underlying private equity fund or a portfolio of private equity funds or hedge funds, in each case, which are managed by managers we believe, based upon our usual manager selection processes, will deliver strong risk adjusted performance for our clients. In the private equity space, we intend to launch further vintages of such private equity vehicles over time to enable our investment management and advisory clients to include an allocation to private equity funds in their portfolios on a running basis. These private equity strategies are expected to include traditional as well as innovative and Impact Investing offerings.
The independence of our investment management and advisory services is important to us and our wealth management clients. By independent, we mean that our investment management and advisory services operate independently of any managers or investment product manufacturers (including our own) to which we may allocate or recommend allocating capital. Our clients may opt-in to be informed of investment opportunities we are working on in our other business lines (and many do choose to do so). In all cases, each client’s individual objectives and expectations are our paramount concern, and we employ an open architecture approach, whereby we seek to find the best investment solutions for our clients in the marketplace. More specifically:
• we do not receive undisclosed forms of compensation;
As a result of this culture and the above practices, we have a reputation for providing independent, objective investment management and advice—with access to unique investment opportunities should a client want that—and we have a high client retention rate in our global wealth management business.
Trusts and Administration Services
The trust, corporate, and administration services that we provide within our wealth service offering aim to ensure our clients’ wealth is preserved, protected, distributed as intended, and developed with our investment teams. Our U.S. trusts services are provided from Delaware, which is one of the most well-developed trust legal regimes in the United States; our international trusts, corporate, and administration services are provided from the Isle of Man and Switzerland, which, similarly, have well-developed legal regimes for such services.
6
Table of Contents
Our customized trust and administration services include:
• entity formation and management;
• full corporate, trustee-executor, and fiduciary services;
• provision of directors and company secretarial services;
• administering entity ownership of intellectual property (“IP”) rights;
• administering entity ownership of fine art and collectibles.
Additionally, the administration services we provide in this division enable us to establish, administer, and manage on an ongoing basis pooled investment structures for consolidated investing (including for our Co-investment (as defined below) opportunities). Through these structures, we enable our clients and investors to gain access to investments at lower minimum investment levels than they would otherwise wish to commit, or to benefit from economies of scale in their investments, or both.
Family Office Services
Our family office services are tailored outsourced family office solutions and administrative services which we provide to families, trusts, foundations, and institutions. Our family office services cover:
• wealth and asset strategy services, including strategic business planning;
• trust and fiduciary services;
• chief financial officers and outsourced family office services;
• philanthropy services;
• lifestyle and special projects services; and
• concierge services.
We also work with our clients’ other advisors (whether existing or carefully selected or recommended by us) to coordinate legal, accounting, and tax advice. We operate in partnership with such third-party advisors and professionals to provide a collegial approach to obtaining the right advice and support for families and their associated structures.
7
Table of Contents
As of December 31, 2022, our family office services had over 271 clients, of which 26 clients are also clients of our investment management and advisory services team.
Co-investments
We source private market investment opportunities and offer these to our investor network (“Co-investments”).
Other investors in our Co-investment opportunities are typically HNWIs, single family offices and institutional investors, including clients of our wealth management services who have opted in to be informed of such opportunities and are invited to participate alongside our investor network on a deal-by-deal basis.
We follow a thematic investment strategy, selecting sub-sectors based on in-house industry knowledge and long-term analysis of cyclical and geographic trends.
In the case of investments in real estate assets (historically the majority of our Co-investments have been in real estate assets, but we have been diversifying to other asset classes through our acquisitions and growth), we are the sponsor for these club deals and work with a pre-selected and vetted list of operating partners. In selecting operating partners, we will look for a demonstrable track record across multiple real estate cycles and a strong ability to source pipeline transactions. Our real estate investment team oversees deal origination, due diligence, documentation, and structuring from inception to exit. We are active in our approach to our operating partners, in some instances taking ownership stakes, as well as participating on boards and investment committees.
We also expect to expand our Co-investment offering to provide access to proprietary investments in what we believe to be growth equity opportunities in the innovation economy, many of which are at the intersection of impact and innovation. These Co-investment opportunities are also offered to clients on an opt-in basis and provide a means for interested clients and investors to more directly access investments in later stage private companies in a range of transforming industry sectors that we believe offer the potential for high growth.
Due Diligence Process
The process through which an investment decision is made involves extensive research into the operating partner, its strategy, its growth prospects, and its ability to withstand adverse conditions. If one or more members of the investment team responsible for the transaction determines that an investment opportunity should be pursued, we will engage in an intensive due diligence process. We also review ESG and Impact Investing considerations.
Selective Investment Process
After an investment has been identified and preliminary diligence has been completed, an investment committee memorandum is prepared. This report is reviewed by the members of the investment team in charge of the potential investment. If the members of the investment team are in favor of the potential investment, then a more extensive due diligence process is employed. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys, independent accountants, and other third-party consultants and research firms prior to the closing of the investment, as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
Structuring and Execution
Approval of an investment requires the majority approval of the co-investments investment committee relevant to the asset class. Once the investment committee has determined that a prospective opportunity is suitable for investment, the investment team works with the operating partner to finalize the structure and terms of the investment.
8
Table of Contents
Co-investment Monitoring and Reporting
We monitor our co-investments on an ongoing basis and provide ongoing periodic reporting to the investors in each transaction.
Fund Management
Our fund management teams internally manage in excess of $7.2 billion in aggregate across all our investment strategies as of December 31, 2022. Additionally, we are focused on partnering with global alternative asset managers with whom we partner by making strategic investments in which we actively participate (“External Strategic Managers”) in seeking to leverage the collective resources and synergies of the businesses to facilitate their growth. We have a strong track record of identifying managers that focus on sourcing uncorrelated investment opportunities in both public and private markets and then utilizing our long-standing operating platform to assist managers with growth.
Consistent with the independent and open architecture nature of the investment management and advisory services we provide in our wealth management division, all funds that we manage, or that are managed by the External Strategic Managers, are marketed to the market generally (including, in some cases, by placement agents and other distributors and, in the case of any publicly traded funds, via public offerings), and the investor base of each fund is predominantly comprised of institutional investors. We do not separately market these funds to our wealth management clients or the network of investors with which we share our Co-investment opportunities.
Notwithstanding the independence of our investment management and advisory services from our fund management services, we are able to leverage our experience and expertise across our business in the selection of managers in which we invest and in the development and refinement of the strategies that we manage. Our fund management services also provide AlTi with another diversified source of revenue and so we believe they are additive to shareholder value.
Internally Managed Funds
Details of the funds we manage internally are set forth below:
Event-Driven Global Merger Arbitrage
Our TIG Arbitrage strategy is our event-driven strategy based in New York. This strategy, which has $3.0 billion assets under management (“AUM”) as of December 31, 2022, focuses on 0-to-30-day events within the merger process. The investment team employs deep research on each situation in the portfolio with a focus on complex, hostile, up-for-sale situations where our primary research work can drive uncorrelated alpha. Our research and investment process is focused on hard catalyst events.
LXi REIT plc
LXi REIT plc (“LXi”) is an English real estate investment trust company whose shares are traded on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market. Its investment objective is to deliver inflation-protected income and capital growth over the medium-term for its shareholders through investing in a diversified portfolio of UK property that benefits from long-term index-linked leases with institutional-grade tenants. LXi pursues its investment objective by targeting a wide range of defensive and robust sectors, including, but not limited to, office, leisure, industrial, distribution, and alternatives—including hotels, serviced apartments, affordable housing, and student accommodation. LXi seeks to only acquire assets let or pre-let to tenants with strong financial covenants and on long leases (typically 20 to 30 years to expiry or first break), with index-linked or fixed rental uplifts, in order to provide security of income and low cost of debt. LXi was launched on February 27, 2017 with approximately £138 million ($180 million as at the IPO date) of gross proceeds from its successful IPO. LXi is advised by LXi REIT Advisors Limited, which was originally a joint venture investment but is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. As of December 31, 2022, through a combination of its capital raises and investment growth, LXi’s market capitalization was approximately £1,930 million ($2,333 million). In July 2022, a subsidiary of Alvarium, LXi REIT Advisors Limited, acquired the rights to manage Secure Income REIT plc, by purchasing the existing shares of Prestbury Investments Partners Limited, for £40 million (this was connected to a wider transaction in which Secure Income REIT plc was itself acquired by LXi REIT plc, and LXi REIT Advisors Limited advises the combined entity).
9
Table of Contents
Home Long Income Fund
Home Long Income Fund (“HLIF”) is an English open-ended investment company. Its investment objective is to deliver secure inflation-protected income and capital growth by investing in a portfolio of UK homeless shelters. HLIF pursues its investment objective by investing a minimum of 90 percent of its capital in a diverse portfolio of homeless shelter assets in the UK. These assets are properties which are let, on long leases (ranging from 20 years to 30 years) with regular upward only rent reviews linked to inflation, to specialist housing associations who are registered providers of social housing, local authorities, or charities specializing in alleviating homelessness. Each property must also demonstrate strong residual land value characteristics. HLIF was launched on October 3, 2018 with £25 million ($35 million) of seed capital. HLIF is advised by Alvarium Social Housing Advisors Limited, which was originally a joint venture investment but is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. As of December 31, 2022, HLIF had assets under management of approximately £587 million ($722 million).
Funds Managed by our External Strategic Managers
In addition to our managed funds, we maintain strategic investments with certain External Strategic Managers, who managed approximately $5.3 billion of AUM in aggregate as of December 31, 2022.
Further details of each of the funds managed by the External Strategic Managers is set out under the heading “—Business Segments” in the section entitled “Historical Business of the TIG Entities.”
Ancillary Fund Management Services
We offer both our managers and the External Strategic Managers in which we have made strategic investments a complete platform solution to enable them to autonomously focus on their core investment competency. This includes investments, financial planning and strategy, sales and marketing, and back and middle office infrastructure/administration. A list of our services is set out below.
• Investments, Financial Planning, and Strategy:
• business planning and talent sourcing;
• budgeting and growth oversight; and
• strategic development and training.
• Sales and Marketing:
• centralized marketing;
• strategic positioning;
• product development;
• sales planning and execution;
• investor relations;
• materials oversight;
• branding; and
10
Table of Contents
• Back and Middle Office Infrastructure/Administration:
• legal and compliance;
• treasury management;
• collateral management;
• technology infrastructure and systems;
• middle office operations;
• accounting services;
• real estate management;
• counterparty management; and
• human resources.
