SEGMENT REPORTING

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

SEGMENT REPORTING

15. SEGMENT REPORTING

The Company operates through its distinct operating segments. On January 1, 2022, the Company changed its segment composition and established the Real Assets Group. The Real Assets Group consists of the activities of the former Real Estate Group and the infrastructure and power strategy, now referred to as infrastructure opportunities, that was formerly presented within the Private Equity Group. The Real Assets Group also includes infrastructure debt following the Infrastructure Debt Acquisition. The Company reclassified activities from the infrastructure opportunities strategy in the Private Equity Group and from the former Real Estate Group to the Real Assets Group to better align the segment presentation with how the asset classes within the investment strategies are managed. The Company has modified historical results to conform with its current presentation. The Company operating segments are summarized below:

Credit Group: The Credit Group manages credit strategies across the liquid and illiquid spectrum, including syndicated loans, high yield bonds, multi-asset credit, alternative credit investments and direct lending. The syndicated loans strategy focuses on evaluating individual credit opportunities related primarily to non-investment grade senior secured loans and primarily targets first lien secured debt, with a secondary focus on second lien secured loans and subordinated and other unsecured loans. The high yield bond strategy seeks to deliver a diversified portfolio of liquid, traded non-investment grade corporate bonds, including secured, unsecured and subordinated debt instruments. Multi-asset credit is a “go anywhere” strategy designed to offer investors a flexible solution to global credit investing by allowing us to tactically allocate between multiple asset classes in various market conditions. The alternative credit strategy seeks to capitalize on asset-focused investment opportunities that fall outside of traditional, well-defined markets such as corporate debt, real estate and private equity. The alternative credit strategy emphasizes downside protection and capital preservation through a focus on investments that tend to share the following key attributes: asset security, covenants, structural protections and cash flow velocity. The direct lending strategy is one of the largest self-originating direct lenders to the U.S. and European markets and has a multi-channel origination strategy designed to address a broad set of investment opportunities in the middle market. The direct lending team maintains a flexible investment strategy with the capability to invest in first lien senior secured loans (including “unitranche” loans which are loans that combine senior and subordinated debt, generally in a first lien position), second lien senior secured loans, subordinated debt, preferred equity and non-control equity co-investments in private middle market companies. U.S.

direct lending activities are managed through a publicly traded business development company, ARCC, as well as through private commingled funds and separately managed accounts (“SMAs”).

Private Equity Group: The Private Equity Group broadly categorizes its investment strategies as corporate private equity and special opportunities. In the corporate private equity strategy, the Company targets four principal transactions types: (i) prudently leveraged control buyouts; (ii) growth equity; (iii) rescue capital; and (iv) distressed-for-control. This differentiated strategy, together with the broad resources of the Ares platform, widens our universe of potential investment opportunities and allows us to remain active across various market environments and to be highly selective in making investments by identifying the most attractive relative value opportunities. The corporate private equity strategy also includes our energy opportunities fund which serves as a companion fund and employs our flexible capital strategy to provide creative capital solutions across the energy industry. In the special opportunities strategy, the Company employs an “all weather” flexible capital strategy to finance debt and non-control equity solutions in middle market companies undergoing transformational change or stress. The strategy seeks to consistently invest in a range of private, special-situation opportunities and flex into distressed public market debt when attractive.

Real Assets Group: The Real Assets Group manages comprehensive equity and debt strategies across real estate and infrastructure investments.

The real estate strategy focuses on activities categorized as core/core-plus, value-add, opportunistic and debt. Real estate equity strategies involve high-quality properties and locations and de-risked developments with an opportunity to create value through repositioning, lease-up, re-tenanting, redevelopment, and/or complex recapitalizations. The U.S. core/core-plus investment activities focuses on the acquisition of assets with strong long-term cash flow potential and durable tenancy diversified across end-user industries and geographies. The value-add investment activities focus on acquiring underperforming, income-producing, institutional-quality assets that can be improved through select value-creation initiatives across the U.S. and Europe. The opportunistic activities focus on capitalizing on distressed and special situations, repositioning underperforming assets and undertaking select development and redevelopment projects across the U.S. and Europe. The real estate debt strategy primarily focuses on directly originating a wide range of financing opportunities in the U.S. and Europe leveraging the Real Asset Group’s diverse sources of capital. In addition to managing private commingled funds and SMAs investing in equity and debt strategies, the real estate strategy also makes investments through Ares Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“AREIT”) and Ares Industrial Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (“AIREIT”), its non-traded REITs, and ACRE, a publicly traded commercial mortgage REIT.

