XML 41 R23.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.10.0.1
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
Funding Commitments
 
As of September 30, 2018, KKR had unfunded commitments consisting of $5,055.9 million to its active private equity and other investment vehicles. In addition to the uncalled commitments to KKR's investment funds, KKR has entered into contractual commitments with respect to (i) the purchase of investments and other assets in its Principal Activities business line and (ii) underwriting transactions, debt financing, and syndications in KKR's Capital Markets business line. As of September 30, 2018, these commitments amounted to $28.6 million and $1,041.7 million, respectively. Whether these amounts are actually funded, in whole or in part, depends on the contractual terms of such commitments, including the satisfaction or waiver of any conditions to closing or funding. The unfunded commitments shown for KKR's Capital Markets business line are shown without reflecting arrangements that may reduce the actual amount of contractual commitments shown occurring after September 30, 2018. KKR's capital markets business has an arrangement with a third party, which reduces its risk when underwriting certain debt transactions, and thus our unfunded commitments are reduced to reflect the amount to be funded by such a third party. In the case of purchases of investments or assets in KKR's Principal Activities business line, the amount to be funded includes amounts that are intended to be syndicated to third parties, and the actual amounts to be funded may be less than shown.

Contingent Repayment Guarantees
 
The partnership documents governing KKR's carry-paying funds, including funds relating to private equity, infrastructure, energy, real estate, mezzanine, direct lending and special situations investments, generally include a "clawback" provision that, if triggered, may give rise to a contingent obligation requiring the general partner to return amounts to the fund for distribution to the fund investors at the end of the life of the fund. Under a clawback obligation, upon the liquidation of a fund, the general partner is required to return, typically on an after-tax basis, previously distributed carry to the extent that, due to the diminished performance of later investments, the aggregate amount of carry distributions received by the general partner during the term of the fund exceed the amount to which the general partner was ultimately entitled, including the effects of any performance thresholds. As of September 30, 2018, no carried interest was subject to this clawback obligation, assuming that all applicable carry-paying funds were liquidated at their September 30, 2018 fair values. Had the investments in such funds been liquidated at zero value, the clawback obligation would have been approximately $2.0 billion. Carried interest is recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of operations based on the contractual conditions set forth in the agreements governing the fund as if the fund were terminated and liquidated at the reporting date and the fund's investments were realized at the then estimated fair values. Amounts earned pursuant to carried interest are earned by the general partner of those funds to the extent that cumulative investment returns are positive and where applicable, preferred return thresholds have been met. If these investment amounts earned decrease or turn negative in subsequent periods, recognized carried interest will be reversed and to the extent that the aggregate amount of carry distributions received by the general partner during the term of the fund exceed the amount to which the general partner was ultimately entitled, a clawback obligation would be recorded. For funds that are consolidated, this clawback obligation, if any, is reflected as an increase in noncontrolling interests in the condensed consolidated statements of financial condition. For funds that are not consolidated, this clawback obligation, if any, is reflected as a reduction of KKR's investment balance as this is where carried interest is initially recorded.
  
Indemnifications and Other Guarantees
 
KKR may incur contingent liabilities for claims that may be made against it in the future. KKR enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations, warranties and covenants, including indemnifications. For example, certain of KKR's investment funds and KFN have provided certain indemnities relating to environmental and other matters and have provided nonrecourse carve-out guarantees for fraud, willful misconduct and other customary wrongful acts, each in connection with the financing of certain real estate investments that KKR has made and for certain investment vehicles that KKR manages. In addition, KKR has also provided credit support to certain of its subsidiaries' obligations in connection with a limited number of investment vehicles that KKR manages. For example, KKR has guaranteed the obligations of a general partner to post collateral on behalf of its investment vehicle in connection with such vehicle's derivative transactions, and KKR has also agreed to be liable for certain investment losses and/or for providing liquidity in the events specified in the governing documents of other investment vehicles. KKR has also provided credit support regarding repayment obligations to third-party lenders to certain of its employees, excluding its executive officers, in connection with their personal investments in KKR investment funds and to a strategic partner regarding the ownership of its business. KKR also may become liable for certain fees payable to sellers of businesses or assets if a transaction does not close, subject to certain conditions, if any, specified in the acquisition agreements for such businesses or assets. KKR's maximum exposure under these arrangements is currently unknown and KKR's liabilities for these matters would require a claim to be made against KKR in the future.

Litigation
 
From time to time, KKR is involved in various legal proceedings, lawsuits and claims incidental to the conduct of KKR's business. KKR's business is also subject to extensive regulation, which may result in regulatory proceedings against it. 

In December 2017, KKR & Co. L.P. and its Co-Chief Executive Officers were named as defendants in a lawsuit pending in Kentucky state court alleging, among other things, the violation of fiduciary and other duties in connection with certain separately managed accounts that Prisma Capital Partners LP, a former subsidiary of KKR, manages for the Kentucky Retirement Systems. Also named as defendants in the lawsuit are certain current and former trustees and officers of the Kentucky Retirement Systems, Prisma Capital Partners LP, and various other service providers to the Kentucky Retirement Systems and their related persons.

KKR currently is and expects to continue to become, from time to time, subject to examinations, inquiries and investigations by various U.S. and non-U.S. governmental and regulatory agencies, including but not limited to the SEC, Department of Justice, state attorney generals, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, and the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority. Such examinations, inquiries and investigations may result in the commencement of civil, criminal or administrative proceedings against KKR or its personnel.
 
Moreover, in the ordinary course of business, KKR is and can be both the defendant and the plaintiff in numerous lawsuits with respect to acquisitions, bankruptcy, insolvency and other types of proceedings. Such lawsuits may involve claims that adversely affect the value of certain investments owned by KKR's funds.
 
KKR establishes an accrued liability for legal proceedings only when those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and reasonably estimable. In such cases, there may be an exposure to loss in excess of any amounts accrued. No loss contingency is recorded for matters where such losses are either not probable or reasonably estimable (or both) at the time of determination. Such matters may be subject to many uncertainties, including among others: (i) the proceedings may be in early stages; (ii) damages sought may be unspecified, unsupportable, unexplained or uncertain; (iii) discovery may not have been started or is incomplete; (iv) there may be uncertainty as to the outcome of pending appeals or motions; (v) there may be significant factual issues to be resolved or (vi) there may be novel legal issues or unsettled legal theories to be presented or a large number of parties. Consequently, management is unable to estimate a range of potential loss, if any, related to these matters. In addition, loss contingencies may be, in part or in whole, subject to insurance or other payments such as contributions and/or indemnity, which may reduce any ultimate loss.
 
It is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of all pending legal proceedings, and some of the matters discussed above seek or may seek potentially large and/or indeterminate amounts. As of such date, based on information known by management, management has not concluded that the final resolutions of the matters above will have a material effect upon the financial statements. However, given the potentially large and/or indeterminate amounts sought or may be sought in certain of these matters and the inherent unpredictability of investigations and litigations, it is possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could, from time to time, have a material effect on KKR's financial results in any particular period.