ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including risks and uncertainties regarding the duration, scope and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including those discussed in “Risk Factors” and “Note About Forward-Looking Statements” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 is included under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Overview of 2021 Results
Our key financial and operating results as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021 are as follows:
•Revenue was $2,578.0 million, an increase of 52% compared to 2020.
•Monthly active users ("MAUs") were 431 million, a decrease of 6% compared to December 31, 2020.
•Share-based compensation expense was $415.4 million, an increase of $94.4 million compared to 2020.
•Total costs and expenses were $2,251.8 million.
•Income from operations was $326.2 million.
•Net income was $316.4 million.
•Adjusted EBITDA was $814.4 million.
•Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $2,480.1 million.
•Headcount was 3,225.
Update on the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in authorities implementing numerous preventative measures to contain or mitigate the outbreak of the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, limitations on business activity, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders, continues to have an impact globally. These measures have caused, and are continuing to cause, business slowdowns or shutdowns in affected areas, both regionally and worldwide. These measures initially positively impacted Pinner engagement and user growth in both the U.S. and international geographies as people spent more time at home and sought online inspiration for some of our core use cases. Starting in mid-March 2021, the easing of the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic began to slow our global MAU growth and lowered Pinner engagement as compared to 2020 as Pinners began spending less time at home. This behavior reversed some of the MAU gains we saw during 2020, and, as a result, we saw a decline in global MAUs in the fourth quarter as compared to the same period in 2020.
Since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our results of operations and overall financial performance remains unprecedented and unpredictable, our past results may not be indicative of our future performance. Given the uncertainty, we are unable to predict the extent and duration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on advertiser demand, Pinner engagement, and our business, operations and financial results. See "Risk Factors" and "Note About Forward-Looking Statements” for additional details.
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Trends in User Metrics
Monthly Active Users. We define a monthly active user as an authenticated Pinterest user who visits our website, opens our mobile application or interacts with Pinterest through one of our browser or site extensions, such as the Save button,at least once during the 30-day period ending on the date of measurement. We present MAUs based on the number of MAUs measured on the last day of the current period. We calculate average MAUs based on the average of the number of MAUs measured on the last day of the current period and the last day prior to the beginning of the current period. MAUs are the primary metric by which we measure the scale of our active user base.
Quarterly Monthly Active Users
(in millions)
Note: United States and International may not sum to Global due to rounding.
A portion of our MAUs visit Pinterest on a weekly basis. We define a weekly active user (“WAU”) as an authenticated Pinterest user who visits our website, opens our mobile application or interacts with Pinterest through one of our browser or site extensions, such as the Save button, at least once during the seven-day period ending on the date of measurement. We actively monitor the relationship of WAUs to MAUs, which has stayed relatively consistent over time. As of December 31, 2021, the proportion of WAUs to MAUs was 58%.
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As of December 31, 2021, we have experienced a decline in our global MAUs as compared to December 31, 2020 due to the easing of the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and lower search traffic driven by changes in search engine algorithms. As a result, we are unable to predict the extent to which we will be able to attract new Pinners, retain existing Pinners, recover past Pinners or maintain or increase the frequency and duration of Pinners' engagement as uncertainties around restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic continue.
Trends in Monetization Metrics
Revenue. We calculate revenue by user geography based on our estimate of the geographic location of our users when they perform a revenue-generating activity. The geography of our users affects our revenue and financial results because we currently only monetize certain countries and currencies and because we monetize different geographies at different average rates. Our revenue in the United States is higher primarily due to our decision to focus our earliest monetization efforts there and also due to the relative size and maturity of the U.S. digital advertising market.
Quarterly Revenue
(in millions)
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Note: Revenue by geography in the charts above is geographically apportioned based on our estimate of the geographic location of our users when they perform a revenue-generating activity. This allocation differs from our disclosure of revenue disaggregated by geography in the notes to our consolidated financial statements where revenue is geographically apportioned based on our customers’ billing addresses. United States and International may not sum to Global and quarterly amounts may not sum to annual due to rounding.
Average Revenue per User (“ARPU”). We measure monetization of our platform through our average revenue per user metric. We define ARPU as our total revenue in a given geography during a period divided by average MAUs in that geography during the period. We calculate ARPU by geography based on our estimate of the geography in which revenue-generating activities occur. We present ARPU on a U.S. and international basis because we currently monetize users in different geographies at different average rates. U.S. ARPU is higher primarily due to our decision to focus our earliest monetization efforts there and also due to the relative size and maturity of the U.S. digital advertising market.
Quarterly Average Revenue per User
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For the year ended December 31, 2021, global ARPU was $5.79, which represents an increase of 36% compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. For the year ended December 31, 2021, U.S. ARPU was $21.98 and international ARPU was $1.59, which represent increases of 43% and 80%, respectively, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
We use MAUs and ARPU to assess the growth and health of our overall business and believe that these metrics best reflect our ability to attract, retain, engage and monetize our users, and thereby drive revenue.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measure
To supplement our consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP, we consider Adjusted EBITDA, a financial measure which is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP.
We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude depreciation and amortization expense, share-based compensation expense, interest income, interest expense and other income (expense), net, provision for income taxes, non-cash charitable contributions and, for the third quarter of 2020, a one-time payment for the termination of a future lease contract.
We use Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate our operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. We believe Adjusted EBITDA helps identify underlying trends in our business that could otherwise be masked by the effect of the income and expenses that it excludes. We also believe Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information about our operating results, enhances the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects, and allows for greater transparency with respect to key metrics we use for financial and operational decision-making. We are presenting Adjusted EBITDA to assist investors in seeing our operating results through the eyes of management, and because we believe that this measure provides an additional tool for investors to use in comparing our core business operating results over multiple periods with other companies in our industry. However, our definition of Adjusted EBITDA may not be the same as similarly titled measures used by other companies.
Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of Adjusted EBITDA rather than net income (loss), the nearest GAAP equivalent. For example, Adjusted EBITDA excludes:
•certain recurring, non-cash charges such as depreciation of fixed assets and amortization of acquired intangible assets, although these assets may have to be replaced in the future; and
•share-based compensation expense, which has been, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, a significant recurring expense and an important part of our compensation strategy.
Because of these limitations, you should consider Adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including net income (loss) and our other financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Interest expense and other (income) expense, net 9,420 635 2,137
Non-cash charitable contributions 45,300 — —
Termination of future lease contract — 89,500 —
(1)Non-cash charitable contributions of $2.7 million were not excluded from Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2020 as these were not material.
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Components of Results of Operations
Revenue.We generate revenue by delivering ads on our website and mobile application. Advertisers purchase ads directly with us or through their relationships with advertising agencies. We recognize revenue only after transferring control of promised goods or services to customers, which occurs when a user clicks on an ad contracted on a cost per click ("CPC") basis, views an ad contracted on a cost per thousand impressions ("CPM") basis or views a video ad contracted on a cost per view ("CPV") basis.
Cost of Revenue. Cost of revenue consists primarily of expenses associated with the delivery of our service, including the cost of hosting our website and mobile application. Cost of revenue also includes personnel-related expense, including salaries, benefits and share-based compensation for employees on our operations teams, payments associated with partner arrangements, credit card and other transaction processing fees, and allocated facilities and other supporting overhead costs.
Research and Development. Research and development consists primarily of personnel-related expense, including salaries, benefits and share-based compensation for our engineers and other employees engaged in the research and development of our products, and allocated facilities and other supporting overhead costs.
Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing consists primarily of personnel-related expense, including salaries, commissions, benefits and share-based compensation for our employees engaged in sales, sales support, marketing, and customer service functions, advertising and promotional expenditures, professional services and allocated facilities and other supporting overhead costs. Our marketing efforts also include user- and advertiser-focused marketing expenditures.
General and Administrative. General and administrative consists primarily of personnel-related expense, including salaries, benefits and share-based compensation for our employees engaged in finance, legal, human resources and other administrative functions, professional services, including outside legal and accounting services, charitable contributions and allocated facilities and other supporting overhead costs.
Other Income (Expense), Net. Other income (expense), net consists primarily of foreign currency exchange gains and losses and interest earned on our cash equivalents and marketable securities.
Provision for Income Taxes. Provision for income taxes consists primarily of income taxes in foreign jurisdictions and U.S. federal and state income taxes adjusted for discrete items.
Adjusted EBITDA. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) adjusted to exclude depreciation and amortization expense, share-based compensation expense, interest income, interest expense and other income (expense), net, provision for income taxes, non-cash charitable contributions and, for the third quarter of 2020, a one-time payment for the termination of a future lease contract. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measure” for more information and for a reconciliation of net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA.
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Results of Operations
The following tables set forth our consolidated statements of operations data (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Costs and expenses (1):
Interest expense and other income (expense), net (9,420) (635) (2,137)
(1)Includes share-based compensation expense as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
(2)See “Non-GAAP Financial Measure” for more information and for a reconciliation of net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA.
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The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of operations data (as a percentage of revenue):
Year Ended December 31,
Costs and expenses:
General and administrative 12 20 31
Income (loss) from operations 13 (8) (122)
Interest income — 1 3
Interest expense and other income (expense), net — — —
Income (loss) before provision for income taxes 12 (8) (119)
Provision for income taxes — — —
Net income (loss) 12 % (8) % (119) %
Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
Revenue
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $885.4 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Revenue growth was driven by a 36% increase in ARPU supported by a 12% increase in average MAUs for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. These resulted in a 13% increase in the number of advertisements served and a 35% increase in the price of advertisements.
For the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, revenue based on our estimate of the geographic location of our users increased by 42% in the United States to $2,015.9 million driven by a 43% increase in U.S. ARPU offset by a 1% decrease in average U.S. MAUs. International revenue increased by 110% to $562.1 million driven by an 80% increase in international ARPU supported by a 16% increase in average international MAUs.
Cost of Revenue
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Percentage of revenue 21 % 27 %
Cost of revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $80.0 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher absolute hosting costs due to user growth.
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Research and Development
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Percentage of revenue 30 % 36 %
Research and development for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $174.1 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to a $91.0 million increase in share-based compensation expense, including $48.6 million relating to our Co-founder and Chief Design and Creative Officer's transition into a consulting role, a 14% increase in average headcount, which drove higher personnel expenses, as well as higher consulting expenses.
Sales and Marketing
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Percentage of revenue 25 % 26 %
Sales and marketing for the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $198.5 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to a $85.9 million increase in marketing expenses, a 26% increase in average headcount, which drove higher personnel expenses, higher consulting expenses and a $17.0 million increase in share-based compensation expense.
General and Administrative
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Percentage of revenue 12 % 20 %
General and administrative for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by $35.8 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to a one-time payment of $89.5 million for the termination of a future lease contract in August 2020 and a $13.3 million decrease in share-based compensation, offset by a $42.6 million increase in non-cash charitable contributions and a 30% increase in average headcount, which drove higher personnel expenses.
Other Income (Expense, Net)
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Interest expense and other income (expense) (9,420) (635) 1,383 %
Other income (expense), net for the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by $20.7 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to lower returns on our marketable securities as a result of lower interest rates and foreign currency exchange losses.
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Provision for Income Taxes
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Provision for income taxes was primarily due to income generated in our foreign jurisdictions and U.S. states for each of the periods presented.
Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA
Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Net income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $316.4 million, as compared to $(128.3) million for the year ended December 31, 2020. Adjusted EBITDA was $814.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to $305.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, due to the factors described above. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measure” for more information and for a reconciliation of net income (loss), the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
We have historically financed our operations primarily through sales of our stock and payments received from our customers. Our primary uses of cash are personnel-related costs and the cost of hosting our website and mobile application. As of December 31, 2021, we had $2,480.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Our cash equivalents and marketable securities are primarily invested in short-duration fixed income securities, including government and investment-grade corporate debt securities and money market funds. As of December 31, 2021, $95.9 million of our cash and cash equivalents was held by our foreign subsidiaries.