The infrastructure strategy focuses on investment strategies broadly categorized as infrastructure opportunities and infrastructure debt. Infrastructure opportunities is a market leader in infrastructure and power investing with a focus on climate infrastructure, natural gas generation and energy transportation sectors. The infrastructure opportunities strategy targets essential infrastructure assets and companies with stable cash flow profiles through long-term contracts and high-barriers to entry. The infrastructure debt strategy was formed during the first quarter of 2022 in connection with the Infrastructure Debt Acquisition. The infrastructure debt strategy targets global assets and businesses with defensive characteristics across the digital, transport, energy and utility sectors. Leveraging the established long standing relationships, the strategy seeks to generate exclusive deal flow and high-quality investment opportunities.

Secondary Solutions Group: The Secondary Solutions Group was formed during the second quarter of 2021 in connection with the Landmark Acquisition. The Secondary Solutions Group invests in secondary markets across a range of alternative asset class strategies, including private equity, real estate and infrastructure. The Company acquires interests across a range of partnership vehicles, including funds, multi-asset portfolios and single asset joint ventures. Activities within each strategy include recapitalizing and restructuring the funds, including transactions that can address pending fund maturity, strategy change or the need for additional equity capital. The private equity secondaries strategy targets opportunities in non-competitive channels and makes investments in durable, performing assets with attractive capital structures. In the real estate secondaries strategy, the Company seeks broad diversification by property sector and geography and to drive investment results through underwriting, transaction structuring and portfolio construction. In the infrastructure secondaries strategy, the Company focuses on achieving diversification through a portfolio that provides inflation protection and exposure to uncorrelated assets.

Strategic Initiatives: Strategic Initiatives represents an all-other category that includes operating segments and strategic investments that seek to expand the Company’s reach and its scale in new and existing global markets. Strategic Initiatives includes activities from (i) Ares SSG, the Asia-Pacific platform that makes credit and special situations investments through its local originating presence on behalf of its institutional client base, (ii) Ares Insurance Solutions (“AIS”), the Company’s insurance platform that provides solutions to insurance clients including asset management, capital solutions and corporate

development and (iii) Ares Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: AAC) (“AAC”), the Company’s first sponsored SPAC, among others.

The OMG consists of shared resource groups to support the Company’s operating segments by providing infrastructure and administrative support in the areas of accounting/finance, operations, information technology, legal, compliance, human resources, strategy, relationship management and distribution. The OMG includes Ares Wealth Management Solutions, LLC (“AWMS”) that facilitates the product development, distribution, marketing and client management activities for investment offerings in the global wealth management channel. Additionally, the OMG provides services to certain of the Company’s managed funds and vehicles, which reimburse the OMG for expenses equal to the costs of services provided. The OMG’s revenues and expenses are not allocated to the Company’s reportable segments but the Company does consider the financial results of the OMG when evaluating its financial performance.

Segment Profit Measures: These measures supplement and should be considered in addition to, and not in lieu of, the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Fee related earnings (“FRE”) is used to assess core operating performance by determining whether recurring revenue, primarily consisting of management fees and fee related performance revenues, is sufficient to cover operating expenses and to generate profits. FRE differs from income before taxes computed in accordance with GAAP as it excludes net performance income, investment income from the Consolidated Funds and non-consolidated funds and certain other items that the Company believes are not indicative of its core operating performance. Fee related performance revenues, together with fee related performance compensation, is presented within FRE because it represents incentive fees from perpetual capital vehicles that is measured and received on a recurring basis and not dependent on realization events from the underlying investments. Fee related performance revenues and fee related performance compensation were previously presented within realized net performance income. Historical periods have been modified to conform to the current period presentation.

