PREM14A 1 d283119dprem14a.htm PREM14A PREM14A
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

SCHEDULE 14A

PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

 

Filed by the Registrant

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant

Check the appropriate box:

 

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement

 

 

Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

 

 

Definitive Proxy Statement

 

 

Definitive Additional Materials

 

 

Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12

TWITTER, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

 

 

No fee required.

 

 

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

 

 

Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

 

 

 


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PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

 

LOGO

TWITTER, INC.

1355 MARKET STREET, SUITE 900

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94103

To the Stockholders of Twitter, Inc.:

You are cordially invited to attend a special meeting of stockholders (which we refer to, together with any adjournment, postponement or other delay thereof, as the “special meeting”) of Twitter, Inc. (which we refer to as “Twitter”). The special meeting will be held on [], 2022, at [], Pacific time. You may attend the special meeting via a live interactive webcast at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. You will be able to listen to the special meeting live and vote online. We believe that a virtual meeting provides expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for our stockholders and Twitter.

At the special meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time), dated as of April 25, 2022 (which we refer to as the “merger agreement”), among X Holdings I, Inc. (which we refer to as “Parent”), X Holdings II, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (which we refer to as “Acquisition Sub”), Twitter, and, solely for the purposes of certain provisions of the merger agreement, Elon R. Musk. Parent is wholly owned by Mr. Musk. We refer to the merger of Acquisition Sub with and into Twitter as the “merger.”

At the special meeting, you will also be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger; and a proposal for the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

If the merger is completed, you will be entitled to receive $54.20 in cash, without interest and subject to any applicable withholding taxes, for each share of our common stock that you own (unless you have properly exercised your appraisal rights). This amount constitutes a premium of approximately 38 percent to the closing price of our common stock on April 1, 2022, which was the last full trading day before Mr. Musk disclosed his approximately nine percent stake in Twitter.

Twitter’s Board of Directors, after considering the factors more fully described in the enclosed proxy statement, unanimously: (1) determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders; and (2) adopted and approved the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

Twitter’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote:

 

  (1)

“FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement;

 

  (2)

“FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger; and


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  (3)

“FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

The accompanying proxy statement provides detailed information about the special meeting, the merger agreement and the merger, and the other proposals to be considered at the special meeting. A copy of the merger agreement is attached as Annex A to the proxy statement.

The accompanying proxy statement also describes the actions and determinations of Twitter’s Board of Directors in connection with its evaluation of the merger agreement and the merger. Please read the proxy statement and its annexes, including the merger agreement, carefully and in their entirety, as they contain important information.

Even if you plan to virtually attend the special meeting, please sign, date and return, as promptly as possible, the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience) or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card). If you virtually attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting, your vote will revoke any proxy that you have previously submitted. If you fail to return your proxy or to attend the special meeting, your shares will not be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the special meeting and will have the same effect as a vote against the adoption of the merger agreement.

If your shares are held through a bank, broker or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” If you hold your shares in “street name,” you will receive instructions from your bank, broker or other nominee that you must follow in order to submit your voting instructions and have your shares counted at the special meeting. Your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote on any of the proposals to be considered at the special meeting without your instructions. Without your instructions, your shares will not be counted for purposes of a quorum or be voted at the special meeting, and that will have the same effect as voting against the adoption of the merger agreement.

Your vote is very important, regardless of the number of shares that you own.

If you have any questions or need assistance voting your shares, please contact our proxy solicitor:

Innisfree M&A Incorporated

501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10022

Stockholders call: (877) 750-8338 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or

+1 (412) 232-3651 (from other countries)

Banks and brokers call collect: (212) 750-5833

On behalf of Twitter’s Board of Directors, thank you for your support.

 

Very truly yours,

 

Parag Agrawal    Bret Taylor

Chief Executive Officer and Director

  

Chairman of the Board of Directors

The accompanying proxy statement is dated [•], 2022 and, together with the enclosed form of proxy card, is first being sent to stockholders on or about [•], 2022.