Equity Sale of Investment Adviser to HomeREIT
On December 30, 2022, Alvarium RE Limited (“ARE”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Alvarium, entered into an agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) to sell 100% of the equity in Alvarium Home REIT Advisors Limited (“AHRA”), investment adviser to Home REIT plc (“Home”), to a newly formed entity owned by the management of AHRA (“AHRA Holdco”), for aggregate consideration equal to approximately GBP 24 million (the “Purchase Price”), with such amount being the fair market value of AHRA as of December 30, 2022. The sale was completed concurrently with the execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement.
AHRA Holdco paid the Purchase Price in the form of a promissory note with a fixed term, maturing on December 31, 2023 (the “Note”), subject to extension if mutually agreed upon by the parties thereto. According to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, AHRA Holdco shall use all of its available cash to repay principal on the Note.
11
Table of Contents
Merchant Banking, Corporate Advisory, Brokerage, and Placement Agency Services
Our merchant banking and corporate brokerage teams form a multi-national corporate advisory practice that services companies in the media, consumer, technology and innovation sectors, public and private funds, asset managers, and private equity sponsors, as well as advising our wealth management clients around their operational businesses or family holding companies.
Specific services include:
• merger and acquisition (“M&A”) advisory services;
• corporate broker services;
• public company and IPO advisory services;
• strategic advisory services;
• independent board advisory services; and
• structured finance advisory services.
Additionally, because of our focus on providing our merchant banking services to companies in the media, consumer, technology and innovation sectors, we have developed a network and connectivity that enables us to gain access to the innovation economy and to source private market direct and Co-investment opportunities in later stage, high growth, consumer, and technology companies.
Investing in and Supporting Entrepreneurial Financial Services Professionals to Generate Shareholder Value
We invest in and support experienced, successful, and entrepreneurial financial services professionals to establish, operate, and/or grow specialist financial services firms. Each case is different, but we may hold or acquire ownership or revenue stakes in a joint venture or subsidiary, we may provide financial support to launch, to grow, or to institutionalize the business, we may assist our partners in raising capital for their investments, and we may provide operational support so that our partners can focus on providing their expertise to their client-base. Over time, some of our partners have become wholly owned by us and they contribute to our wider business.
Supporting these businesses has broadened the range of services we are able to offer to our clients and investors (or the geographies where we offer them), deepened the range of knowledge, expertise, and capabilities we have at our disposal, enhanced our ability to innovate, expanded our client and investor bases, provided further diversification of our revenue streams, been accretive to our growth, and, as a result, has provided value to our shareholders.
Our global network of alternative asset management capabilities, in particular, is built on an end-to-end support platform for entrepreneurial managers, driving significant growth. We have a history of seeding and investing in managers across real estate and other alternative strategies. As a result, our clients and investors gain access to differentiated investment solutions. We believe our strategy is both repeatable and scalable and will afford us with compelling opportunities for growth in the future.
OUR REVENUE STREAMS
Consistent with operating a diverse range of services, we generate a diverse range of revenue streams across our business lines. A high-level summary of these revenue streams is set forth below. More in-depth details of the fees earned historically by each of TWMH, the TIG Entities, and Alvarium are set out under the heading “—Fee Structure” in the sections of this Annual Report entitled “Historical Business of TWMH,” “Historical Business of the TIG Entities,” and “Historical Business of Alvarium,” respectively.
12
Table of Contents
Broadly, our revenues fall into three categories: recurring management, advisory, or administration fees; performance or incentive fees; and transaction fees:
Taken together, our historically predictable revenue base, combined with robust performance, incentive and transaction fees, translates into what we believe is a stable earnings model. This earnings model, coupled with a disciplined and efficient cost structure, produces what we believe mitigates the risk of downside volatility in profit margins.
Global Wealth Management Services Fees
Investment Management and Advisory Services Fees
Investment management or advisory fees are generally calculated on the basis of a percentage of the value of each client’s assets under management or advisement (as applicable). Typically, such fees are paid quarterly.
Some clients in certain jurisdictions may also pay performance fees if their portfolio achieves returns in excess of an agreed benchmark or hurdle rate. Typically, such fees are paid annually upon crystallization (i.e., they are not accrued).
13
Table of Contents
Trusts and Administration Services and Family Office Services Fees
We have a variety of pricing models for these services which depend on the scope and extent of services a particular client requires. Such pricing models may be structured as a flat fee, fixed fees for particular services, variable fees based on particular services or fees charged on a time-spent basis, or a combination of these. Some fee items are payable annually, while others are usually payable quarterly. In most cases, the services are performed on a repeated basis through the life of a structure or relationship and so such fees are recurring.
Co-investment Fees
Fees earned on Co-investments include arrangement, retainer, management, advisory, performance, acquisition, promote and other associated fees, as well as interest arbitrage for debt structures.
Arrangement fees are typically 50 to 100 basis points of equity value contributed into transaction. Acquisitions fees are typically payable where there are no agency fees or where there is an off-market transaction sourced by the team. Such acquisition fees are usually in the range of 50 to 100 basis points of the purchase price of the relevant acquisition. The equity structures are long term (5-10 years) closed-ended structures with fees normally ranging between 50 and 175 basis points of the equity value committed or drawn. The debt structure terms are generally between 12 and 36 months. The investment adviser, general partner or other entity entitled to fees in respect of each of our Co-investments receives such fees either monthly, quarterly or annually.
We may be entitled to a portion of the performance-related entitlements (such as carried interest or promote) that may be payable on exit from Co-investment transactions. Carried interest entitlements are not accrued and are only recognized once crystalized on exit. Such revenues are only received if the investor hurdle (i.e., a minimum return to the investor) is reached and may include a catch-up. A catch-up takes effect when an investor’s returns reach the defined hurdle rate, giving them an agreed level of preferred return. The carried interest recipient then enters a catch-up period, in which it may receive an agreed percentage of the profits until the profit split determined by the carried interest agreement is reached. Carried interest entitlements are based on a percentage of the investor return above such hurdle and are set on a deal and fund basis. Typically, carried interest entitlements represent 10% to 20% of the investors’ equity internal rate of return in excess of an 8 to 15% hurdle, with no carried interest entitlement being payable if the hurdle is not met.
Certain existing Co-investment vehicles, joint ventures and affiliates have entered into advisory and/or management agreements whereby we receive a share of base advisory and/or management fees from the inception of such joint venture or affiliate relationship through to the liquidation of the relevant transaction. Where we have established feeder vehicles for clients, there may also be administration and advisory fees associated with those vehicles (these are earned by our trusts and administration business).
Fund Management Fees
We earn fees from our fund management and advisory services, either directly or through profit or revenue sharing arrangements with the External Strategic Managers. Management fees are paid either quarterly or monthly and incentive fees generally crystalize annually at year end.
We have a 50.63% profit share in the TIG Arbitrage strategy, through which we directly receive management fees and incentive fees from the underlying funds and accounts (see further below). Under the existing Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreements of TIG Trinity Management, LLC and TIG Trinity GP, LLC, and related Supplemental Agreement thereto, each dated as of October 25, 2018, the portfolio manager for the TIG Arbitrage strategy (i.e., our internally managed event-driven strategy comprised of underlying funds and accounts), has a Class D-1 equity interest that entitles him to 49.37% of the pre-tax profit and losses attributable to the TIG Arbitrage strategy. Accordingly, he receives these amounts as an equity owner of TIG Trinity Management, LLC and TIG Trinity GP, LLC through this separate class of equity interests and the remaining 50.63% of the economics are shared by all of the equity owners of TIG Trinity Management, LLC and TIG Trinity GP, LLC (including the portfolio manager of the TIG Arbitrage strategy) through the remaining classes of equity interests in TIG Trinity Management, LLC and TIG Trinity GP, LLC. The audited financial statements are prepared at the consolidated entity level of TIG Trinity Management, LLC and TIG Trinity GP, LLC and not at the individual partner allocation level.
14
Table of Contents
Management fees and incentive fees from our economic interests with External Strategic Managers are earned through our profit or revenue sharing arrangements with the External Strategic Managers. Our economic interests with our External Strategic Managers are as follows:
• Zebedee Capital Partners (European Equities), 19.99% revenue share; and
• Arkkan Capital (Asian Credit and Special Situations), 9.00% revenue share.
With respect to the various real estate funds that we advise, we receive investment advisory fees directly on a quarterly basis, and such fees are calculated on a sliding scale of percentages of the market capitalization or net asset value of the relevant fund. We also receive small fixed fees from acting as AIFM to certain of these funds.
Merchant Banking, Corporate Advisory, Brokerage and Placing Agency Services
On M&A mandates, we primarily generate success-based fees that are typically 1% to 2.5% of the financial outcome or target achieved.
For fundraising mandates for private corporate clients or funds, success fees are also earned, but are typically higher—in the range of 3% to 5% of the funds we raise (in line with market standards).
In each of the above cases, we may also generate small retainer fees that are typically retained in the event of a failed transaction process or deducted against success fees. In addition, we may also generate a project fee for certain M&A mandates related to the duration of such transaction.
For fundraising mandates for listed or publicly traded investment companies (including investment trusts and real estate investment trusts), where we act as placement agent, broker, or bookrunner, fees are primarily comprised of a commission payable on completion of the fundraise (which may be an IPO or secondary issuance of stock (e.g., a large single placement or a placement program)). The amount of the commission is calculated as a percentage of the gross proceeds of the capital raise and payable out of those proceeds. Small retainer fees may also be payable in some circumstances, where we act on an ongoing basis and conduct small capital raises from time to time, such as tap issuances.
OUR LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, AND VALUES
Experienced Management Team with Proven Track Record
We are led by a team of seasoned executives with significant and diverse experience. Our management team has considerable expertise across investment management, Impact Investing, alternative asset management, real estate, financial planning, and trusts and estates. Members of our senior management have an average of over 20 years of experience and a strong track record in building successful businesses from the ground up and generating superior returns across market cycles. Additionally, our senior management team has experienced little turnover since the inception of our predecessor businesses which we believe has enabled us to build meaningful long-term relationships and partnerships with our clients.
Diverse, Inclusive and Responsible Corporate Culture
As a human capital business, we believe our corporate culture, which is one of collaboration and connection, is one of our most important and valued assets. Our corporate culture starts at the highest level of management and is carried throughout the organization. We are committed to investing responsibly, operating our business with integrity, and building a diverse and inclusive workplace where our employees can grow and thrive. We are fully committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion at all levels of our business and are targeting 50% female representation in senior management by the end of our first five years of operations. As of December 31, 2022, approximately 44% of our employees were women.