Realized income (“RI”) is an operating metric used by management to evaluate performance of the business based on operating performance and the contribution of each of the business segments to that performance, while removing the fluctuations of unrealized income and expenses, which may or may not be eventually realized at the levels presented and whose realizations depend more on future outcomes than current business operations. RI differs from income before taxes by excluding (i) operating results of the Consolidated Funds, (ii) depreciation and amortization expense, (iii) the effects of changes arising from corporate actions, (iv) unrealized gains and losses related to carried interest, incentive fees and investment performance and (v) certain other items that the Company believes are not indicative of operating performance. Changes arising from corporate actions include equity-based compensation expenses, the amortization of intangible assets, transaction costs associated with mergers, acquisitions and capital activities, underwriting costs and expenses incurred in connection with corporate reorganization. RI is reduced by deferred placement fees, which represent the portion of placement fees that have been deferred and amortized over the expected life of each fund's life for segment purposes but have been expensed up front in accordance with GAAP. For periods in which the amortization of placement fees for segment purposes is higher than the GAAP expense, a placement fee adjustment is presented as a reduction to RI. Management believes RI is a more appropriate metric to evaluate the Company's current business operations.

Management makes operating decisions and assesses the performance of each of the Company’s business segments based on financial and operating metrics and other data that is presented before giving effect to the consolidation of any of the Consolidated Funds. Consequently, all segment data excludes the assets, liabilities and operating results related to the Consolidated Funds and non-consolidated funds. Total assets by segments is not disclosed because such information is not used by the Company’s chief operating decision maker in evaluating the segments.

The following tables present the financial results for the Company’s operating segments, as well as the OMG:

	Three months ended June 30, 2022
	Credit Group		Private Equity Group		Real Assets Group		Secondary Solutions Group		Strategic Initiatives		Total Segments		OMG		Total
Management fees	$	323,171	$	47,396	$	90,733	$	46,201	$	17,380	$	524,881	$	—	$	524,881
Fee related performance revenues	275		—		965		—		—		1,240		—		1,240
Other fees	6,619		408		8,565		—		64		15,656		6,298		21,954
Compensation and benefits	(93,287)		(24,293)		(40,599)		(15,133)		(6,799)		(180,111)		(71,341)		(251,452)
General, administrative and other expenses	(17,780)		(7,880)		(10,639)		(2,957)		(2,363)		(41,619)		(35,225)		(76,844)
Fee related earnings	218,998		15,631		49,025		28,111		8,282		320,047		(100,268)		219,779
Performance income—realized	48,533		—		17,405		4,156		—		70,094		—		70,094
Performance related compensation—realized	(29,358)		—		(11,186)		(3,514)		—		(44,058)		—		(44,058)
Realized net performance income	19,175		—		6,219		642		—		26,036		—		26,036
Investment income (loss)—realized	1,609		672		432		—		(3)		2,710		—		2,710
Interest and other investment income (expense)—realized	6,387		195		2,640		2,200		5,514		16,936		(995)		15,941
Interest expense	(3,538)		(3,629)		(2,713)		(1,557)		(5,605)		(17,042)		(179)		(17,221)
Realized net investment income (loss)	4,458		(2,762)		359		643		(94)		2,604		(1,174)		1,430
Realized income	$	242,631	$	12,869	$	55,603	$	29,396	$	8,188	$	348,687	$	(101,442)	$	247,245
	Three months ended June 30, 2021
	Credit Group		Private Equity Group		Real Assets Group		Secondary Solutions Group		Strategic Initiatives		Total Segments		OMG		Total
Management fees	$	260,234	$	39,975	$	42,932	$	12,898	$	16,796	$	372,835	$	—	$	372,835
Fee related performance revenues	(39)		—		693		—		—		654		—		654
Other fees	6,727		248		275		—		1		7,251		—		7,251
Compensation and benefits	(85,892)		(21,979)		(20,189)		(4,289)		(5,384)		(137,733)		(48,429)		(186,162)
General, administrative and other expenses	(11,977)		(5,881)		(3,861)		(859)		(1,771)		(24,349)		(23,074)		(47,423)
Fee related earnings	169,053		12,363		19,850		7,750		9,642		218,658		(71,503)		147,155
Performance income—realized	68,146		53,945		4,922		—		—		127,013		—		127,013
Performance related compensation—realized	(43,485)		(43,197)		(3,398)		—		—		(90,080)		—		(90,080)
Realized net performance income	24,661		10,748		1,524		—		—		36,933		—		36,933
Investment income—realized	1,240		2,633		10,530		—		322		14,725		—		14,725
Interest and other investment income—realized	5,969		4,846		1,511		2		2,628		14,956		85		15,041
Interest expense	(1,465)		(1,476)		(1,289)		(5)		(2,525)		(6,760)		(147)		(6,907)
Realized net investment income (loss)	5,744		6,003		10,752		(3)		425		22,921		(62)		22,859
Realized income	$	199,458	$	29,114	$	32,126	$	7,747	$	10,067	$	278,512	$	(71,565)	$	206,947