In November 2018, we entered into a five-year $500.0 million revolving credit facility with an accordion option which, if exercised, would allow us to increase the aggregate commitments by the greater of $100.0 million and 10% of our consolidated total assets, provided we are able to secure additional lender commitments and satisfy certain other conditions. Interest on any borrowings under the revolving credit facility accrues at either LIBOR plus 1.50% or at an alternative base rate plus 0.50%, at our election, and we are required to pay an annual commitment fee that accrues at 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the aggregate commitments under the revolving credit facility.
The revolving credit facility also allows us to issue letters of credit, which reduce the amount we can borrow. We are required to pay a fee that accrues at 1.50% per annum on the average aggregate daily maximum amount available to be drawn under any outstanding letters of credit.
The revolving credit facility contains customary conditions to borrowing, events of default and covenants, including covenants that restrict our ability to incur indebtedness, grant liens, make distributions to holders of our stock or the stock of our subsidiaries, make investments or engage in transactions with our affiliates. The revolving credit facility also contains two financial maintenance covenants: a consolidated total assets covenant and a minimum liquidity balance of $350.0 million, which includes any available borrowing capacity. The obligations under the revolving credit facility are secured by liens on substantially all of our domestic assets, including certain domestic intellectual property assets. We are in compliance with all covenants and there were no amounts outstanding under this facility as of December 31, 2021.
We believe our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and amounts available under our revolving credit facility will be sufficient to meet our working capital and capital expenditure needs over at least the next 12 months, though we may require additional capital resources in the future. We may elect to raise additional capital through the sale of additional equity to fund our future needs beyond the next 12 months.
Our material cash requirements include our $2,949.1 million commitment with Amazon Web Services, for which we are not subject to annual purchase commitments, and our $323.6 million of operating lease obligations, of which $57.9 million is due within the next 12 months.
For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, our net cash flows were as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating Activities
Cash flows from operating activities consist of our net income (loss) adjusted for certain non-cash reconciling items, such as share-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization, non-cash charitable contributions and changes in our operating assets and liabilities. Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $724.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to an increase in our net income (loss) after adjusting for non-cash reconciling items and an increase in collections of accounts receivable.
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Investing Activities
Cash flows from investing activities consist of capital expenditures for improvements to new and existing office spaces and acquisitions of businesses. We also actively manage our operating cash and cash equivalent balances and invest excess cash in short-duration marketable securities, sales and maturities of which we use to fund our ongoing working capital requirements. Net cash used in investing activities decreased by $21.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to decreased purchases of marketable securities, offset by a decrease in proceeds from maturities of marketable securities.
Financing Activities
Cash flows from financing activities consist of net proceeds from our IPO, tax withholdings on release of RSUs and proceeds from the exercise of stock options. Net cash provided by financing activities increased by $2.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 primarily due to the absence of tax remittances on release of RSUs offset by a decrease in proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. Preparing our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses as well as related disclosures. Because these estimates and judgments may change from period to period, actual results could differ materially, which may negatively affect our financial condition or results of operations. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and various other assumptions that we consider reasonable, and we evaluate these estimates and judgments on an ongoing basis. We refer to such estimates and judgments, discussed further below, as critical accounting policies and estimates.
Refer to Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements for further information on our other significant accounting policies.
Revenue Recognition
We generate revenue by delivering ads on our website and mobile application. We recognize revenue only after transferring control of promised goods or services to customers, which occurs when a user clicks on an ad contracted on a CPC basis, views an ad contracted on a CPM basis or views a video ad contracted on a CPV basis. We typically bill customers on a CPC, CPM or CPV basis, and our payment terms vary by customer type and location. The term between billing and payment due dates is not significant.
We occasionally offer customers free ad inventory, and revenue is recognized only after satisfying our contractual performance obligations. When contracts with our customers contain multiple performance obligations, we allocate the overall transaction price, which is the amount of consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for promised goods or services, to each of the distinct performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling prices. We generally determine standalone selling prices based on the effective price charged per contracted click, impression or view, and we do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations because the original expected duration of our contracts is generally less than one year.
Leases and Operating Lease Incremental Borrowing Rate
We lease office space under operating leases with expiration dates through 2033. We determine whether an arrangement constitutes a lease at inception and record lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on our consolidated balance sheets at lease commencement. We measure lease liabilities based on the present value of the total lease payments not yet paid discounted based on the more readily determinable of the rate implicit in the lease or our incremental borrowing rate, which is the estimated rate we would be required to pay for a collateralized borrowing equal to the total lease payments over the term of the lease. We estimate our incremental borrowing rate based on an analysis of publicly traded debt securities of companies with credit and financial profiles similar to our own. We measure right-of-use assets based on the corresponding lease liability adjusted for (i) payments made to the lessor at or before the commencement date, (ii) initial direct costs we incur and (iii) tenant incentives under the lease. We begin recognizing rent expense when the lessor makes the underlying asset available to us, we do not assume renewals or early terminations unless we are reasonably certain to exercise these options at commencement, and we do not allocate consideration between lease and non-lease components.
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Item 7a. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We are exposed to market risks, including changes in foreign currency exchange and interest rates, in the ordinary course of our business.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, and the functional currency of our subsidiaries is either their local currency or the U.S. dollar, depending on the circumstances. While the majority of our revenue and operating expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars, we have foreign currency risks related to our revenue and operating expenses denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. We have experienced and will continue to experience fluctuations in our net income (loss) as a result of transaction gains or losses related to revaluing certain current asset and current liability balances denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the subsidiaries in which they are recorded. To date, these fluctuations have not been material. We have not engaged in hedging activities relating to our foreign currency exchange risk, although we may do so in the future. We do not believe a 10% increase or decrease in the relative value of the U.S. dollar would have materially affected our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Interest Rate Risk
As of December 31, 2021, we held cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $2,480.1 million. Our cash equivalents and marketable securities primarily consist of short-duration fixed income securities, including government and investment-grade corporate debt securities and money market funds, and our investment policy is meant to preserve capital and maintain liquidity. Changes in interest rates affect the interest income we earn on our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and the fair value of our cash equivalents and marketable securities. A hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates would have decreased the market value of our cash equivalents and marketable securities by $8.1 million and $7.6 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
PINTEREST, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42) 63
Consolidated Balance Sheets 66
Consolidated Statements of Operations 67
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) 68
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 70
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 71
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Pinterest, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Pinterest, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders' equity (deficit) and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 3, 2022, expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
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Revenue Recognition
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2013.