 

 

 


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PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT—SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

 

LOGO

TWITTER, INC.

1355 MARKET STREET, SUITE 900

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94103

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON [•], 2022

Notice is given that a special meeting of stockholders (which we refer to, together with any adjournment, postponement or other delay thereof, as the “special meeting”) of Twitter, Inc., a Delaware corporation (which we refer to as “Twitter”), will be held on [•], 2022, at [•], Pacific time, for the following purposes:

 

  1.

To consider and vote on the proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time) dated as of April 25, 2022, among X Holdings I, Inc., X Holdings II, Inc., Twitter, and, solely for the purposes of certain provisions of the merger agreement, Elon R. Musk (which we refer to as the “merger agreement”);

 

  2.

To consider and vote on the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger of X Holdings II, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of X Holdings I, Inc., with and into Twitter (which we refer to as the “merger”);

 

  3.

To consider and vote on any proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting; and

 

  4.

To transact any other business that may properly come before the special meeting.

The special meeting will be held by means of a live interactive webcast on the internet at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. You will be able to listen to the special meeting live and vote online. The special meeting will begin promptly at [•], Pacific time. Online check-in will begin a few minutes prior to the special meeting. You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to participate in the special meeting (including voting your shares).

Only Twitter stockholders as of the close of business on [•], 2022 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting.

Twitter’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Twitter stockholders who do not vote in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement will have the right to seek appraisal of the “fair value” of their shares of our common stock (exclusive of any


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elements of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger and together with interest (as described in the accompanying proxy statement) to be paid on the amount determined to be “fair value”) in lieu of receiving $54.20 per share in cash if the merger is completed, as determined in accordance with Section 262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (which is referred to as the “DGCL”). To do so, a Twitter stockholder must properly demand appraisal before the vote is taken on the merger agreement and comply with all other requirements of the DGCL, including Section 262 thereof, which are summarized in the accompanying proxy statement, and must meet certain other conditions. Section 262 of the DGCL is reproduced in its entirety in Annex B to the accompanying proxy statement and is incorporated in this notice by reference.

Even if you plan to attend the special meeting, please sign, date and return, as promptly as possible, the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience) or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card). If you attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting, your vote will revoke any proxy that you have previously submitted. If you fail to return your proxy or to attend the special meeting, your shares will not be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at the special meeting and will have the same effect as a vote against the adoption of the merger agreement.

If your shares are held through a bank, broker or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” If you hold your shares in “street name,” you will receive instructions from your bank, broker or other nominee that you must follow in order to submit your voting instructions and have your shares counted at the special meeting. Your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote on any of the proposals to be considered at the special meeting without your instructions. Without your instructions, your shares will not be counted for purposes of a quorum or voted at the special meeting, and that will have the same effect as voting against the adoption of the merger agreement.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Parag Agrawal

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Dated: [•], 2022

San Francisco, California

 

 


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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Even if you plan to attend the special meeting, we encourage you to submit your proxy as promptly as possible: (1) over the internet; (2) by telephone; or (3) by signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience). You may revoke your proxy or change your vote at any time before your proxy is voted at the special meeting.

If your shares are held through a bank, broker or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” If you hold your shares in “street name,” you will receive instructions from your bank, broker or other nominee that you must follow in order to submit your voting instructions and have your shares counted at the special meeting. Your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote on any of the proposals to be considered at the special meeting without your instructions. Without your instructions, your shares will not be counted for purposes of a quorum or voted at the special meeting, and that will have the same effect as voting against the adoption of the merger agreement.

If you are a stockholder of record, voting at the special meeting will revoke any proxy that you previously submitted. If you hold your shares through a bank, broker or other nominee, you must provide a “legal proxy” from the bank, broker or other nominee that holds your shares in order to vote at the special meeting.