	Six months ended June 30, 2022
	Credit Group		Private Equity Group		Real Assets Group		Secondary Solutions Group		Strategic Initiatives		Total Segments		OMG		Total
Management fees	$	626,330	$	93,353	$	163,220	$	90,705	$	34,194	$	1,007,802	$	—	$	1,007,802
Fee related performance revenues	12,628		—		1,323		—		—		13,951		—		13,951
Other fees	12,385		705		16,431		—		114		29,635		12,174		41,809
Compensation and benefits	(198,983)		(43,859)		(74,236)		(26,773)		(14,200)		(358,051)		(135,408)		(493,459)
General, administrative and other expenses	(34,477)		(14,168)		(18,276)		(6,035)		(4,089)		(77,045)		(67,609)		(144,654)
Fee related earnings	417,883		36,031		88,462		57,897		16,019		616,292		(190,843)		425,449
Performance income—realized	55,896		2,212		51,698		4,156		—		113,962		—		113,962
Performance related compensation—realized	(33,938)		(1,786)		(33,395)		(3,514)		—		(72,633)		—		(72,633)
Realized net performance income	21,958		426		18,303		642		—		41,329		—		41,329
Investment income—realized	2,024		2,275		3,885		—		858		9,042		—		9,042
Interest and other investment income (expense)—realized	12,113		1,697		5,417		2,844		5,517		27,588		(1,279)		26,309
Interest expense	(6,952)		(7,002)		(5,102)		(2,022)		(11,443)		(32,521)		(346)		(32,867)
Realized net investment income (loss)	7,185		(3,030)		4,200		822		(5,068)		4,109		(1,625)		2,484
Realized income	$	447,026	$	33,427	$	110,965	$	59,361	$	10,951	$	661,730	$	(192,468)	$	469,262
	Six months ended June 30, 2021
	Credit Group		Private Equity Group		Real Assets Group		Secondary Solutions Group		Strategic Initiatives		Total Segments		OMG		Total
Management fees	$	493,111	$	79,113	$	82,757	$	12,898	$	32,419	$	700,298	$	—	$	700,298
Fee related performance revenues	1,331		—		1,359		—		—		2,690		—		2,690
Other fees	12,696		356		923		—		80		14,055		—		14,055
Compensation and benefits	(167,095)		(38,827)		(40,368)		(4,289)		(10,124)		(260,703)		(92,836)		(353,539)
General, administrative and other expenses	(22,786)		(10,367)		(7,538)		(859)		(3,806)		(45,356)		(41,730)		(87,086)
Fee related earnings	317,257		30,275		37,133		7,750		18,569		410,984		(134,566)		276,418
Performance income—realized	70,592		125,163		6,203		—		—		201,958		—		201,958
Performance related compensation—realized	(45,540)		(100,223)		(4,174)		—		—		(149,937)		—		(149,937)
Realized net performance income	25,052		24,940		2,029		—		—		52,021		—		52,021
Investment income (loss)—realized	1,240		(6,265)		12,036		—		322		7,333		—		7,333
Interest and other investment income—realized	9,638		4,964		3,865		2		2,661		21,130		440		21,570
Interest expense	(2,980)		(2,929)		(2,624)		(5)		(4,827)		(13,365)		(237)		(13,602)
Realized net investment income (loss)	7,898		(4,230)		13,277		(3)		(1,844)		15,098		203		15,301
Realized income	$	350,207	$	50,985	$	52,439	$	7,747	$	16,725	$	478,103	$	(134,363)	$	343,740