15
Table of Contents
Our Focus on Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing
In today’s world those interested in deploying capital in pursuit of more than financial returns alone must wade through a global bazaar of acronyms, practices, and terms: sustainable finance, responsible investing, impact investing and ESG integration, among others, are all terms and investment practices that have evolved over recent decades with many credible advocates and practitioners.
For simplicity’s sake, we begin with the understanding that all capital and all companies create impact, both positive and negative. And, on balance, as we invest capital in global markets, we seek to have a net positive impact upon our world. Therefore, we use the term “Impact Investing” to describe investment practices seeking to generate various levels of financial performance together with the generation of positive, measurable environmental and social impacts at a portfolio level. The use and our definition of this banner term acknowledges the different intepretations and uses, globally, but particularly between the United States and Europe, of the terms “Impact Investing” and “Sustainable Finance”.
Under this banner of Impact Investing, we offer four distinct approaches to investment of client capital:
Accordingly, we believe that it is our responsibility to leverage our global network of offices and partnerships, the skills of our employees and the influence and resources of our clients, so that we can collectively have a lasting and net positive impact on our communities and the environment, and we believe that our aims are aligned with those of the family offices and institutions we serve, for whom wealth is not measured purely in terms of financial returns but in the long-term, intergenerational preservation of quality of life and the generation of multiple, extra-financial returns, including improvements to environmental and social conditions for all, shareholders and stakeholders alike.
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $4.5 billion of our assets under management/assets under advisement (“AUM/AUA”) dedicated to Impact Investing. Our intention is to seek to further expand this amount as we seek to play our part, as a responsible corporate citizen, in directing capital to sustainable investments that will aid in the transition to a low carbon economy, as well as investments that are well managed and socially beneficial. Like us, our clients and investors are increasingly focused on risk-adjusted returns associated with socially and environmentally responsible investment opportunities and we consider it a fundamental part of our mission, as long term stewards of client capital, to ensure that these non-financial investment goals are not only met, but advanced in new, innovative ways.
16
Table of Contents
Global Wealth Management Services and Co-investments
At AlTi, we offer our clients various strategies to invest sustainably and with net positive impact, all of which may be aligned with clients’ interests, values, beliefs and preferences. Within the four categories of Impact Investing described above, some of our managers actively promote positive social and environmental change aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (“UN SDGs”). Such investments can be solely focused on these solutions, by mandate or prospectus, or involve strategies that actively practice engagement and stewardship to promote change and improvement in corporate ESG behavior. In this category we also consider strategies whose holdings meaningfully align with investable themes associated with the UN SDGs for a significant part of the overall portfolio. Investments in this category do not have to be solving a specific social or environmental challenge, but they must be contributing positively to sustainability challenges. These might also be called sustainable investment strategies.
Furthermore, we also pursue investments that are expected to have a material impact in advancing long-term attainment of one or more UN SDGs. In other words, the investment or investment manager strategy has committed to be classified as an intentional, positive impact strategy. They have chosen to proactively invest in solutions for one or more of the 17 UN SDGs and are willing to provide transparent extra-financial reporting metrics in accordance with evolving international standards and practices to evidence this impact. Strategies in this category aim to demonstrate materiality, intentionality, and additionality (the extent to which the provision of a UN SDG solution would not have occurred in the absence of this investment) in their underlying investments, and the impact of the underlying companies is thus measurable and reportable.
We are conscious that investments might also generate a negative impact and that certain asset classes in which we invest may attract added attention from an Impact Investing perspective. We seek to engage with our third-party managers to improve transparency and reporting on any unnecessary negative impact of our investments. We believe that negative social and environmental impacts can pose a financial risk to portfolios.
How We Integrate Impact Investing within our Global Wealth Management Services and Co-investments
An analysis of this Impact Investing framework is fully integrated into AlTi’s investment research process. This analysis is divided into two parts:
AlTi has an integrated environmental, social, governance and nominating committee (the “nominating committee”) with the mandate to continue growing momentum towards our ESG and sustainable investment initiatives and client engagement in this area. The nominating committee consists of the CIOs and Heads of Research as well as senior decision makers across the global investment offices. Importantly all senior members of the nominating committee are also voting members of the public markets, private markets, and hedge fund investment committees to ensure continuity of message and approach.
The nominating committee has responsibility for, among other things:
• Providing continued momentum to Impact Investing initiatives;
• Helping set research priorities for new sustainable and impact funds; and
17
Table of Contents
OUR HISTORY AND PRESENCE TO DATE
Our History
AlTi owes its history to the achievements of TWMH, the TIG Entities, Alvarium and their respective founders. TIG was founded in 1980 by Carl Tiedemann to enable talented money managers to build their fund businesses, using a centralized platform of proven services that enable portfolio managers to focus exclusively on their clients and realize their investment objectives. Carl Tiedemann, Craig Smith, and Michael Tiedeman established TWMH on the premise that a wealth management business organized on principles of delivering a combination of excellent investment performance and high-touch client service would quickly differentiate itself from its competitors. Alvarium was established by its founder partners as LJ Capital in 2009, initially with the aim of sourcing direct and Co-investments in real estate in the UK and in Central Europe. The firm rebranded as LJ Partnership and underwent a series of acquisitions, before rebranding as Alvarium in 2019.
Full details of the history of each of AlTi’s legacy businesses is set out under the heading “—Our History” in the sections in this Annual Report entitled “Historical Business of TWMH”, “Historical Business of the TIG Entities,” and “Historical Business of Alvarium.”
Our Presence to Date
Our business is global, with approximately 470 professionals operating in 22 cities in 10 countries across three continents, as of December 31, 2022.
OUR MODEL FOR GROWTH
Our business model is proven and powerful with four key elements: client centricity; local services with global reach; access to unique and creative opportunities; and an innovative and nimble culture. Our true client-centric practice is manifested in solutions-based advice and access to a network of like-minded, multi-generational entrepreneurs. We also provide our clients comprehensive, global and proprietary services that are tailored to their evolving needs and priorities. In addition, we offer our clients and investors proprietary direct and Co-investment opportunities.
18
Table of Contents
We create shareholder value through an expansive, but complementary, service and product offering to overlapping and connected target markets of clients, investors and businesses, and associated earnings growth derived therefrom.
Record of constructive partnership
We have the mergers and acquisition experience to complement proven organic growth, having made more than 25 acquisitions or joint venture investments to date. Below are three examples of such accretive transactions (past performance and outcomes of such transaction are not necessarily indicative of future results or performance or outcome of other similar transactions).
Applying our core principles globally, we aim to build on the success of our business, through:
19
Table of Contents
Through our business lines, we intend to: (1) provide our clients and investors access to unique investment and Co-investment opportunities; (2) provide customized service to meet the needs of our clients and their families; (3) invest with intention—taking seriously the modern responsibilities of wealth; (4) innovate continuously to meet the needs and aspirations of our clients and investors; and (5) grow rapidly—both organically and by acquisitions—to build a premiere global asset management business.
With scale, a strong reputation and global reach, we intend to continue to grow by staying true to our mission “To Help Our Clients Achieve What They Value Most”.
20
Table of Contents
HISTORICAL BUSINESS OF TWMH
The following discussion reflects the business of TWMH prior to the Business Combination. In this section, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “TWMH,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are intended to mean the business and operations of Tiedemann Wealth Management Holdings, LLC and its subsidiaries, and their predecessor entities where applicable.
Our Company
We are a premier, full-service multi-family office that, as of December 31, 2022, has approximately $19.3 billion of AUM and $29.9 billion of AUM/AUA, inclusive of non-discretionary assets. Our firm is focused on providing financial advisory and related family office services to HNWIs, families, endowments, and foundations. In addition to a wide range of investment capabilities, we offer a full suite of complementary and customized family office services for families seeking comprehensive oversight of their financial affairs. Our growth and success at attracting high net worth clients, primarily by taking market share from our competitors is indicative of our initial premise of providing objective advice and execution on a multitude of financial services for our clients. Our organic growth has been complemented by selective hiring and by two successfully completed acquisitions, which have expanded not only our assets under management but also our professional ranks, geographic footprint, and service capabilities. Importantly, our core competency includes extensive Impact Investing advisory services and we are a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investing (“PRI”). Our success is manifested in our annual client retention rate, which averaged 97% from 2019 to 2022.
Business Segments
Investment Advisor
We offer comprehensive investment advisory services, including investment strategy, asset allocation, investment manager selection, risk management, portfolio construction and implementation, and reporting. While we provide the majority of such advisory services on a discretionary basis, we also have the ability to support our clients on a non-discretionary basis, through client-directed trade execution and investment implementation.
We assist each client in establishing investment objectives, return expectations, and risk tolerance, all of which are the basis for the development of an Investment Policy Statement (“IPS”). Based on the IPS, we allocate client portfolios to target an agreed upon risk adjusted return, and are agnostic to asset class, sector, geography and/or investment structure. Portfolios are typically implemented through third-party managed accounts or Managed Funds (defined below).
Investment Manager Selection, Monitoring and Due Diligence Services
We may recommend that clients allocate a portion or all of their portfolio to mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (“ETFs”), hedge funds, private equity, real estate, or other funds (each, a “Managed Fund”), which are managed by a third-party manager (a “Fund Manager”).
We identify potential Fund Managers for client portfolios through networks that we have established over two decades from our Investment Group, employees, clients, affiliates, as well as databases and industry conferences. After a potential Fund Manager is identified, we perform investment due diligence on the fund and its key personnel through a variety of methods, which may include, but are not limited to, a review of the manager’s offering documents,United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), or other regulatory filings (if applicable), and interviews with the manager’s personnel (both principals and staff). Additionally, we supplement our proprietary work with operational due diligence and background checks on key individuals through specialist third-party providers.
For those Fund Managers who we utilize in client portfolios, we conduct on-going reviews and analyses of each Fund Manager’s investment performance, including, but not limited to, adherence to its investment strategy, guidelines or restrictions and organizational stability.
