COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Funding Commitments

As of September 30, 2020, KKR had unfunded commitments consisting of $5,744.0 million to its active 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, 2020, these commitments amounted to $449.0 million and $748.5 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. KKR's capital markets business has an arrangement with third parties, which reduce its risk when underwriting certain debt transactions, and thus our unfunded commitments as of September 30, 2020 have been reduced to reflect the amount to be funded by such third parties. 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.

Non-cancelable Operating Leases

KKR's non-cancelable operating leases consist of leases of office space around the world. There are no material rent holidays, contingent rent, rent concessions or leasehold improvement incentives associated with any of these property leases. In addition to base rentals, certain lease agreements are subject to escalation provisions and rent expense is recognized on a straight‑line basis over the term of the lease agreement.

Contingent Repayment Guarantees

The partnership documents governing KKR's carry-paying investment funds and vehicles 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, 2020, approximately $100.0 million of carried interest was subject to this clawback obligation, assuming that all applicable carry-paying funds and their alternative investment vehicles were liquidated at their September 30, 2020 fair values. Of this amount, approximately $40.0 million is the obligation of certain current and former KKR employees, and approximately $60.0 million is the obligation of KKR. If the investments in all of our funds were to be liquidated at zero value, the clawback obligation would be approximately $2.4 billion. Of this amount, approximately $1.0 billion would be the obligation of certain current and former KKR employees, and approximately $1.4 billion would be the obligation of KKR. Carried interest is recognized in the 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 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, KKR, certain of KKR's investment funds and KFN have provided certain indemnities relating to environmental and other matters and have provided non-recourse carve-out guarantees for fraud, willful misconduct and other customary wrongful acts, each in connection with the financing of KKR's corporate real estate and certain real estate investments and for certain investment vehicles that KKR manages.

KKR provides 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. KKR has also (i) provided credit support regarding repayment and funding 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 in an investment vehicle that includes third party investors and invests in KKR funds and side-by-side alongside KKR funds and (ii) provided credit support to a hedge fund partnership. KKR is not a guarantor for any borrowings, credit facilities or debt securities of its Indian debt financing company.

Additionally, KKR has 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 may also 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.

In May 2020, KKR entered into an agreement with a financial institution pursuant to which KKR provided a $100.0 million contingent guarantee for a revolving credit facility for an investment fund it manages within its Public Markets business line. The outstanding balance is secured by the investments of the fund. KKR has not funded any amounts under the contingent guarantee to date and believes the likelihood of any funding under this contingent guarantee to be remote.

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 and other defendants’ motions to dismiss were denied by the trial court in November 2018, but in April 2019 the Kentucky Court of Appeals vacated the trial court's opinion and order denying the motions to dismiss the case for lack of standing. The decision of the Court of Appeals has been appealed by plaintiffs to the Supreme Court of Kentucky. On July 9, 2020, the Supreme Court of Kentucky reversed the trial court's order and remanded the case to the trial court with direction to dismiss the complaint for lack of constitutional standing. On July 20, 2020, the Office of the Attorney General, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, filed a motion to intervene as a plaintiff in the lawsuit and filed a new lawsuit in the same Kentucky trial court making essentially the same allegations against the defendants, including KKR and Messrs. Kravis and Roberts. On July 29, 2020, certain private plaintiffs in the original lawsuit filed a motion to amend their original complaint and to add new plaintiffs. On July 30, 2020, KKR and other defendants filed objections to the Attorney General’s motion to intervene.

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 or fines 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.