The following table presents the components of the Company’s operating segments’ revenue, expenses and realized net investment income:

	Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	2022		2021		2022		2021
Segment revenues
Management fees	$	524,881	$	372,835	$	1,007,802	$	700,298
Fee related performance revenues	1,240		654		13,951		2,690
Other fees	15,656		7,251		29,635		14,055
Performance income—realized	70,094		127,013		113,962		201,958
Total segment revenues	$	611,871	$	507,753	$	1,165,350	$	919,001
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	$	180,111	$	137,733	$	358,051	$	260,703
General, administrative and other expenses	41,619		24,349		77,045		45,356
Performance related compensation—realized	44,058		90,080		72,633		149,937
Total segment expenses	$	265,788	$	252,162	$	507,729	$	455,996
Segment realized net investment income
Investment income—realized	$	2,710	$	14,725	$	9,042	$	7,333
Interest and other investment income —realized	16,936		14,956		27,588		21,130
Interest expense	(17,042)		(6,760)		(32,521)		(13,365)
Total segment realized net investment income	$	2,604	$	22,921	$	4,109	$	15,098

The following table reconciles the Company's consolidated revenues to segment revenue:

	Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	2022		2021		2022		2021
Total consolidated revenue	$	601,430	$	1,294,819	$	1,316,429	$	1,953,207
Performance (income) loss—unrealized	24,149		(741,426)		(109,383)		(966,380)
Management fees of Consolidated Funds eliminated in consolidation	11,362		10,659		22,841		22,365
Incentive fees of Consolidated Funds eliminated in consolidation	—		3		34		1,528
Administrative, transaction and other fees of Consolidated Funds eliminated in consolidation	4,315		4,748		9,084		8,893
Administrative fees(1)	(15,373)		(9,314)		(34,848)		(19,122)
OMG revenue	(6,417)		—		(12,293)		—
Performance income (loss) reclass(2)	—		550		(14)		605
Principal investment (income) loss, net of eliminations	4,387		(47,127)		(3,939)		(72,227)
Net income of non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(11,982)		(5,159)		(22,561)		(9,868)
Total consolidation adjustments and reconciling items	10,441		(787,066)		(151,079)		(1,034,206)
Total segment revenue	$	611,871	$	507,753	$	1,165,350	$	919,001

(1)Represents administrative fees that are presented in administrative, transaction and other fees in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and are netted against the respective expenses for segment reporting.

(2)Related to performance income for AREA Sponsor Holdings LLC, an investment pool. Changes in value of this investment are reflected within net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table reconciles the Company's consolidated expenses to segment expenses:

	Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	2022		2021		2022		2021
Total consolidated expenses	$	552,868	$	1,024,732	$	1,164,552	$	1,549,841
Performance related compensation-unrealized	8,549		(566,012)		(82,649)		(726,349)
Expenses of Consolidated Funds added in consolidation	(24,865)		(26,011)		(40,942)		(43,447)
Expenses of Consolidated Funds eliminated in consolidation	11,638		10,711		23,202		23,976
Administrative fees(1)	(15,958)		(9,314)		(34,848)		(19,122)
OMG expenses	(106,566)		(71,503)		(203,017)		(134,566)
Acquisition and merger-related expense	(1,152)		(9,020)		(10,194)		(17,610)
Equity compensation expense	(49,559)		(69,504)		(103,161)		(125,153)
Acquisition-related compensation expense(2)	(59,491)		(4,630)		(107,492)		(4,630)
Placement fees	1,425		(1,030)		2,118		(1,327)
Depreciation and amortization expense	(40,330)		(20,974)		(78,456)		(35,074)
Expense of non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(10,771)		(5,283)		(21,384)		(10,543)
Total consolidation adjustments and reconciling items	(287,080)		(772,570)		(656,823)		(1,093,845)
Total segment expenses	$	265,788	$	252,162	$	507,729	$	455,996

(1)Represents administrative fees that are presented in administrative, transaction and other fees in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and are netted against the respective expenses for segment reporting.

(2)Represents contingent obligations resulting from the Landmark Acquisition, the Black Creek Acquisition and the Infrastructure Debt Acquisition that are recorded as compensation expense and are presented within compensation and benefits in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table reconciles the Company's consolidated other income to segment realized net investment income:

	Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	2022		2021		2022		2021
Total consolidated other income	$	18,504	$	49,690	$	76,498	$	106,475
Investment (income) loss—unrealized	2,084		(34,811)		9,938		(56,979)
Interest and other investment (income) loss—unrealized	(6,029)		512		(12,061)		4,462
Other income from Consolidated Funds added in consolidation, net	(27,570)		(34,592)		(94,418)		(101,908)
Other expense from Consolidated Funds eliminated in consolidation, net	(4,215)		(4,698)		(11,733)		(8,810)
OMG other expense	1,091		276		5,684		609
Performance (income) loss reclass(1)	—		(550)		14		(605)
Principal investment income	13,493		50,634		27,983		75,729
Other expense, net	13		619		1,994		146
Other (income) loss of non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	5,233		(4,159)		210		(4,021)
Total consolidation adjustments and reconciling items	(15,900)		(26,769)		(72,389)		(91,377)
Total segment realized net investment income	$	2,604	$	22,921	$	4,109	$	15,098

(1)Related to performance income for AREA Sponsor Holdings LLC. Changes in value of this investment are reflected within net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The following table presents the reconciliation of income before taxes as reported in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations to segment results of RI and FRE:

	Three months ended June 30,				Six months ended June 30,
	2022		2021		2022		2021
Income before taxes	$	67,066	$	319,777	$	228,375	$	509,841
Adjustments:
Depreciation and amortization expense	40,330		20,974		78,456		35,074
Equity compensation expense	50,144		69,504		103,161		125,153
Acquisition-related compensation expense(1)	59,491		4,630		107,492		4,630
Acquisition and merger-related expense	1,152		9,020		10,194		17,610
Placement fees	(1,425)		1,030		(2,118)		1,327
OMG expense, net	101,241		71,779		196,409		135,175
Other expense, net	12		619		1,993		146
Net (income) expense of non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	4,022		(4,035)		(967)		(3,346)
(Income) loss before taxes of non-controlling interests in Consolidated Funds, net of eliminations	14,999		(5,073)		(32,408)		(54,959)
Total performance (income) loss—unrealized	24,149		(741,426)		(109,383)		(966,380)
Total performance related compensation—unrealized	(8,549)		566,012		82,649		726,349
Total investment income—unrealized	(3,945)		(34,299)		(2,123)		(52,517)
Realized income	348,687		278,512		661,730		478,103
Total performance income—realized	(70,094)		(127,013)		(113,962)		(201,958)
Total performance related compensation—realized	44,058		90,080		72,633		149,937
Total investment income—realized	(2,604)		(22,921)		(4,109)		(15,098)
Fee related earnings	$	320,047	$	218,658	$	616,292	$	410,984

(1)Represents contingent obligations resulting from the Landmark Acquisition, the Black Creek Acquisition and the Infrastructure Debt Acquisition that are recorded as compensation expense and are presented within compensation and benefits in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.