We encourage you to read the accompanying proxy statement and its annexes, including all documents incorporated by reference into the accompanying proxy statement, carefully and in their entirety. If you have any questions concerning the merger, the special meeting or the accompanying proxy statement, would like additional copies of the accompanying proxy statement, or need help voting your shares, please contact our proxy solicitor:

Innisfree M&A Incorporated

501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10022

Stockholders call: (877) 750-8338 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or

+1 (412) 232-3651 (from other countries)

Banks and brokers call collect: (212) 750-5833

 

 

 


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

TRANSACTION SUMMARY

     1  

Introduction

     1  

Parties Involved in the Merger

     1  

Effect of the Merger

     2  

Per Share Price

     2  

The Special Meeting

     3  

Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger

     5  

Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

     5  

Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     5  

Treatment of Equity Awards in the Merger

     6  

Employee Benefits

     8  

Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

     9  

Appraisal Rights

     10  

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

     10  

Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger

     11  

Financing of the Merger

     11  

Restrictions on Solicitation of Other Acquisition Offers

     12  

Change in the Twitter Board’s Recommendation

     14  

Conditions to the Closing of the Merger

     14  

Termination of the Merger Agreement

     15  

Termination Fees and Remedies

     16  

Limited Guarantee

     17  

Delisting and Deregistration of Our Common Stock

     18  

Effect on Twitter if the Merger is Not Completed

     18  

Litigation Relating to the Merger

     18  

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

     19  

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     31  

THE SPECIAL MEETING

     33  

Date, Time and Place

     33  

Purpose of the Special Meeting

     33  

Attending the Special Meeting

     33  

Record Date; Shares Entitled to Vote; Quorum

     33  

Vote Required; Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes

     34  

Shares Held by Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers

     34  

Voting of Proxies

     34  

Revocability of Proxies

     35  

The Twitter Board’s Recommendation

     36  

 

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Adjournment

     36  

Solicitation of Proxies

     36  

Anticipated Date of Completion of the Merger

     37  

Appraisal Rights

     37  

Other Matters

     38  

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials

     38  

Householding of Special Meeting Materials

     38  

Questions and Additional Information

     38  

THE MERGER

     39  

Parties Involved in the Merger

     39  

Effect of the Merger

     40  

Effect on Twitter if the Merger is Not Completed

     40  

Per Share Price

     41  

Background of the Merger

     41  

Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger

     55  

Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

     60  

Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     71  

Unaudited Prospective Financial Information

     78  

Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

     81  

Closing and Effective Time of the Merger

     89  

Appraisal Rights

     89  

Accounting Treatment

     95  

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

     95  

Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger

     98  

Limited Guarantee

     102  

Financing of the Merger

     102  

Delisting and Deregistration of Our Common Stock

     105  

Litigation Relating to the Merger

     105  

PROPOSAL 1: ADOPTION OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT

     106  

PROPOSAL 2: APPROVAL, ON A NON-BINDING, ADVISORY BASIS, OF CERTAIN MERGER-RELATED EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

     107  

PROPOSAL 3: ADJOURNMENT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING

     108  

THE MERGER AGREEMENT

     109  

Closing and Effective Time of the Merger

     109  

Effects of the Merger; Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws; Directors and Officers

     110  

Conversion of Shares

     110  

Payment Agent, Exchange Fund and Exchange and Payment Procedures

     112  

Representations and Warranties

     113  

Conduct of Business Pending the Merger

     116  

 

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Restrictions on Solicitation of Other Acquisition Offers

     119  

The Twitter Board’s Recommendation; Board Recommendation Change

     121  

Stockholder Meeting

     122  

Employee Benefits

     122  

Efforts to Close the Merger

     123  

Indemnification and Insurance

     126  

Conditions to the Closing of the Merger

     128  

Termination of the Merger Agreement

     128  

Termination Fees and Remedies

     130  

Fees and Expenses

     131  

No Third Party Beneficiaries

     132  

Assignment

     132  

Amendment and Waiver

     132  

Governing Law and Venue

     132  

Waiver of Jury Trial

     132  

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

     133  

FUTURE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

     136  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     137  

MISCELLANEOUS

     139  

ANNEX A – Agreement and Plan of Merger

  

 

 

 

ANNEX B – Section  262 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

  