San Francisco, California
February 3, 2022
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Pinterest, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Pinterest, Inc.’sinternal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission 2013 framework (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Pinterest, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes and our report dated February 3, 2022 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
San Francisco, California
February 3, 2022
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PINTEREST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except par value)
December 31,
ASSETS
Current assets:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 48,090 33,502
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 242,131 155,340
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (2,181) 2,480
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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PINTEREST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Year Ended December 31,
Costs and expenses:
Interest expense and other income (expense), net (9,420) (635) (2,137)
Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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PINTEREST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(In thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes:
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment (409) 163 11
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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PINTEREST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Shares Amount Shares Amount
Release of restricted stock units — — 28,084 1 — — — 1
Other comprehensive income — — — — — 2,068 — 2,068
Release of restricted stock units — — 19,890 — — — — —
Issuance of restricted stock awards, net — — 2,279 — — — — —
Other comprehensive income — — — — — 1,833 — 1,833
Release of restricted stock units — — 21,724 1 — — — 1
Issuance of restricted stock awards, net — — 220 — — — — —
Other comprehensive loss — — — — — (4,661) — (4,661)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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PINTEREST, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Year Ended December 31,
Operating activities
Non-cash charitable contributions 45,300 2,748 —
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Investing activities
Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired (36,914) — —
Other investing activities — 316 —
Financing activities
Supplemental cash flow information
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1.Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Description of Business
Pinterest was incorporated in Delaware in 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that people around the globe use to find the inspiration to create a life they love. We generate revenue by delivering ads on our website and mobile application.
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
We prepared the accompanying consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Pinterest, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. We have eliminated all intercompany balances and transactions.
Reclassifications
We have reclassified certain amounts in prior periods to conform with current presentation.
Use of Estimates
Preparing our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base these estimates and judgments on historical experience and various other assumptions that we consider reasonable. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions in several areas, including the fair values of financial instruments, assets acquired and liabilities assumed through business combinations, common stock prior to our IPO, share-based awards, and contingencies as well as the collectability of our accounts receivable, the useful lives of our intangible assets and property and equipment, the incremental borrowing rate we use to determine our operating lease liabilities, and revenue recognition, among others. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates and judgments.
Segments
We operate as a single operating segment. Our chief operating decision maker is our Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), who reviews financial information presented on a consolidated basis, accompanied by disaggregated information about our revenue, for purposes of making operating decisions, assessing financial performance and allocating resources.
Revenue Recognition
We generate revenue by delivering ads on our website and mobile application. We recognize revenue only after transferring control of promised goods or services to customers, which occurs when a user clicks on an ad contracted on a cost per click (“CPC”) basis, views an ad contracted on a cost per thousand impressions (“CPM”) basis or views a video ad contracted on a cost per view ("CPV") basis. We typically bill customers on a CPC, CPM or CPV basis, and our payment terms vary by customer type and location. The term between billing and payment due dates is not significant.
We occasionally offer customers free ad inventory, and revenue is recognized only after satisfying our contractual performance obligations. When contracts with our customers contain multiple performance obligations, we allocate the overall transaction price, which is the amount of consideration to which we expect to be entitled in exchange for promised goods or services, to each of the distinct performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling prices. We generally determine standalone selling prices based on the effective price charged per contracted click, impression or view, and we do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations because the original expected duration of our contracts is generally less than one year.
We record sales commissions in sales and marketing as incurred because we would amortize these over a period of less than one year.
Deferred revenue was not material as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue consists primarily of expenses associated with the delivery of our service, including the cost of hosting our website and mobile application. Cost of revenue also includes personnel-related expense, including salaries, benefits and share-based compensation, for employees on our operations teams, payments associated with partner arrangements, credit card and other transaction processing fees, and allocated facilities and other supporting overhead costs.
Share-Based Compensation
Restricted stock units ("RSUs") granted under our 2009 Stock Plan (the "2009 Plan") are subject to both a service condition, which is typically satisfied over four years, and a performance condition, which was deemed satisfied upon the pricing of our initial public offering ("IPO"). We did not record any share-based compensation expense for our RSUs prior to our IPO because the performance condition had not yet been satisfied. Upon pricing our IPO, we recorded cumulative share-based compensation expense using the accelerated attribution method for those RSUs granted under our 2009 Plan for which the service condition had been satisfied at that date. We will record the remaining unrecognized share-based compensation expense over the remainder of the requisite service period.
RSUs and restricted stock awards ("RSAs") granted under our 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the "2019 Plan") are subject only to a service condition, which is typically satisfied over four years. We record share-based compensation expense for these RSUs and RSAs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.
We measure RSUs and RSAs based on the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date, and we account for forfeitures as they occur.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method. We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax bases of assets and liabilities using the enacted statutory tax rates in effect for the years in which we expect the differences to reverse. We establish valuation allowances to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts we believe it is more likely than not we will be able to realize. We recognize tax benefits from uncertain tax positions when we believe it is more likely than not that the tax position is sustainable on examination by tax authorities based on its technical merits. We recognize taxes on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI") as a current period expense when incurred.
Advertising Expenses
We record advertising expenses as incurred and include these in sales and marketing in the consolidated statements of operations. Advertising expenses were $94.7 million, $30.3 million and $55.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Marketable Securities
We invest in highly liquid corporate debt securities, U.S. treasury securities, asset-backed securities, U.S. government agency securities, municipal securities, non-U.S. government and supranational bonds and certificates of deposit. We classify marketable investments with stated maturities of ninety days or less from the date of purchase as cash equivalents and those with stated maturities greater than ninety days from the date of purchase as marketable securities.