21
Table of Contents
Impact Investing
We provide comprehensive Impact Investing advice to a growing number of clients, as Impact Investing is integral to our mission, values and corporate growth strategy. As of December 31, 2022, we had $3.8 billion of assets dedicated to Impact Assets. Impact Assets reflect total firmwide investments into companies, organizations, or funds with the intention to generate positive social and/or environmental impact alongside financial return. Our definition of impact investment is limited to investments where positive social and environmental impact is a core investment goal. It excludes investments made without the expectation of financial return (philanthropy) and it excludes investments where social and environmental impact are merely a consideration rather than a core investment goal. Most investments designated as impact investments have been subject to our due diligence framework, which guides our overall approach to impact investing across asset classes, geographies, and sectors. Impact investments that have not been subject to the due diligence framework are typically legacy or client directed impact investments.
We deliver Impact Investing with four strategic approaches: (1) Aligned Strategies, (2) Integrated ESG Strategies, (3) Thematic Strategies, and (4) Catalytic Strategies, as outlined in the table below. These strategies are built around two established themes, Socioeconomic Development and Environmental Sustainability. In this way, we can take advantage of each asset class to activate the total portfolio in alignment with its specific goals.
Once an Impact Investing portfolio is constructed, reflecting the risk/return profile of our client, their values, and preferences, we measure both financial and non-financial outcomes through a fully integrated reporting platform. We also engage the power of shareholder activism to further our clients’ goals and influence in corporate social responsibility. We leverage our network and strategic partnerships with organizations dedicated to Impact Investing to stay at the forefront of this evolving field.
Trust Administration Services
Through our Delaware trust company, we provide full corporate trustee and executor services. Our Delaware situs provides many advantages for our clients: investment and administrative flexibility, enhanced confidentiality, a historically progressive and responsive legislative and court system, superior asset protection, and state-level income tax minimization. Delaware also permits trusts to continue in perpetuity, providing families with substantial opportunities to implement estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax minimization strategies.
Performance Measurement and Reporting
We typically provide clients with a performance report, detailing the clients’ portfolio performance and comparing such performance to relevant benchmarks or indices. If requested by a client, the reporting can include information encompassing assets that are not in their portfolio. In addition to financial performance, we are also able to discuss a client’s impact performance for those interested in tracking extra-financial returns. We choose to use third-party software for record-keeping, performance calculation, and reporting, and we prepare performance reports by using data provided by custodians, investment managers, and independent pricing services.
22
Table of Contents
Non-Advisory Services
We may offer non-advisory services to our clients, including coordination of legal-related and strategic business planning, wealth transfer planning, estate planning, research on trustee placement and multi-generational education planning, administrative, tax planning and concierge services among others.
Family Office Services (“FOS”)
Our FOS segment provides tailored family office solutions and administrative services to families, trusts, foundations, and institutions. Our FOS include:
• Family governance and transition;
• Wealth and asset strategy;
• Trust and fiduciary services;
• CFO and outsourced FOS;
• Philanthropy; and
• Lifestyle and special projects.
We work with clients’ existing advisors or coordinate legal, and tax advice operating in partnership with carefully selected third-party advisors and professionals to provide a collegial approach to obtaining the right advice and support for families and their associated structures.
Our History
We were founded in 1999 on the premise that if we staffed and organized our business to deliver a combination of excellent investment performance and high-touch client service, we would quickly differentiate our business from a crowded field of firms nominally in the wealth management business. We seek to attract and serve a base of individuals and families with $25 million or more of investable assets, where we believe we are particularly well-positioned to offer comprehensive investment and family office service solutions. In 2016, we acquired Presidio Wealth Management, a wealth manager with approximately $4.1 billion of AUM. Then, in 2017 we acquired the Threshold Group, another independent wealth advisor and a leader in the rapidly growing Impact Investing market segment, with approximately $3.8 billion of total AUM (including both impact and non-impact client assets). This acquisition cemented our commitment to be a leader in Impact Investing for our clients.
As of December 31, 2022, our top ten client relationships as measured by billable assets had an average size of $554.4 million and represented approximately 18.6% of our billable assets.
23
Table of Contents
Fee Structure
Management Fees
Our fees for our investment advisory services, family office, trust, and related administrative services are structured to align our financial incentives with those of our clients to ensure they receive objective advice. The majority of our fees are generated from our discretionary asset management and are calculated from the value of the assets we manage for our clients. Fee revenues increase as our clients’ assets grow in value and vice versa. Unlike discretionary asset management fees, our fees for family office services and related administrative services are generally not based on or correlated to market values of our clients’ assets. For these services, we generally charge clients a negotiated fee based on the scope of work agreed upon. We believe these high-touch services create strong client relationships and contribute meaningfully to our record of client retention.
We charge a single asset-based advisory fee based on the size of the asset base and the scope of work for the assets we are responsible for managing. All fees are charged quarterly, in arrears at quarter-end. Fees, which vary depending upon the level and complexity of client assets, are calculated based on each client’s rate applied to the fair market value of the billable assets at quarter-end.
Assets under advisement (“AUA”) consist of all assets we are responsible for overseeing and reporting on, but we do not necessarily charge fees on all such assets. Billable assets represent the portion of our assets on which we charge fees. Non-billable assets are exempt of fees and consist of assets such as cash and cash equivalents in certain agreed upon situations, personally owned real estate, and other designated assets. Total AUM/AUA is $29.9 billion, while billable assets are $17.63 billion, as of December 31, 2022.
FOS Fees
FOS fees are generated from our families of sufficient size and complexity that require such services. FOS fees are generally structured to reflect an annual agreed upon fee or they can be structured on a project/time-based fee. Annual fees begin at $10,000 or higher based upon services provided. FOS fees are typically billed quarterly in arrears. We also generate FOS project/time-based fees arising from accounting, administration fees, set up, FATCA, and other non-investment advisory services. FOS fees are reviewed annually. We also generate trustee and administrative trustee fees from clients of Tiedemann Trust Company. These fees begin at $7,500 per trust and can be significantly higher based upon size, complexity, and services offered by the structure. Fees are typically billed quarterly in arrears.
Employees
As of December 31, 2022, we employed 151 individuals, including 17 investment professionals, and approximately 45% of our employees are women. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are key to our firm’s open culture and long-term success. We recognize the important link between corporate values, employee engagement, and corporate performance. We also strive to foster a supportive environment that cultivates professional growth and development and encourages team members to continuously develop their skills. We consider our relationship with employees to be vital and are focused on effective attraction, development, retention, compensation and benefits for all employees. This includes workforce and management development, diversity and inclusion initiatives, corporate culture and leadership quality, and morale and development, which are vital to the success of our innovation-driven growth strategy. Our values are built on mutual respect, constructive dissent, operating at the highest standard, and acting in the best interest of our stakeholders.
Regulatory and Compliance Matters
Our businesses, as well as the financial services industry, generally are subject to extensive regulation, including periodic examinations, by governmental agencies and self-regulatory organizations or exchanges in the United States and foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. Such regulation relates to, among other things, antitrust laws, anti-money laundering laws, anti-bribery laws relating to foreign officials, tax laws, and privacy laws with respect to client and other information, and some of our funds invest in businesses that operate in highly regulated industries.
24
Table of Contents
Each of the regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over us has regulatory powers dealing with many aspects of financial services, including the authority to grant, and in specific circumstances to cancel, permissions to carry on particular activities. Any failure to comply with these rules and regulations could limit our ability to carry on particular activities or expose us to liability and/or reputational damage. Additional legislation, increasing global regulatory oversight of fundraising activities, changes in rules promulgated by self-regulatory organizations or exchanges, or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and rules, either in the United States or elsewhere, may directly affect our mode of operation and profitability. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Target Companies—We are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure or inability to comply with these regulations or regulatory action against us could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or business.”
Rigorous legal and compliance analysis of our businesses and our funds’ investments is important to our culture. We strive to maintain a culture of compliance using policies and procedures such as compliance oversight, codes of ethics, compliance systems, communication of compliance guidance, and employee education and training. All employees must annually certify their understanding of and compliance with key global firm policies, procedures, and code of ethics. We have a compliance group that monitors our compliance with the regulatory requirements to which we are subject and manages our compliance policies and procedures. Our Chief Compliance Officer supervises our compliance group, which is responsible for monitoring all regulatory and compliance matters that affect our activities. Our compliance policies and procedures address a variety of regulatory and compliance risks such as the handling of material non-public information, personal securities trading, valuation of investments, document retention, potential conflicts of interest, and the allocation of investment opportunities.
Many jurisdictions in which we operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cybersecurity, and the protection of personal information. Any determination of a failure to comply with any such laws or regulations could result in fines and/or sanctions, as well as reputational harm. Moreover, to the extent that these laws and regulations or the enforcement of the same become more stringent, or if new laws or regulations or enacted, our financial performance or plans for growth may be adversely impacted.
United States
SEC Regulations
We provide investment advisory services through an entity that is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC pursuant to the Advisers Act. As compared to other, more disclosure-oriented U.S. federal securities laws, the Advisers Act, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), together with the SEC’s regulations and interpretations thereunder, are highly restrictive regulatory statutes. The SEC is authorized to institute proceedings and impose sanctions for violations of the Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act, ranging from fines and censures to termination of an adviser’s registration.
Under the Advisers Act, an investment adviser (whether registered or not under the Advisers Act) has fiduciary duties to its clients. The SEC has interpreted these duties to impose standards, requirements, and limitations on, among other things, trading for proprietary, personal, and client accounts; allocations of investment opportunities among clients; and conflicts of interest. The Advisers Act also imposes specific restrictions on an investment adviser’s ability to engage in principal and agency cross transactions. Our firm is subject to many additional requirements that cover, among other things, disclosure of information about our business to clients; maintenance of written policies and procedures; maintenance of extensive books and records; restrictions on the types of fees we may charge, including incentive fees or carried interest; solicitation arrangements; maintenance of an effective compliance program; custody of client assets; client privacy; advertising; and proxy voting. The SEC has authority to inspect any registered investment adviser and typically inspects a registered investment adviser periodically to determine whether the adviser is conducting its activities in compliance with (i) applicable laws, (ii) disclosures made to clients, and (iii) adequate systems, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance.
Under the Advisers Act, our investment advisory agreements may not be assigned without the client’s consent. “Assignment” is broadly defined and includes direct assignments as well as assignments that may be deemed to occur upon the transfer, directly or indirectly, of a controlling interest in us.
25
Table of Contents
Other Federal and State Regulators; Self-Regulatory Organizations
In addition to SEC regulatory oversight, we are subject to compliance under the Advisers Act, and there are several other regulatory bodies that have or could potentially have jurisdiction to regulate our business activities.