 

 

 

ANNEX C – Opinion of Goldman Sachs  & Co. LLC

  

 

 

 

ANNEX D – Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

  

 

 

 

 

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TRANSACTION SUMMARY

Except as otherwise specifically noted in this proxy statement, “Twitter,” “we,” “our,” “us” and similar words refer to Twitter, Inc., including, in certain cases, our subsidiaries. Throughout this proxy statement, the “Twitter Board” refers to Twitter’s Board of Directors. Throughout this proxy statement, we refer to X Holdings I, Inc. as “Parent” and X Holdings II, Inc. as “Acquisition Sub.” In addition, throughout this proxy statement we refer to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time), dated April 25, 2022, between Twitter, Parent, Acquisition Sub and, solely for the purposes described therein, Elon Musk as the “merger agreement.”

This summary highlights selected information from this proxy statement related to the proposed merger of Acquisition Sub (a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent) with and into Twitter, with Twitter surviving and continuing as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. We refer to that transaction as the “merger.”

This proxy statement may not contain all of the information that is important to you. To understand the merger more fully and for a complete description of its legal terms, you should carefully read this proxy statement, including the annexes to this proxy statement and the other documents to which we refer in this proxy statement. You may obtain the information incorporated by reference in this proxy statement without charge by following the instructions in the section of this proxy statement captioned “Where You Can Find More Information.” A copy of the merger agreement is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement. We encourage you to read the merger agreement, which is the legal document that governs the merger, carefully and in its entirety.

Introduction

On April 25, 2022, Twitter agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of Elon Musk. If the merger is completed, each outstanding share of our common stock (which we refer to as our “common stock”) (subject to certain exceptions) will be converted into the right to receive $54.20 per share in cash.

Parties Involved in the Merger

Twitter, Inc.

Twitter is what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about right now. Our primary product, Twitter, is a global platform for public self-expression and conversation in real time. We have democratized content creation and distribution so people can consume, create, distribute and discover content about the topics and events they care about most. Through Topics, Interests, and Trends, we help people discover what’s happening through text, images, on demand and live video, and audio from people, content partners, media organizations, advertisers and others. Media outlets, websites, and other partners extend the reach of Twitter content by distributing Tweets beyond our app and website.

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (which we refer to as the “NYSE”) under the symbol “TWTR.” Twitter’s corporate offices are located at 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, California 94103, and its telephone number is (415) 222-9670.

X Holdings I, Inc.

Parent was formed on April 19, 2022, solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and has not engaged in any business activities other than as

 

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incidental to its formation and in connection with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and arranging of the equity financing and the debt financing in connection with the merger.

Parent’s address is c/o Elon Musk, 2110 Ranch Road 620 S. #341886, Austin, TX 78734.

X Holdings II, Inc.

Acquisition Sub is a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent and was formed on April 19, 2022, solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Acquisition Sub has not engaged in any business activities other than as incidental to its formation and in connection with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and arranging of the equity financing and the debt financing in connection with the merger. Upon completion of the merger, Acquisition Sub will cease to exist and Twitter will continue as the surviving corporation.

Acquisition Sub’s address is c/o Elon Musk, 2110 Ranch Road 620 S. #341886, Austin, TX 78734.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk leads SpaceX, Tesla, Inc., Neuralink Corp. and The Boring Company. Mr. Musk has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tesla, Inc. since October 2008, as a member of the Board of Directors of Tesla, Inc. since April 2004, as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer and Chairman of the Board of SpaceX since May 2002, and served as Chairman of the Board of SolarCity Corporation, a solar installation company, from July 2006 until its acquisition by Tesla in November 2016. Mr. Musk is also the founder of The Boring Company and of Neuralink Corp. Mr. Musk also co-founded Zip2 Corporation, an early internet company, and PayPal. Mr. Musk has served on the board of directors of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. since April 2021. Mr. Musk holds a B.A. in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in business from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Musk’s address is 2110 Ranch Road 620 S. #341886, Austin, TX 78734.