We classify our marketable securities as available-for-sale investments in our current assets because they are available for use to support current operations. We carry our marketable investments at fair value and record unrealized gains or losses, net of taxes, in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity (deficit). We determine realized gains and losses on the sale of marketable investments using a specific identification method and record these and any expected credit losses in interest expense and other income (expense), net.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Restricted Cash
Our restricted cash primarily consists of certificates of deposit underlying secured letters of credit issued in connection with our operating leases. Restrictions typically lapse at the end of the lease term, and we classify restricted cash as current or non-current based on the remaining term of the restriction.
Fair Value Measurements
We account for certain assets and liabilities at fair value, which is the amount we believe market participants would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction. We categorize these assets and liabilities into the three levels below based on the degree to which the inputs we use to measure their fair values are observable in active markets. We use the most observable inputs available to us when measuring fair value.
•Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets
•Level 2: Observable inputs such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data or other means
•Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities
Accounts Receivable, Net of Allowances
We record accounts receivable at the original invoiced amount. We maintain an allowance for credit losses for any receivables we may be unable to collect. We estimate uncollectible receivables based on our receivables’ age, our customers’ credit quality and current economic conditions, among other factors that may affect our customers’ ability to pay. We also maintain an allowance for sales credits, which we determine based on historical credits issued to customers. We include the allowances for credit losses and sales credits in accounts receivable, net in the consolidated balance sheets.
Property and Equipment
We carry property and equipment at cost less accumulated depreciation and calculate depreciation using the straight-line method over our assets’ estimated useful lives, which are generally:
Property and Equipment Useful Life
Computer and network equipment 3 years
Furniture and fixtures 4 years
Leasehold improvements Lesser of estimated useful life or remaining lease term
Leases and Operating Lease Incremental Borrowing Rate
We lease office space under operating leases with expiration dates through 2033. We determine whether an arrangement constitutes a lease at inception and record lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on our consolidated balance sheets at lease commencement. We measure lease liabilities based on the present value of the total lease payments not yet paid discounted based on the more readily determinable of the rate implicit in the lease or our incremental borrowing rate, which is the estimated rate we would be required to pay for a collateralized borrowing equal to the total lease payments over the term of the lease. We estimate our incremental borrowing rate based on an analysis of publicly traded debt securities of companies with credit and financial profiles similar to our own. We measure right-of-use assets based on the corresponding lease liability adjusted for (i) payments made to the lessor at or before the commencement date, (ii) initial direct costs we incur and (iii) tenant incentives under the lease. We begin recognizing rent expense when the lessor makes the underlying asset available to us, we do not assume renewals or early terminations unless we are reasonably certain to exercise these options at commencement, and we do not allocate consideration between lease and non-lease components.
For short-term leases, we record rent expense in our consolidated statements of operations on a straight-line basis over the lease term and record variable lease payments as incurred.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Business Combinations
We include the results of operations of businesses that we acquire in our consolidated financial statements beginning on their respective acquisition dates. We allocate the fair value of the purchase consideration to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values. When the fair value of the purchase consideration exceeds the fair values of the identifiable assets and liabilities acquired, we record the excess as goodwill. Our estimates of fair value are based on assumptions we believe to be reasonable but which are inherently uncertain and unpredictable, and as a result, actual results may differ from estimates. During the measurement period, which is one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the assets and liabilities acquired with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Any adjustments after the measurement period are reflected in our consolidated statements of operations.
Long-Lived Assets, Including Goodwill and Intangible Assets
We record definite-lived intangible assets at fair value less accumulated amortization. We calculate amortization using the straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful lives of up to ten years.
We review our property and equipment and intangible assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that an asset’s carrying value may not be recoverable. We measure recoverability by comparing an asset’s carrying value to the future undiscounted cash flows that we expect it to generate. If this test indicates that the asset’s carrying value is not recoverable, we record an impairment charge to reduce the asset’s carrying value to its fair value. We did not record material property and equipment or intangible asset impairments during the periods presented.
We review goodwill for impairment at least annually or more frequently if current circumstances or events indicate that the fair value of our single reporting unit may be less than its carrying value. We did not record any goodwill impairment during the periods presented.
Website Development Costs
We capitalize costs to develop our website and mobile application when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed, management has authorized and committed project funding, and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. Due to the iterative process by which we perform upgrades and the relatively short duration of our development projects, development costs meeting our capitalization criteria were not material during the periods presented.
Loss Contingencies
We are involved in various lawsuits, claims and proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. We record a liability for these when we believe it is probable that we have incurred a loss and can reasonably estimate the loss. We regularly evaluate current information to determine whether we should adjust a recorded liability or record a new one.
Foreign Currency
The functional currency of our international subsidiaries is generally their local currency. We translate these subsidiaries’ financial statements into U.S. dollars using month-end exchange rates for assets and liabilities and average exchange rates for revenue and costs and expenses. We record translation gains and losses in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity (deficit). We record foreign exchange gains and losses in interest expense and other income (expense), net. Our net foreign exchange gains and losses were not material for the periods presented.
Concentration of Business Risk
We have an agreement with Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) to provide the cloud computing infrastructure we use to host our website, mobile application and many of the internal tools we use to operate our business. We are currently required to maintain a substantial majority of our monthly usage of certain compute, storage, data transfer and other services on AWS. Any transition of the cloud services currently provided by AWS to another cloud services provider would be difficult to implement and would cause us to incur significant time and expense.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Concentration of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that may potentially expose us to concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities and restricted cash. Our investment policy is meant to preserve capital and maintain liquidity. The policy limits our marketable investments to investment-grade securities and limits our credit exposure by limiting our concentration in any one corporate issuer or sector and by establishing a minimum credit rating for marketable investments we purchase. Although we deposit cash and marketable investments with multiple financial institutions, our deposits may exceed insurable limits.