Competition
The wealth management industry is highly fragmented (more than 6,600 RIAs in the United States alone), leading to intense competition on both the regional and local levels. According to Piper Sandler, the industry’s fragmentation is driven by a few key factors, including:
In addition to the competition on the local level, we face intense competition from national wealth managers, ranging from large independent wealth managers and wealth managers that sit within larger financial institutions, to private equity-backed wealth management platforms, which have been relatively recently built through serial acquisitions. These platforms include BBR, Brown Advisors, SCS, Bessemer, Hightower Advisors, Captrust, Beacon Pointe Advisors, Creative Planning, Mercer Advisors, Wealth Enhancement Group, and Kestra, among others.
Competition is also intense for the attraction and retention of qualified employees. Our ability to continue to compete effectively in our businesses will depend upon our ability to attract new employees and retain and motivate our existing employees.
For additional information concerning the competitive risks that we face, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—If we are unable to compete effectively, our business and financial condition could be adversely affected.”
26
Table of Contents
HISTORICAL BUSINESS OF THE TIG ENTITIES
The following discussion reflects the business of the TIG Entities prior to the Business Combination. In this section, unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “TIG Entities,” TIG,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are intended to mean the business and operations of TIG Trinity GP, LLC and TIG Trinity Management, LLC and their respective subsidiaries, and their predecessor entities where applicable.
Our Company
We are an alternative investment management firm that manages approximately $3.0 billion of AUM within our internal investment strategies as of December 31, 2022. In addition, we have made strategic investments with our External Strategic Managers, who manage approximately $5.3 billion of AUM in the aggregate as of December 31, 2022. The strategies of these External Strategic Managers include Real Estate Bridge Lending, European Equities and Asian Credit and Special Situations. We are focused on partnering with global alternative asset managers in order to unlock and achieve growth from both an asset and operational perspective. We have a strong track record of identifying managers that focus on sourcing uncorrelated investment opportunities in both public and private markets and then utilizing our long-standing operating platform to assist managers with growth. Our TIG Arbitrage strategy, which is managed by our subsidiary TIG Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor (“TIG Advisors”), and the External Strategic Managers, each focus on capital preservation and uncorrelated returns by managing alpha driven investment strategies that align with the needs of a diverse global investor base. As a growth-oriented partner, we work with our fund managers on marketing, business development, strategy and operational efficiencies.
Business Segments
Event-Driven Global Merger Arbitrage
The TIG Arbitrage strategy is our event-driven strategy based in New York. This strategy, which has approximately $3.0 billion of AUM as of December 31, 2022, focuses on 0-to-30-day events within the merger process. The investment team employs deep research on each situation in the portfolio with a focus on complex, hostile, up-for-sale situations where our primary research work can drive uncorrelated alpha. Our research and investment process is focused on hard catalyst events.
Romspen—Real Estate Bridge Lending Strategy (External Strategic Manager)
The External Strategic Manager that operates a real estate bridge lending strategy is based in Toronto and focuses on complex construction, term, and pre-development bridge loans throughout North America. The strategy has approximately $2.2 billion AUM as of December 31, 2022. The External Strategic Manager’s experience with mortgages dates back to the 1950s when the firm operated as a real estate law firm and entered the mortgage-lending business in the 1960s. The manager converted its individual mortgage syndication business to a commingled fund in early 2006. The strategy’s diversified portfolio primarily consists of first lien mortgages with little to no structural leverage. The team places an emphasis on risk management via rigorous underwriting consisting of borrower analysis, vetting, and extensive monitoring across all major real estate asset classes.
Zebedee—European Equities (External Strategic Manager)
The External Strategic Manager focused on European equities is based in London. The strategy has approximately $1.6 billion AUM as of December 31, 2022. Founded in 2001, this External Strategic Manager trades the portfolio actively and is absolute return-oriented with a focus on financials, cyclicals, and mining and minerals. The strategy is market agnostic and runs with a variable net exposure, equally comfortable net long or net short.
Arkkan—Asian Credit and Special Situations (External Strategic Manager)
The External Strategic Manager has operated an Asia Pacific credit and special situations strategy based in Hong Kong since 2013. The strategy has approximately $1.5 billion AUM as of December 31, 2022. The External Strategic Manager has more than 25 years of experience investing in performing, stressed, and distressed bonds and loans throughout the Asia Pacific region. We believe their on-the-ground expertise and deep local network makes it well-positioned to capitalize on an under-researched and inefficient market with limited competition and attractive levels of stressed and distressed activity.
27
Table of Contents
Institutional Investment Platform
We offer both our managers and the External Strategic Managers a complete platform solution to enable them to focus primarily on their core investment competency. This includes Investments, Financial Planning and Strategy, Sales and Marketing, and Back and Middle Office Infrastructure/Administration. A list of our services is set forth below.
Investments, Financial Planning, and Strategy:
• Business Planning and Talent Sourcing
• Budgeting and Growth Oversight
• Strategic Development and Training
Sales and Marketing:
• Centralized Marketing
• Strategic Positioning
• Product Development
• Sales Planning & Execution
• Investor Relations
• Materials Oversight
• Branding
Back and Middle Office Infrastructure/ Administration:
• Risk Management
• Legal and Compliance
• Treasury Management
• Collateral Management
• Technology Infrastructure & Systems
• Middle Office Operations
• Accounting Services
• Real Estate Management
• Counterparty Management
• Human Resources
28
Table of Contents
Our History
We are seasoned entrepreneurs and over our history have advised more than 30 financial businesses on their growth strategy. Since inception in 1980, we have supported and helped money managers build their fund businesses, using a centralized platform of services proven to allow portfolio managers to focus exclusively on portfolio management. In total, we launched 24 separate fund strategies. In 1993, we launched the current version of the TIG Arbitrage strategy, which has grown from $6 million AUM in 1993 to $3.0 billion AUM as of December 31, 2022. In 2018, we launched a new business initiative focused on making growth equity investments in alternative managers as described above and set forth in the timeline below. Our first investment was in Romspen, the real estate bridge lending External Strategic Manager in 2018, followed by an investment in Zebedee, the European equities External Strategic Manager in 2020, and Arkkan, the Asian credit and special situations External Strategic Manager in January 2021.
Investment Process Overview
We believe there is a significant opportunity to expand our business by partnering with various mid-sized alternative asset managers to provide capital, as well as marketing and operational support. We endeavor to identify a portfolio of managers with very low capital market sensitivity and low correlation to each other. Our underlying strategies are all competitive within their peer group, positioned to grow, exhibit low volatility, and are typically in the range of $500 million to $3 billion in AUM. Our investment process is described below.
Origination and Sourcing
Our investment team has an extensive network from which to generate deal flow and referrals. Specifically, we originate portfolio investments from a variety of different investment sources, including among others, private equity sponsors, management teams, financial intermediaries and advisers, investment bankers, family offices, accounting firms, and law firms. We believe that our experience across different industries and transaction types and our history as operators makes us particularly qualified to source, analyze, and execute investment opportunities.
Due Diligence Process
Once we identify managers of interest, we engage in a detailed diligence process. The process through which an investment decision is made involves extensive research into the manager and the fund, its strategy, its growth prospects, and its ability to withstand adverse market conditions. If one or more members of the investment team responsible for the transaction determines that an investment opportunity should be pursued, we will engage in an intensive due diligence process. We vet performance and investment decisions both individually using internal and external risk systems relevant for each strategy and by assembling a peer group.
29
Table of Contents
We also vet the management team and require background checks of key personnel. We compile an internal diligence report reviewing historical AUM, flows, investor concentration, marketing history and prospects, technology, risk systems, and the investment team and their processes. We also review ESG considerations. In addition to our internal review, we engage a third party operational due diligence team to conduct a thorough investigation. Finally, prior to agreeing to a transaction, we bring in outside counsel to review legal documents and ensure reasonable deal terms are negotiated.
Selective Investment Process
After an investment has been identified and preliminary diligence has been completed, an investment committee memorandum is prepared. This report is reviewed by the members of the investment team in charge of the potential investment. If these members of the investment team are in favor of the potential investment, then a more extensive due diligence process is employed. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys, independent accountants, and other third-party consultants and research firms prior to the closing of the investment, as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
Structuring and Execution
Approval of an investment requires the unanimous approval of our investment committee. Once the investment committee has determined that a prospective portfolio company is suitable for investment, TIG Advisors works with the management team of that company and its other capital providers, including senior, junior, and equity capital providers, if any, to finalize the structure and terms of the investment.
Manager Monitoring
We monitor each of our managers and the External Strategic Managers on an ongoing basis. We monitor the financial trends of each manager to determine if it is meeting its business plans and to assess the appropriate course of action with respect to our investment in each manager. We have a number of methods for evaluating and monitoring the performance and fair value of our investments.
Employees
We believe that diversity is key to our firm’s open culture and long-term success. We recognize the important link between corporate values, employee engagement, and corporate performance. We also strive to foster a supportive environment that cultivates professional growth and development and encourages team members to continuously develop their skills. We consider our relationship with employees to be vital, and are focused on effective attraction, development, and retention tools, including compensation and benefits, human resource talent, workforce and management development, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and corporate culture morale and development. All of the foregoing is vital to the success of our innovation-driven growth strategy. Our values are built on mutual respect, constructive dissent, always operating at the highest standard, and acting in the best interest of our stakeholders. Approximately 29% of our employees were women as of December 31, 2022.
Fee Structure
TIG Arbitrage and the External Strategic Managers earn management fees, and incentive fees tied to performance. We have a 50.63% profit share in TIG Arbitrage, through which we directly receive management fees and incentive fees from the underlying funds and accounts. For more information regarding the profit-share participation, refer to “Business of Alvarium Tiedemann—Fund Management Fees”.
Management fees and incentive fees earned from our economic interests with External Strategic Managers are earned through our profit or revenue sharing arrangements with the External Strategic Managers. Our economic interests in the External Strategic Managers are as follows:
• Real Estate Bridge Lending Strategy—20.92% profit share;
• European Equities—19.99% revenue share; and
• Asian Credit and Special Situations—9.00% revenue share.
30
Table of Contents
The following describes our fee structure:
Management Fees. TIG Arbitrage and the External Strategic Managers are entitled to management fees as compensation for administrating and managing the affairs of the funds and separately managed accounts. Management fees are normally received in advance each month or quarter and recognized as services are rendered. The management fees for TIG Arbitrage are calculated using approximately 0.75% to 1.5% of the net asset value of the funds’ underlying investments. The management fees for our External Strategic Managers are calculated using approximately 0.75% to 1.75% of the net asset value of the funds’ underlying investments.
