INVESTMENTS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

INVESTMENTS

INVESTMENTS

The Company’s investments consist of the following at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023:

	September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Debt	$	51,101	$	4,285
Equity	57,798		54,717
Funds:
Alternative investments (a)	59,558		61,680
Debt (a)	150,924		191,325
Equity (a)	304,736		343,139
Private equity	46,357		46,818
Total funds	561,575		642,962
Investments, at fair value	670,474		701,964
Equity method investments	17,937		–
Total investments	$	688,411	$	701,964

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(a)Interests in alternative investment funds, debt funds and equity funds include investments, including those held by LFI Consolidated Funds (see Note 21), with fair values of $23,829, $133,925 and $237,687, respectively, at September 30, 2024 and $27,454, $175,449 and $284,099, respectively, at December 31, 2023, held in order to satisfy the Company’s obligation upon vesting of previously granted Lazard Fund Interests (“LFI”) and other similar deferred compensation arrangements. LFI represent grants by the Company to eligible employees of interests in a number of Lazard-managed funds, subject to service-based vesting conditions (see Notes 7 and 13).

Debt securities primarily consists of U.S. Treasury securities with remaining maturities at time of purchase of greater than three months and less than one year and investments in government securities held within separately managed accounts in order to seed strategies in our Asset Management business.

Equity securities primarily consist of investments in marketable equity securities of large-, mid- and small-cap domestic, international and global companies held within separately managed accounts in order to seed strategies in our Asset Management business.

Alternative investment funds primarily consist of interests in various Lazard-managed hedge funds, funds of funds and mutual funds. Such amounts primarily consist of investments in funds in order to seed strategies in our Asset Management business, and amounts related to LFI discussed above.

Debt funds primarily consist of investments in debt securities in order to seed strategies in our Asset Management business and amounts related to LFI discussed above.

Equity funds primarily consist of investments in equity securities in order to seed strategies in our Asset Management business, and amounts related to LFI discussed above.

Private equity investments include those owned by Lazard and those consolidated but not owned by Lazard. Private equity investments owned by Lazard are primarily comprised of investments in private equity funds. Such investments primarily include (i) Edgewater Growth Capital Partners III, L.P. (“EGCP III”), a fund primarily making equity and buyout investments in middle market companies, (ii) a fund targeting significant noncontrolling-stake investments in established private companies and (iii) a seed investment in a fund that invests in sustainable private infrastructure opportunities.

Private equity investments consolidated but not owned by Lazard relate to the economic interests that are owned by the management team and other investors in the Edgewater Funds (“Edgewater”).

Equity method investments include an interest in a venture capital asset management entity accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The carrying amount includes amounts related to intangible assets, which are amortized, and goodwill.

During the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company reported in “revenue-other” on its condensed consolidated statements of operations net unrealized investment gains and losses pertaining to equity securities and trading debt securities still held as of the reporting date as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Net unrealized investment gains (losses)	$	23,050	$	(23,879)	$	23,803	$	14,551