No customer accounted for more than 10% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. One customer accounted for 10% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Our accounts receivable are generally unsecured. We monitor our customers’ credit quality on an ongoing basis and maintain reserves for estimated credit losses. Bad debt expense was not material for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. We elected to early adopt ASU 2021-08 prospectively as of October 1, 2021, and the effects of adoption on our consolidated financial statements were not material.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
2. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities consist of the following (in thousands):
Amortized Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Value
Cash and cash equivalents:
Marketable securities:
Amortized Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Value
Cash and cash equivalents:
Marketable securities:
Our allowance for credit losses for our marketable securities was not material as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The fair value of our marketable securities by contractual maturity is as follows (in thousands):
Due in one year or less $ 716,132
Due after one to five years 344,356
Net realized gains and losses from sales of available-for-sale securities were not material for any period presented.
3. Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The fair values of the financial instruments we measure at fair value on a recurring basis are as follows (in thousands):
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Cash equivalents:
Marketable securities:
Non-U.S. government and supranational bonds — 41,684 — 41,684
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:
Restricted cash:
Certificates of deposit $ — $ 6,297 $ — $ 6,297
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Cash equivalents:
Marketable securities:
Non-U.S. government and supranational bonds — 15,950 — 15,950
Prepaid expenses and other current assets:
Certificates of deposit — 571 — 571
Restricted cash:
Certificates of deposit $ — $ 9,110 $ — $ 9,110
We classify our marketable securities within Level 1 or Level 2 because we determine their fair values using quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources and models utilizing market observable inputs.
4. Other Balance Sheet Components
Property and Equipment, Net
Property and equipment, net consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Depreciation expense was $26.2 million, $36.0 million and $26.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consists of the following (in thousands):
December 31,
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities $ 242,131 $ 155,340
5. Acquisition
On December 3, 2021, we acquired all outstanding shares of BLBW Limited ("Vochi"), a video creation and editing app that offers tools for creators. The acquisition of Vochi is expected to bring more video creation tools and quality content to our Pinners and help us further our vision to create a place where Pinners can go from inspiration to realization.
The total purchase consideration was $45.9 million in cash, including an indemnification holdback of $8.6 million. Of the total purchase consideration,$14.8 million was attributed to developed technology and other related intangible assets, which will be amortized over their useful lives of 5 years, and the remaining $33.3 million was attributed to goodwill. Goodwill represents the synergies we expect to realize from the acquisition and the assembled workforce. Goodwill is not deductible for tax purposes.
We included the results of Vochi's operations in our consolidated financial statements beginning on the acquisition date. The acquisition did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements so we have not presented historical and pro forma disclosures.
6. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net
Changes in goodwill for the periods presented are as follows (in thousands):
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Intangible assets, net consists of the following (in thousands):
Acquired technology and other intangibles 4,385 (4,385) — 1.5 years
(1)Based on the weighted-average useful life established as of acquisition date.
Amortization expense was $1.3 million, $1.0 million and $1.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Estimated future amortization expense as of December 31, 2021, is as follows (in thousands):
Intangible Asset Amortization
7. Commitments and Contingencies
As of December 31, 2021, our non-cancelable contractual commitments are as follows (in thousands):
Purchase Commitments Operating Leases Total Commitments
Purchase Commitments
In April 2021, we entered into a new private pricing addendum with AWS, which governs our use of cloud computing infrastructure provided by AWS. Under the new pricing addendum, we are required to purchase at least $3,250.0 million of cloud services from AWS through April 2029. If we fail to do so, we are required to pay the difference between the amount we spend and the required commitment amount. As of December 31, 2021, our remaining contractual commitment is $2,949.1 million. We expect to meet our remaining commitment.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Legal Matters
We are involved in various lawsuits, claims and proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business, including those described below. While the results of legal matters are inherently uncertain, we do not believe there is a reasonable possibility that the ultimate resolution of these matters, either individually or in aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
On November 23, 2020, Pinterest and our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer were named as defendants in a putative securities class action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The lawsuit alleged claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and alleged that defendants made material false and misleading public statements about our revenue and user growth in 2019. The complaint sought damages, litigation costs, and interest. On September 23, 2021, the court granted Pinterest’s motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint with leave to amend and plaintiff notified the court on October 12, 2021 that they do not intend to file an amended complaint. The court entered judgment on behalf of Pinterest and other defendants on October 12, 2021 and this matter is no longer pending.
In November and December 2020, certain of our executives and members of our board of directors were named as defendants in shareholder derivative lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Pinterest was also named as a nominal defendant. The lawsuits purport to assert claims for breach of fiduciary duty in connection with allegations of gender and racial discrimination at Pinterest. In addition, the lawsuits purport to assert claims for waste, abuse of control, aiding and abetting breaches of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, and violations of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act. The complaints seek declaratory and injunctive relief, corporate governance changes, monetary damages, interest, disgorgement, and fees and costs. On April 22, 2021, the defendants moved to dismiss this complaint. On July 14, 2021, another shareholder derivative complaint with similar allegations was filed in the same court and was subsequently related to the earlier action. The cases were referred to a magistrate judge for mediation, and the proceedings were stayed during the pendency of that mediation. On November 24, 2021, the parties entered into a stipulation of settlement and plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary settlement approval. We continue to evaluate these claims but do not believe this litigation will have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
In March 2021, certain of our executives and members of our board of directors were named as defendants in a shareholder derivative lawsuit filed in the Delaware Chancery Court. Pinterest was also named as a nominal defendant. The complaint alleges that executives and members of the board breached their fiduciary duties to the company in connection with allegations of gender and racial discrimination at Pinterest. On May 10, 2021, the court stayed this lawsuit in light of the related pending case in the Northern District of California. The complaint seeks damages, litigation costs, and interest. We continue to evaluate these claims but do not believe this litigation will have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
Revolving Credit Facility
In November 2018, we entered into a five-year $500.0 million revolving credit facility with an accordion option which, if exercised, would allow us to increase the aggregate commitments by the greater of $100.0 million and 10% of our consolidated total assets, provided we are able to secure additional lender commitments and satisfy certain other conditions. Interest on any borrowings under the revolving credit facility accrues at either LIBOR plus 1.50% or at an alternative base rate plus 0.50%, at our election, and we are required to pay an annual commitment fee that accrues at 0.15% per annum on the unused portion of the aggregate commitments under the revolving credit facility.