Incentive Fees. TIG Arbitrage and certain of the External Strategic Managers are entitled to receive incentive fees if certain performance returns have been achieved as stipulated in our governing documents. The incentive fees for TIG Arbitrage are calculated using 15% to 20% of the net profit/ income. The incentive fees for our External Strategic Managers are calculated using 15% to 20% or 15% to 35%, subject to a 10% hurdle, of the net profit/income. We recognize our incentive fees when it is no longer probable that a significant reversal of revenue will occur. Our incentive fees are not subject to clawback provisions.
Also included within Management Fees and Incentive Fees are income from such fees from our profit and revenue-share investments in External Strategic Managers.
Regulatory and Compliance Matters
Our businesses, as well as the financial services industry, generally are subject to extensive regulation, including periodic examinations by governmental agencies and self-regulatory organizations or exchanges in the United States and foreign jurisdictions in which we operate. Such regulation relates to, among other things, antitrust laws, anti-money laundering laws, anti-bribery laws relating to foreign officials, tax laws, and privacy laws with respect to client and other information, and some of our funds invest in businesses that operate in highly regulated industries.
Each of the regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over us has regulatory powers dealing with many aspects of financial services, including the authority to grant, and in specific circumstances to cancel, permissions to carry on particular activities. Any failure to comply with these rules and regulations could limit our ability to carry on particular activities or expose us to liability and/or reputational damage. Additional legislation, increasing global regulatory oversight of fundraising activities, changes in rules promulgated by self-regulatory organizations or exchanges or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and rules, either in the United States or elsewhere, may directly affect our mode of operation and profitability. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Target Companies—We are subject to extensive government regulation, and our failure or inability to comply with these regulations or regulatory action against us could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition or business.”
Rigorous legal and compliance analysis of our businesses and our funds’ investments is important to our culture. We strive to maintain a culture of compliance through the use of policies and procedures such as oversight compliance, codes of ethics, compliance systems, communication of compliance guidance, and employee education and training. All employees must annually certify their understanding of, and compliance with, TIG’s policies, procedures, and code of ethics. Our Chief Compliance Officer supervises our compliance group, which is responsible for monitoring all regulatory and compliance matters that affect our activities. Our compliance policies and procedures address a variety of regulatory and compliance risks such as, but not limited to, the handling of material non-public information, personal securities trading, valuation of investments, document retention, potential conflicts of interest, and the allocation of investment opportunities.
Many jurisdictions in which we operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cybersecurity, and protection of personal information, including the General Data Protection Regulation, which expands data protection rules for individuals within the European Union (“EU”) and for personal data exported outside the EU, and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which creates new rights and obligations related to personal data of residents (and households) in California. Any determination of a failure to comply with any such laws or regulations could result in
31
Table of Contents
fines and/or sanctions, as well as reputational harm. Moreover, to the extent that these laws and regulations or the enforcement of the same become more stringent, or if new laws or regulations or enacted, our financial performance or plans for growth may be adversely impacted.
United States
SEC Regulations
We provide investment advisory services through TIG Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser pursuant to the Advisers Act. Under the Advisers Act, an investment adviser (whether or not registered under the Advisers Act) has fiduciary duties to its clients. The SEC has interpreted these duties to impose standards, requirements, and limitations on, among other things, trading for proprietary, personal and client accounts, allocations of investment opportunities among clients, and conflicts of interest.
The Advisers Act also imposes specific restrictions on an investment adviser’s ability to engage in principal and agency cross transactions. Our registered investment advisers are subject to many additional requirements that cover, among other things, disclosure of information about our business to clients; maintenance of written policies and procedures; maintenance of extensive books and records; restrictions on the types of fees we may charge, including incentive fees or carried interest; solicitation arrangements; maintenance of an effective compliance program; custody of client assets; client privacy; advertising; and proxy voting. The SEC has authority to inspect any registered investment adviser and typically inspects a registered investment adviser periodically to determine whether the adviser is conducting its activities in compliance with (i) applicable laws, (ii) disclosures made to clients, and (iii) adequate systems, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance.
Other Federal and State Regulators; Self-Regulatory Organizations
In addition to SEC regulatory oversight, we are subject to the Advisers Act, and there are several other regulatory bodies that have or could potentially have jurisdiction to regulate our business activities.
Competition
The investment management industry is intensely competitive, and we expect it to remain so. We compete globally and on a regional, industry, and asset basis.
We face competition both in the pursuit of fund investors and investment opportunities. Generally, our competition varies across business lines, geographies, and financial markets. We compete for investors based on a variety of factors, including investment performance, investor perception of investment managers’ drive, focus and alignment of interest, quality of service provided to and duration of relationship with investors, breadth of our product offering, business reputation, and the level of fees and expenses charged for services. We compete for investment opportunities at our funds based on a variety of factors, including breadth of market coverage and relationships, access to capital, transaction execution skills, the range of products and services offered, innovation, and price, and we expect that competition will continue to increase.
We and our funds also compete with public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity, and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and may have more financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do. Many of these competitors have similar investment objectives to us, which may create additional competition for investment opportunities. Some of these competitors may also have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us, which may create competitive disadvantages for us with respect to investment opportunities. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Lastly, institutional, and individual investors are allocating increasing amounts of capital to alternative investment strategies. Several large institutional investors have announced a desire to consolidate their investments in a more limited number of managers. We expect that this will cause competition in our industry to intensify and could lead to a reduction in the size and duration of pricing inefficiencies that many of our funds seek to exploit. Competition is also intense for the attraction and retention of qualified employees. Our ability to continue to compete effectively in our businesses will depend upon our ability to attract new employees and retain and motivate our existing employees.
32
Table of Contents
For additional information concerning the competitive risks that we face, see “Risk Factors Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—If we are unable to compete effectively, our business and financial condition could be adversely affected”.
33
Table of Contents
HISTORICAL BUSINESS OF ALVARIUM
The following discussion reflects the business of Alvarium prior to the Business Combination. In this section, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “Alvarium,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are intended to mean the business and operations of Alvarium.
Our Company
We are a global multi-family office and investment boutique that provides tailored solutions for families, foundations, and institutions. We have $26.8 billion of AUM and AUA as of December 31, 2022, including $13.0 billion of direct investments in real estate, funds, and other vehicles. We have four principal business divisions: Investment Advisory (or “IA”), Co-investments, FOS, and Merchant Banking (or “MB”).
Business Divisions
Each of our business divisions is focused on providing the services described below.
Investment Advisory
Our IA division offers comprehensive investment advisory services, including investment strategy and implementation, asset allocation, investment manager selection, and reporting. We provide such advisory services on both a discretionary and non-discretionary (advisory) basis. We can execute trades or recommendations on behalf of a client if a limited power of attorney has been granted by the client to us.
Our IA division provides investment advisory services to high net worth clients globally. We specialize in being a trusted adviser to high net worth individuals and families, trusts, endowments, and foundations with complex needs, seeking to provide a tailored and independent approach. With the perspective of a global organization combined with local resources, we provide quality advice, investment, and risk management services, combining deep expertise in alternative asset classes and co-investment opportunities to support high net worth clients’ needs, wherever they reside. We aim to ensure that hard earned legacies become long-lasting legacies, with aligned partners and shareholders investing side-by-side with our clients.
We assist each client in establishing investment objectives, return expectations, and risk tolerance. Based on client profiles, we may offer one or more of the investment supervisory services in various different asset types in various different asset classes, including equity securities, ETFs, warrants, options contracts on securities and commodities, futures and forward contracts, government securities, corporate debt securities and commercial paper, certificates of deposit, municipal securities, investment company securities, private equity funds, hedge funds, and other similar non exchange traded collective investment funds, direct investment opportunities including limited partnerships and direct debt.
Our IA division had over 200 client relationships as of December 31, 2022 with more than $9.4 billion of AUM/AUA (including both billable and non-billable assets).
The independence of our IA division is important to us and our IA clients. By “independent”, we mean that our IA division operates independently of any managers or investment product manufacturers (including our own) to which we may allocate or recommend allocating capital. Our clients may opt-in to be informed of investment opportunities we are working on in our other business lines, and many do choose to do so. In all cases, each clients’ individual objectives and expectations are our paramount concern, and we employ an “open architecture” approach, whereby we seek to find the best investment solutions for our clients in the marketplace as a whole.
Investment Manager Selection, Monitoring, and Due Diligence Services
We may recommend that a client allocate a portion of its portfolio in mutual funds, ETFs, hedge funds, private equity, real estate, or other funds, which are managed by third-party Fund Managers.
34
Table of Contents
We identify potential Fund Managers for client portfolios through networks established by our employees and our affiliates, as well as through periodicals, directories, and databases containing information about investment managers. After a potential Fund Manager is identified, we perform due diligence on the Fund Manager and its key personnel through a variety of methods, which may include, but is not limited to, a review of the relevant Managed Fund’s offering documents, the Fund Manager’s SEC, or other regulatory filings (if applicable), and interviews with the Fund Manager’s personnel (both principals and staff).
We conduct on-going reviews and analyses of each Fund Manager’s and relevant Managed Fund’s investment performance, including adherence to the relevant Managed Fund’s investment strategy, guidelines, or restrictions.
Performance Measurement and Reporting
On a monthly basis, we provide clients with a performance report, detailing each client’s portfolio performance compared to relevant benchmarks or indices. If requested by a client, we can include in the performance report information on assets that are not in their portfolio. The inclusion of such information may result in an additional fee to the client. We use third-party software for record-keeping, performance calculation, and reporting and we prepare performance reports by using data provided by custodians, investment managers, and independent pricing services.
Non-Advisory Services
We may offer non-advisory services to our clients, including coordination of legal-related and strategic business planning, wealth transfer planning, estate planning, research on trustee placement and multi-generational education planning, administrative, and concierge services among others.
Co-investments
Our Co-investments division provides access, for our network of investors, to private market direct investments in real estate and other alternative asset classes that we source and in which certain of our senior employees and our shareholders have invested alongside our investor network.