Effect of the Merger

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the merger agreement, and in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law (which we refer to as the “DGCL”), at the effective time of the merger: (1) Acquisition Sub will merge with and into Twitter; (2) the separate existence of Acquisition Sub will cease; and (3) Twitter will continue as the surviving corporation in the merger and as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. Throughout this proxy statement, we use the term “surviving corporation” to refer to Twitter as the surviving corporation following the merger.

As a result of the merger, Twitter will cease to be a publicly traded company. If the merger is completed, you will not own any shares of capital stock of the surviving corporation.

The time at which the merger becomes effective (which we refer to as the “effective time of the merger”) will occur upon the filing of a certificate of merger with, and acceptance of that certificate by, the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (or at a later time as Twitter, Parent and Acquisition Sub may agree and specify in the certificate of merger).

Per Share Price

At the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of our common stock (subject to certain exceptions) will be automatically canceled and will cease to exist and will be converted into the right to

 

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receive $54.20 in cash, without interest. We refer to this amount as the “per share price.” For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Conversion of Shares.”

Prior to the closing of the merger, Parent will designate an appropriate paying agent to make payments of the merger consideration to our stockholders. At or prior to the effective time of the merger, Parent will deposit (or cause to be deposited) with the paying agent cash constituting an amount equal to the aggregate merger consideration in accordance with the merger agreement. Once a stockholder (subject to certain exceptions) has provided the paying agent with any documentation required by the paying agent, the paying agent will pay such stockholder the appropriate portion of the aggregate merger consideration (subject to any applicable withholding taxes) in exchange for the shares of our common stock held by that stockholder. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Paying Agent, Exchange Fund and Exchange and Payment Procedures.”

After the merger is completed, you will have the right to receive the per share price for each share of our common stock that you own, but you will no longer have any rights as a stockholder of Twitter (except that our stockholders who properly and validly exercise and perfect, and do not validly withdraw or otherwise lose, their demand for appraisal or dissenters’ rights under the DGCL or other applicable law will have the right to receive a payment for the “fair value” of their shares as determined pursuant to an appraisal proceeding as contemplated by the DGCL, as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Appraisal Rights”).

The Special Meeting

Date, Time and Place

A special meeting of our stockholders will be held on [•], 2022, at [•], Pacific time. You may attend the special meeting via a live interactive webcast at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. We refer to the special meeting, and any adjournment, postponement or other delay of the special meeting, as the “special meeting.” You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to participate in the special meeting (including voting your shares). We believe that a virtual meeting provides expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for our stockholders and Twitter.

Purpose

At the special meeting, we will ask stockholders to vote on proposals to: (1) adopt the merger agreement; (2) approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Record Date; Shares Entitled to Vote

You are entitled to vote at the special meeting if you owned shares of our common stock as of the close of business on [•], 2022 (which we refer to as the “record date”). For each share of our common stock that you owned as of the close of business on the record date, you will have one vote on each matter submitted for a vote at the special meeting.

 

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Quorum

As of the record date, there were [•] shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the special meeting. The holders of a majority of the voting power of our stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum.

Required Vote

The proposals to be voted on at the special meeting require the following votes:

 

   

Proposal 1: Approval of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock outstanding as of the record date.

 

   

Proposal 2: Approval of the proposal to approve the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal. This vote will be on a non-binding, advisory basis.

 

   

Proposal 3: Approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.

Voting and Proxies

Any stockholder of record entitled to vote at the special meeting may vote in any of the following ways:

 

   

by proxy, by returning a signed and dated proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience);

 

   

by proxy, by granting a proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card); or

 

   

by attending the special meeting and voting at the special meeting using the control number on the enclosed proxy card.

If you are a stockholder of record, you may change your vote or revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the special meeting by (1) signing another proxy card with a later date and returning it prior to the special meeting; (2) submitting a new proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone after the date of the earlier submitted proxy; (3) delivering a written notice of revocation to our Corporate Secretary; or (4) attending the special meeting and voting at the special meeting.