The revolving credit facility also allows us to issue letters of credit, which reduce the amount we can borrow. We are required to pay a fee that accrues at 1.50% per annum on the average aggregate daily maximum amount available to be drawn under any outstanding letters of credit.
The revolving credit facility contains customary conditions to borrowing, events of default and covenants, including covenants that restrict our ability to incur indebtedness, grant liens, make distributions to holders of our stock or the stock of our subsidiaries, make investments or engage in transactions with our affiliates. The revolving credit facility also contains two financial maintenance covenants: a consolidated total assets covenant and a minimum liquidity balance of $350.0 million, which includes any available borrowing capacity. The obligations under the revolving credit facility are secured by liens on substantially all of our domestic assets, including certain domestic intellectual property assets.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Our total borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility is $500.0 million as of December 31, 2021. We have not issued any letters of credit against the revolving credit facility and are in compliance with all covenants under the revolving credit facility as of December 31, 2021.
8. Leases
We have entered into various non-cancelable office space operating leases with original lease periods expiring between 2022 and 2033. These do not contain material variable rent payments, residual value guarantees, covenants or other restrictions. Operating lease costs for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Lease cost:
The weighted-average remaining term of our operating leases was 7.5 years and 8.1 years, and the weighted-average discount rate used to measure the present value of our operating lease liabilities was 4.2% and 4.8% as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Maturities of our operating lease liabilities, which do not include short-term leases, as of December 31, 2021, are as follows (in thousands):
Operating Leases
Less imputed interest (72,269)
Total operating lease liabilities $ 250,874
Cash payments included in the measurement of our operating lease liabilities were $59.0 million, $54.3 million and $38.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, we have $20.8 million of undiscounted future payments under operating leases that have not yet commenced, which are excluded from the table above.
9. Share-Based Compensation
Equity Incentive Plan
In June 2009, our board of directors adopted and approved our 2009 Plan, which provides for the issuance of stock options, RSAs and RSUs to qualified employees, directors and consultants. Stock options granted under our 2009 Plan have a maximum life of 10 years and an exercise price not less than 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. RSUs granted under our 2009 Plan have a maximum life of seven years. No shares of our common stock were reserved for future issuance under our 2009 Plan as of December 31, 2021.
Our 2019 Plan became effective upon closing of our IPO and succeeds our 2009 Plan. Our 2019 Plan provides for the issuance of stock options, RSAs, RSUs and other equity- or cash-based awards to qualified employees, directors and consultants. Stock options granted under our 2019 Plan have a maximum life of 10 years and an exercise price not
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
less than 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. 126,949,622 shares of our Class A common stock were reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Plan as of December 31, 2021.
The number of shares of our Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2019 Plan will be increased by the number of shares of our Class B common stock subject to awards outstanding under our 2009 Plan that would, but for the terms of the 2019 Plan, have returned to the share reserves of the 2009 Plan pursuant to the terms of such awards, including as the result of forfeiture, repurchase, expiration or retention by us in order to satisfy an award’s exercise price or tax withholding obligations. In addition, the number of shares of our Class A common stock reserved for issuance under our 2019 Plan will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year through and including January 1, 2029, in an amount equal to 5% of the total number of shares of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock outstanding on the last day of the calendar month before the date of each automatic increase, or a lesser number of shares determined by our board of directors.
Stock Option Activity
Stock option activity during the year ended December 31, 2021, was as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Stock Options Outstanding
(in years)
(1)We calculate intrinsic value based on the difference between the exercise price of in-the-money-stock options and the fair value of our common stock as of the respective balance sheet date.
The total grant-date fair value of stock options vested during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, was $3.2 million, $3.3 million and $2.2 million, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, was $511.4 million, $1,023.9 million and $425.1 million, respectively.
No stock options were granted during the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2019. The total grant-date fair value of stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2020 was not material.
Restricted Stock Unit and Restricted Stock Award Activity
RSU and RSA activity during the year ended December 31, 2021, was as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Awards Outstanding
Shares Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
(1)Includes the effects of awards modified during the year ended December 31, 2021.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Share-Based Compensation
Share-based compensation expense during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, was as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
As of December 31, 2021, we had $851.2 million of unrecognized share-based compensation expense, which we expect to recognize over a weighted-average period of 2.7 years.
On October 15, 2021, our Co-founder and Chief Design and Creative Officer transitioned into a consulting role pursuant to a consulting agreement dated October 13, 2021. He will also continue to serve on our Board of Directors, and his existing RSU award will continue vesting after the transition to the consulting role. For accounting purposes, we treated this as a modification of his RSU award and recorded a one-time charge of $48.6 million, including incremental compensation cost of $40.8 million, in share-based compensation expense for the year ended December 31, 2021.
10. Net Income (Loss) Per Share Attributable to Common Stockholders
We present net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders using the two-class method required for multiple classes of common stock. Holders of our Class A and Class B common stock have identical rights except with respect to voting, conversion and transfer rights and therefore share equally in our net income or losses. Prior to our IPO, we considered all series of our redeemable convertible preferred stock participating securities. We have not allocated net loss attributable to common stockholders to our redeemable convertible preferred stock because the holders of our redeemable convertible preferred stock are not contractually obligated to share in our losses.
We calculate basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period.