We initiated a diversified real estate investment program for our partners in 2010. We follow a thematic investment strategy, selecting sub-sectors based on in-house industry knowledge and long-term analysis of cyclical and geographic trends. Investors, typically HNWIs, single family offices and institutional investors, are invited to participate alongside our employees and shareholders on a deal-by-deal basis. Clients of our IA division who have opted-in to be provided with information on our co-investment transactions are also invited to participate on a deal-by-deal basis. We are the sponsor for these club deals and work with a pre-selected and vetted list of operating partners. In selecting operating partners, we will look for a demonstrable track record across multiple real estate cycles and a strong ability to source pipeline transactions. Our real estate investment team oversees deal origination, due diligence, documentation, and structuring from inception to exit. We are active in our approach to our operating partners, in some instances taking ownership stakes, as well as participating on boards and investment committees. As at December 31, 2022, our Co-investment platform has deployed more than $7 billion of capital (inclusive of capital raised for our real estate funds), of which approximately 15% has been invested by our shareholders and employees.
We have been expanding this Co-investment offering to provide access to proprietary investments in what we believe to be growth equity opportunities in the innovation economy, many of which are at the intersection of impact and innovation. These Co-investment opportunities are also offered to clients on an opt-in basis and provide a means for interested clients and investors to more directly access investments in later stage private companies in a range of transforming industry sectors that we believe offer the potential for high growth.
We also manage and advise a number of real estate investment funds in our Co-investments division (though these are distinct from our usual Co-investment transactions and are marketed differently).
As of December 31, 2022, our Co-investment division had over 250 investors, of which more than 150 were IA clients.
35
Table of Contents
Equity Sale of Investment Adviser to HomeREIT
On December 30, 2022, ARE entered into the Purchase Agreement to sell 100% of the equity in AHRA, investment adviser to Home, to AHRA Holdco, for aggregate consideration equal to the Purchase Price, with such amount being the fair market value of AHRA as of December 30, 2022. The sale was completed concurrently with the execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement. AHRA Holdco paid the Purchase Price in the form of a Note, subject to extension if mutually agreed upon by the parties thereto.
Co-investment Process Overview
Due Diligence Process
The process through which an investment decision is made involves extensive research into the operating partner, its strategy, its growth prospects, and its ability to withstand adverse conditions. If one or more members of the investment team responsible for the transaction determines that an investment opportunity should be pursued, we will engage in an intensive due diligence process. We also review ESG considerations.
Selective Investment Process
After an investment has been identified and preliminary diligence has been completed, an investment committee memorandum is prepared. This report is reviewed by the members of the investment team in charge of the potential investment. If the members of the investment team are in favor of the potential investment, then a more extensive due diligence process is employed. Additional due diligence with respect to any investment may be conducted on our behalf by attorneys, independent accountants, and other third-party consultants and research firms prior to the closing of the investment, as appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
Structuring and Execution
Approval of an investment requires the majority approval of the Co-investments investment committee relevant to the asset class. Once the investment committee has determined that a prospective opportunity is suitable for investment, the investment team works with the operating partner to finalize the structure and terms of the investment.
Co-investment Monitoring and Reporting
We monitor our co-investments on an ongoing basis and provide ongoing periodic reporting to the investors in each transaction.
36
Table of Contents
Family Office Services
Our FOS division provides tailored outsourced family office solutions and administrative services to families, trusts, foundations, and institutions. We are a licensed fiduciary in the UK, Switzerland, and the Isle of Man. Our FOS include:
• wealth and asset strategy services;
• trust and fiduciary services;
• chief financial officers and outsourced family office services;
• philanthropy services; and
• lifestyle and special projects services.
We also work with our clients’ other advisors (whether existing or carefully selected or recommended by us) to co-ordinate legal, accounting, and tax advice. We operate in partnership with such third-party advisors and professionals to provide a collegial approach to obtaining the right advice and support for families and their associated structures.
In the Isle of Man and Switzerland, we operate a full offshore trust and corporate service business through a group of Alvarium’s subsidiaries conducting business under the name “LJ Fiduciary”. LJ Fiduciary undertakes the full range of offshore administrative services including:
• trustee and fiduciary services;
• entity formation and management;
• accounting and financial reporting;
• provision of directors and company secretarial services;
• registrar and transfer agency services;
• fund and coinvest vehicle formation, administration, and ongoing management;
• executive incentives and pension plans;
• administering entity ownership of IP rights;
• administering entity ownership of fine art and collectibles.
We also operate an authorized AIFM in the UK.
As of December 31, 2022, FOS had $2.5 billion of billable assets from over 300 clients, of which 11 were also IA clients.
37
Table of Contents
Merchant Banking
Our Merchant Banking division is a global corporate advisory practice that services companies principally in the media, consumer, and technology sectors, as well as our wealth management clients around their operational businesses or family holding companies. The team has a proven track record within this field having been involved in over 220 transactions together since 2000 in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Specific services include:
• M&A advisory services;
• private placements;
• public company and IPO advisory services;
• strategic advisory services;
• independent board advice; and
• structured finance advisory services.
Additionally, because of our focus on providing our merchant banking services to companies in the media, consumer, technology and innovation sectors, we have developed a network and connectivity that enables us to gain access to the innovation economy and to source private market direct and co-investment opportunities in later stage, high growth, consumer and technology companies.
History
The firm was established as LJ Capital in 2009 to source direct and co-investments in real estate in the UK and in Central Europe. The firm, rebranded as LJ Partnership, continued to grow, and acquire global clients through acquisitions, including wealth management businesses in the United States, Europe, and Hong Kong. Our first acquisition was Deloitte’s UK Investment Advisory business in 2011. Over the course of 2014 to 2017, we merged with or acquired the former Guggenheim Wealth Management businesses in Miami, Geneva, Lisbon and Hong Kong, and we brought on board a team that originated from their business in New York. Then in 2015, we acquired Salisbury Partners LLP, a UK discretionary investment manager. Over the course of 2018 to 2020, we acquired Iskander in Paris, established a joint venture with Albacore in Lugano, and expanded into Milan. Also in 2019, we merged with London based media, consumer, and technology firm Lepe Partners, creating our merchant banking platform. Finally, in 2019 we also rebranded LJ as Alvarium to reflect our global footprint, our global partners, and our global clients.
38
Table of Contents
Fee Structure
Investment Advisory Fees
Investment management or advisory fees are the primary source of revenue in our investment advisory division. These fees are generally calculated on the basis of a percentage of AUM or AUA depending on whether the contracts are for discretionary investment management or non-discretionary investment advisory services. There are also a small number of clients that pay fixed annual fees. For those management or advisory fees payable on a percentage of AUM or AUA, fees are generally calculated based on the average daily balance values of clients’ portfolios or on the quarter-end values of AUM or AUA (as applicable). These vary depending upon the level and complexity of client assets and are generally billed quarterly in arrears.
Some clients in certain jurisdictions may also pay performance fees. These are non-recurring fees that are only payable if the client portfolio in question achieves a certain hurdle rate of return or if the client’s portfolio return exceeds certain benchmarks, in each case, as such are set out in the investment advisory agreements with such clients. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we have generated performance fees in three of the last four years. Performance fees are only recognized once crystalized and are not accrued.
Co-investment Fees
Private market Co-investments: As sponsor on private market direct and co-investment transactions, we generate income from debt and equity structures relating to specified real estate investments or investments in other alternative asset classes. Private market fees include arrangement, retainer, management, advisory, performance, acquisition, promote and other associated fees as well as interest arbitrage for debt structures. The level of fees generated in each period is linked to activity in the real estate or other relevant markets, which in turn are dependent on various macroeconomic factors.
Arrangement fees are typically 50 to 100 basis points of equity value contributed into a transaction. Acquisition fees are typically payable where there are no agency fees or where there is an off-market transaction sourced by the team. Such acquisition fees are usually in the range of 50 to 100 basis points of the purchase price of the relevant acquisition. The equity structures are long-term (five to ten years) closed-ended structures with fees normally ranging between 50 and 175 basis points of the equity value committed or drawn. The debt structure terms are generally between 12 and 36 months. The investment adviser, general partner or other entity entitled to fees in respect of each of our co-investments receives such fees either monthly, quarterly or annually.
Incentive Fees (Carried Interest): We may be entitled to a portion of the performance-related entitlements (such as carried interest or promote) that may be payable on exit from Co-investment transactions. Carried interest entitlements are not accrued and are only recognized once crystalized on exit. Such revenues are only received if the investor hurdle (i.e. a minimum return to the investor) is reached and may include a catch-up. A catch-up takes effect when an investor’s returns reach the defined hurdle rate, giving them an agreed level of preferred return. The carried interest recipient then enters a catch-up period, in which it may receive an agreed percentage of the profits until the profit split determined by the carried interest agreement is reached. Carried interest entitlements are based on a percentage of the investor return above such hurdle and are set on a deal and fund basis. Typically, carried interest entitlements represent 10% to 20% of the investors’ equity internal rate of return in excess of an 8% to 15% hurdle, with no carried interest entitlement being payable if the hurdle is not met.
Certain existing Co-investment vehicles, joint ventures and affiliates have entered into advisory and/or management agreements whereby we receive a share of base advisory and/or management fees from the inception of such joint venture or affiliate relationship through to the liquidation of the relevant transaction. Where we have established feeder vehicles for clients, there may also be administration and advisory fees associated with those vehicles (these are earned by our trusts and administration business).
Management of real estate investment funds (public and private): We also generate income in our co-investment division from managing and advising real estate investment funds. Our fees from managing and advising these vehicles are contained in management and advisory contracts relating to the relevant fund and are calculated on a sliding scale of percentages of the net asset value or the market capitalization of the relevant fund as applicable.
39
Table of Contents
Placements and brokerage: Fees are also generated in our Co-investments division from acting as placement agent, broker or bookrunner to investment funds, especially listed or publicly traded investment companies (including investment trusts and real estate investment trusts. Such fees are primarily comprised of a commission payable on completion of the capital raise, with the amount of such commission being calculated as a percentage of the proceeds of the capital raise and payable out of those proceeds. Small retainer fees may also be payable in some circumstances. In the case of listed or publicly traded investment companies, revenues are mostly derived from commissions payable on an IPO or secondary issuance of stock (e.g., via a large single placement (relative to the issuer) or a placement program). Additionally, there may be commission for smaller share issuances, such as tap issuances.
Merchant Banking Fees
M&A advisory fees account for approximately two-thirds of the total fees generated by Alvarium’s merchant banking division. These are primarily success-based fees that are typically 1-2.5% of the financial outcome or target achieved. For capital raises, success fees are typically higher in the 3-5% range—in line with market standards. We also generate small retainer fees that are typically retained in the event of abort or deducted against success fees. In addition, we may also generate a project fee for certain M&A mandates related to the duration of such transaction. Due to the transactional nature of our Merchant Banking division’s services, turnover is non-recurring in nature, although we have several large, longstanding clients, where the relationship spans many years with repeated engagements for services on multiple transactions.
Family Office Service Fees
We generate fees in our FOS division from our private clients and from the administration of structures introduced by, or created for, our Co-investment division. FOS fees comprise initial set up fees, annual responsibility fees and time-based fees. We also recover disbursements at cost and reserve the right to charge a 3% fee to cover office incidentals. The duration of annual income depends on the life of the underlying structure. The average life cycle of a managed structure is in excess of ten years. Annual responsibility fees are charged per billing entity as a minimum and are billed annually in advance. We also generate FOS time-based fees arising from accounting, administration, transactional, review/reporting and other non-investment advisory services. We accrue time-based fees on an as-recorded time basis. We may offer a fixed fee in lieu of the time-based component of FOS fees, usually to long standing clients or large referral clients; however, we review actual time spent versus the amount invoiced under such arrangements regularly. Fixed fees may be billed annually in advance, quarterly in advance or very rarely, quarterly in arrears.
Employees
Diversity is key to our firm’s open culture and long-term success. We recognize the important link between corporate values, employee engagement, and corporate performance. We also strive to foster a supportive environment that cultivates professional growth and development and encourages team members to continuously develop their skills. We consider our relationship with employees to be vital, and are focused on effective attraction, development, and retention of, and compensation and benefits to, human resource talent, including workforce and management development, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and corporate culture and leadership quality, morale, and development, which are vital to the success of our innovation-driven growth strategy. Our values are built on mutual respect, constructive dissent, always operating at the highest standard, and acting in the best interest of our stakeholders.
Regulatory and Compliance Matters
Our businesses, as well as the financial services industry generally, are subject to extensive regulation, including periodic examinations by governmental agencies and self-regulatory organizations in the jurisdictions in which we operate relating to, among other things, antitrust laws, anti-money laundering laws, anti-bribery laws, tax laws, securities laws, and privacy laws with respect to individuals’ personal data, and some of our funds invest in businesses that operate in highly regulated industries.
40
Table of Contents
Each of the regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over us has regulatory powers dealing with many aspects of financial services, including the authority to grant, and in specific circumstances to cancel, permissions to carry on particular activities. Any failure to comply with these rules and regulations could limit our ability to carry on particular activities or expose us to liability and/or reputational damage, as well as potentially being a criminal offense. Additional legislation, increasing global regulatory oversight of fundraising activities, changes in rules promulgated by self-regulatory organizations or exchanges or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and rules, in any of the jurisdictions in which we operate or elsewhere, may directly affect our mode of operation and profitability.
Rigorous legal and compliance analysis of our businesses and our funds’ investments is important to our culture. We strive to maintain a culture of compliance through the use of policies and procedures such as oversight compliance, codes of ethics, compliance systems, communication of compliance guidance, and employee education and training. All employees must annually certify their understanding of and compliance with key global Alvarium policies, procedures, and code of ethics. We have a compliance group that monitors our compliance with the regulatory requirements to which we are subject and manages our compliance policies and procedures. Our Chief Compliance Officer supervises our compliance group, which is responsible for monitoring all regulatory and compliance matters that affect our activities. Our compliance policies and procedures address a variety of regulatory and compliance risks such as the handling of material non-public information, personal securities trading, valuation of investments, document retention, potential conflicts of interest, and the allocation of investment opportunities. We also engage with outside counsel as needed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Many jurisdictions in which we operate also have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cybersecurity, and protection of personal information, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation, which sets forth rules for the protection of personal data of individuals within the EEA and for the export of such individuals’ personal data outside the EEA, the UK General Data Protection Regulation, which replaced the EU GDPR in the UK on January 1, 2021 but which applies the same rules for the protection of personal data of individuals in the UK and for the export of such individuals’ personal data outside the UK, and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which creates new rights and obligations related to personal data of residents (and households) in California. Any determination of a failure to comply with any such laws or regulations could result in fines and/or sanctions, as well as reputational harm.
To the extent that any of these laws and regulations to which we are subject in the operation of our business or the enforcement of the same become more stringent, or if new laws or regulations are enacted, our financial performance or plans for growth may be adversely impacted.
Our broker-dealer subsidiary, Alvarium MB (US) BD, LLC (“Alvarium BD”) is subject to regulation by the SEC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), and various state regulators. FINRA conducts the day-to-day administration and regulation of Alvarium BD under the supervision of, and with oversight and enforcement by, the SEC. Alvarium BD is subject to the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act, the regulations promulgated by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), as well as the economic and trade sanction programs administered by OFAC.
Jurisdictions in which we operate
We currently have operations in Australia, France, Hong Kong, the Isle of Man, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. As we expand our operations in the United States, Europe, and other jurisdictions, we will become subject to various legislative frameworks in those jurisdictions. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to the Target Companies—If we are not able to satisfy data protection, security, privacy and other government- and industry-specific requirements or regulations, our results of operations, financial condition or business could be harmed.”
Competition
We compete in the wealth management, investment management and advisory, trusts and administration, family office services, asset management, fund management, merchant banking, brokerage, and corporate finance advisory services industries.
41
Table of Contents
Wealth Management
The wealth management industry is highly fragmented, leading to intense competition at both regional and local levels. The industry’s fragmentation is driven by a few key factors, including:
In addition to the competition on the local level, we face intense competition in the markets in which we operate from national and international wealth managers, ranging from large independent wealth managers, wealth managers that sit within larger financial institutions, to private equity-backed wealth management platforms, which have been relatively recently built through serial acquisitions, driving near-term scale, enhanced scope of investment capabilities, and exposure to new markets.
Investment Management (including asset management and fund management)
The investment management industry is intensely competitive, and we expect it to remain so. We compete globally and on a regional, industry, and asset basis.
We face competition both in the pursuit of fund investors and investment opportunities. Generally, our competition varies across business lines, geographies, and financial markets. We compete for investors based on a variety of factors, including investment performance, investor perception of investment managers’ drive, focus and alignment of interest, quality of service provided to and duration of relationship with investors, breath of our product offering, business reputation, and the level of fees and expenses charged for services. We compete for investment opportunities at our funds based on a variety of factors, including breadth of market coverage and relationships, access to capital, transaction execution skills, the range of products and services offered, innovation, and price, and we expect that competition will continue to increase.
We compete with public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance companies and, to the extent they provide an alternative form of financing, private equity, and hedge funds. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and may have more financial, technical, and marketing resources than we do. Many of these competitors have similar investment objectives to us, which may create additional competition for investment opportunities. Some of these competitors may also have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us, which may create competitive disadvantages for us with respect to investment opportunities. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Lastly, institutional, and individual investors are allocating increasing amounts of capital to alternative investment strategies. Several large institutional investors have announced a desire to consolidate their investments in a more limited number of managers. We expect that this will cause competition in our industry to intensify and could lead to a reduction in the size and duration of pricing inefficiencies that many of our funds seek to exploit.
Competition is also intense for the attraction and retention of qualified employees in both of these areas of our business. Our ability to continue to compete effectively in our businesses will depend upon our ability to attract new employees and retain and motivate our existing employees.
Trusts and Administration
The trusts and administration industry is highly competitive, and highly fragmented both in terms of the numbers of providers and the number of locations where they exist. In the Isle of Man alone, there are 121 licensed companies, as listed on the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority website. The industry has gone through a wave of consolidation in the last decade led mainly by private equity, creating a number of large global service providers, with multiple office locations, and at the other end of the spectrum there is a vast array of small owner managed service
42
Table of Contents
providers of varying abilities. Competitors lead with relationship building or product sales or both, and often large organizations and small organizations alike compete in the same space for the same business. Service providers are not geographically aligned, with service providers competing for business across the world. The industry relies heavily on referrals of business, which demands the maintenance of strong relationships with professional intermediaries such as lawyers and accountants. Our positioning is to be mid-size, and to provide high quality service based on relationships of trust and confidence, to do so in markets we understand and, rather than seek multiple global footprint or to be a bulge bracket organization, to focus instead on select and high end business undertaken working with a community of expert intermediaries from a smaller number of key office locations. The ability to recruit the quality personnel required to provide the service levels necessary has also intensified over the past 18 months so that for us to continue to grow and support our client base requires us to provide an engaging and fulfilling working environment, with appropriate levels of incentivization.
Family Office Services
The provision of family office services is a very bespoke market and, as a term, it is used to describe a range of different levels of activity which makes it difficult to differentiate in the marketplace. The term is used to describe what some law and accountancy practices offer their clients, but also what some specialist private banks do as an adjunct to their banking services, and then some families create their own family office service to meet their family administration needs, and some again then offer their platform out to other families. Consequently, the market is made up of service providers using the same term to describe varying levels and complexity of service, with the majority focused on low level support. The main competitive challenge we face in developing new business is therefore trying to explain that the depth and sophistication of our family office services should not be confused with so many others in the market, and that we offer significant value add especially to the most complicated of clients beyond simple accounting/bookkeeping or concierge based services that are the main focus of many other competitors. We act as an extension to the family, their assets and their structures, ensuring best practices around governance, management and oversight, and reporting. We go where our clients take us both geographically and in the disciplines and issues we are required to engage with. The ability of our family office professionals to work with existing professional advisers and other service providers, to coordinate each family’s affairs and to deal with issues that arise, is where we differentiate ourselves. It is nevertheless a challenge to demonstrate the range and depth of our abilities at an early stage in a potential client engagement since it takes time and mutual experience to build relationships of confidence and trust.
The staff who work with the families we look after have to be able to work efficiently and effectively with individuals who are very successful in their chosen fields, and may be household names. There is a limited talent pool of such personnel and in order to recruit and retain staff we focus on providing an engaging and fulfilling working environment, with appropriate levels of incentivization.
Merchant Banking, Brokerage and Corporate Finance Advisory Services
We compete globally with other regulated corporate finance advisory firms. Our current and potential future competition principally comes from incumbent regulated advisory boutiques, established financial companies, banks, and other asset management firms and technology platforms. Some of our competitors have longer operating histories and greater capital resources than we have and offer a wider range of products and services.