Diluted net income (loss) per share gives effect to all potential shares of common stock, including common stock issuable upon conversion of our redeemable convertible preferred stock and redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants, stock options, RSAs and RSUs to the extent these are dilutive. The calculation of diluted net income (loss) of Class A common stock assumes the conversion of our Class B common stock to Class A common stock, while the diluted net income (loss) of Class B common stock does not assume the conversion of those shares to Class A common stock.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
We calculated basic and diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):
Year Ended December 31,
Class A Class B Class A Class B Class A Class B
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:
Numerator:
Denominator:
Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders:
Numerator:
Reallocation of net income to Class B common stock — (3,115) — — — —
Denominator:
Conversion of Class B to Class A common stock 84,422 — — — — —
Weighted average effect of dilutive potential common stock 51,621 — — — — —
Basic net loss per share is the same as diluted net loss per share for the periods we reported net losses. We excluded the following weighted-average potential shares of common stock from our calculation of diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders because these would be anti-dilutive (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Redeemable convertible preferred stock — — 95,469
Unvested restricted stock units and restricted stock awards 3,271 63,603 69,800
Redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants — — 77
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
11. Income Taxes
The components of income (loss) before provision for income taxes are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Provision for income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Current:
Federal $ — $ — $ —
Deferred:
Total deferred tax expense (benefit) (727) 533 (1,145)
The difference between income taxes computed at the statutory federal income tax rate and the provision for income taxes is attributable to the following (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
State income taxes, net of benefit 2,307 84 (77)
Legal settlement — 2,290 —
The primary difference between our effective tax rate and the federal statutory rate is the full valuation allowance we have established on our federal, state and foreign net operating losses and credits.
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Significant components of our deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance 49,883 36,953
Deferred tax liabilities:
Deferred tax assets (liabilities) $ (105) $ 854
Due to our history of losses we believe it is more likely than not that our U.S. and Irish deferred tax assets will not be realized as of December 31, 2021. Accordingly, we have established a full valuation allowance on our U.S. and Irish deferred tax assets. Our valuation allowance increased by $363.0 million and $439.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, primarily due to U.S. federal and state tax losses and credits incurred during the period.
As of December 31, 2021, we had federal, California and other state net operating loss carryforwards of $4,314.0 million, $500.8 million and $1,677.0 million, respectively. If not utilized, these will begin to expire in 2028, 2028 and 2026, respectively. Utilization of our net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to annual limitations due to the ownership change limitations provided by Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code and similar state provisions. Our net operating loss carryforwards could expire before utilization if subject to annual limitations. As of December 31, 2021, we had $51.9 million and $2.0 million of Irish and Other Foreign net operating loss carryforwards, respectively that can be carried forward indefinitely.
As of December 31, 2021, we had federal and California research and development credit carryforwards of $355.6 million and $275.4 million, respectively. If not utilized, our federal carryforwards will begin to expire in 2030. Our California carryforwards do not expire.
Changes in gross unrecognized tax benefits were as follows (in thousands):
Gross Unrecognized Tax Benefits
Increases for tax positions of prior years 886
Decreases for tax positions of prior years (37,250)
Increases for tax positions of current year 47,339
Increases for tax positions of prior years 2,906
Increases for tax positions of current year 61,993
Recognizing the $205.1 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits we had as of December 31, 2021 would affect our effective tax rate by $2.6 million. The remaining $202.5 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits would be offset by
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PINTEREST, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
the reversal of related deferred tax assets, which are subject to a full valuation allowance.We do not expect our gross unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly within the next 12 months. We recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in provision for income taxes. Accrued interest and penalties are not material as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
We are subject to taxation in the U.S. and various other state and foreign jurisdictions.As we have net operating loss carryforwards for U.S. federal and state jurisdictions, the statute of limitations is open for all tax years. For material foreign jurisdictions, the tax years open to examination include the years 2016 and forward. We are currently under examination of our U.S. consolidated federal income tax return by the Internal Revenue Service for calendar years 2018 and 2019. We believe that we have adequately reserved for any adjustments to the provision for income taxes or other tax items that may ultimately result from these examinations.
We have not recognized deferred taxes for the difference between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of our investment in our foreign subsidiaries because we have the ability and intent to maintain our investments for the foreseeable future. If we were to remit earnings as of December 31, 2021, the residual taxes would not be material.
12. Geographical Information
Revenue disaggregated by geography based on our customers’ billing addresses is as follows (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
(1)No individual country other than the United States exceeded 10% of our total revenue for any period presented.
Property and equipment, net and operating lease right-of-use assets by geography is as follows (in thousands):
December 31,
(1)No individual country other than the United States exceeded 10% of our total property and equipment, net and operating lease right-of-use assets for any period presented.
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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer ("CEO") and chief financial officer ("CFO"), has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act"), as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Based on such evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that as of December 31, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on the assessment, management has concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021 to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an audit report with respect to our internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(d) and 15d-15(d) under the Exchange Act) during the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. Further, while the majority of our employees are working remotely, we have not experienced any material impact in our internal control over financial reporting as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to monitor for and assess any effects the COVID-19 pandemic may have on the design or operating effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures
In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
None.
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the sections titled “Proposal 1 - Election of Directors” and “Other Matters” that will be included in our Definitive Proxy Statement for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within 120 days of December 31, 2021 (the "2022 Proxy Statement).
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the section titled “Proposal 3 – Advisory Non-Binding Vote on our Named Executive Officers' Compensation” that will be included in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the section titled “Other Matters” that will be included in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the sections titled “Proposal 1 – Election of Directors” and “Other Matters” that will be included in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the sections titled “Proposal 2 – Ratification of Selection of Independent Auditor” that will be included in our 2022 Proxy Statement.
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PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
The following documents are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
1.Consolidated Financial Statements
The consolidated financial statements are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
2.Financial Statement Schedules
The financial statement schedules are omitted because they are either not applicable or the information required is presented in the financial statements and notes thereto under “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
3.Exhibits
The exhibits listed in the following Exhibit Index are filed, furnished, or incorporated by reference as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit Number Exhibit Description Form File No. Exhibit Filing Date
4.3 Form of Indenture.
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21.1 List of Subsidiaries of Pinterest, Inc.
24.1 Power of Attorney.
101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
+ Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
PINTEREST, INC.
Date: February 3, 2022 By: /s/ Todd Morgenfeld
Todd Morgenfeld
Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Operations