If you are a beneficial owner and hold your shares of our common stock in “street name” through a bank, broker or other nominee, you should instruct your bank, broker or other nominee on how you wish to vote your shares of our common stock using the instructions provided by your bank, broker or other nominee. Under applicable stock exchange rules, banks, brokers or other nominees have the discretion to vote on routine matters, but not on non-routine matters. The proposals to be considered

 

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at the special meeting are all non-routine matters, and banks, brokers and other nominees cannot vote on these proposals without your instructions. Therefore, it is important that you cast your vote or instruct your bank, broker or nominee on how you wish to vote your shares.

If you hold your shares of our common stock in “street name,” you should contact your bank, broker or other nominee for instructions regarding how to change your vote. You may also vote at the special meeting if you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting.

Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger

The Twitter Board, after considering various factors described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger,” unanimously: (1) determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders; and (2) adopted and approved the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

At a meeting of the Twitter Board held on April 25, 2022, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (which we refer to as “Goldman Sachs”) rendered its oral opinion, subsequently confirmed by delivery of its written opinion, dated April 25, 2022, to the Twitter Board that, as of the date of the written opinion and based upon and subject to limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth therein, the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement was fair from a financial point of view to such holders, as more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC.

The full text of the written opinion of Goldman Sachs, dated April 25, 2022, which sets forth assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is attached as Annex C to this proxy statement. Goldman Sachs provided advisory services and its opinion for the information and assistance of the Twitter Board in connection with its consideration of the merger. The Goldman Sachs opinion is not a recommendation as to how any holder of our common stock should vote with respect to the merger or any other matter.

Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

At the meeting of the Twitter Board on April 25, 2022, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (which we refer to as “J.P. Morgan”) rendered its oral opinion to the Twitter Board that, as of such date and based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth in its opinion, the consideration to be paid to our common stockholders in the proposed transaction was fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders. J.P. Morgan has confirmed its April 25, 2022 oral opinion by delivering its written opinion to the Twitter Board, dated April 25, 2022, that, as of such date, the consideration to be paid to

 

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Twitter’s common stockholders in the proposed merger was fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders, as more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.

The full text of the written opinion of J.P. Morgan dated April 25, 2022, which sets forth, among other things, the assumptions made, matters considered and limits on the review undertaken, is attached as Annex D to this proxy statement. The summary of the opinion of J.P. Morgan set forth in this proxy statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such opinion. Twitter’s stockholders are urged to read the opinion in its entirety. J.P. Morgan’s written opinion was addressed to the Twitter Board (in its capacity as such) in connection with and for the purposes of its evaluation of the proposed merger, was directed only to the $54.20 per share in cash to be paid to holders of our common stock pursuant to the merger agreement and did not address any other aspect of the merger. J.P. Morgan expressed no opinion as to the fairness of the consideration to the holders of any class of securities, creditors or other constituencies of Twitter or as to the underlying decision by Twitter to engage in the proposed merger. The issuance of J.P. Morgan’s opinion was approved by a fairness committee of J.P. Morgan. The summary of the opinion of J.P. Morgan set forth in this proxy statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such opinion. The opinion does not constitute a recommendation to any stockholder of Twitter as to how such stockholder should vote with respect to the proposed merger or any other matter.

Treatment of Equity Awards in the Merger

The merger agreement provides that Twitter’s equity awards that are outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be treated in the following manner in connection with the merger. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Conversion of Shares—Equity Awards; ESPP.” We refer to awards of restricted stock units as “Twitter RSUs” (including performance-based restricted stock units, or “Twitter PSUs”) and restricted stock as “Twitter equity-based awards.” We refer to awards of stock options to purchase shares of our common stock as “Twitter options.”

Treatment of Twitter Equity-based Awards

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter equity-based award (other than a vested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such vested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any vested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the level of performance at which such equity-based award vested in accordance with its terms).

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter equity-based award (other than an unvested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such unvested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any unvested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the target level of performance), which amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the

 

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applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter equity-based award for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter equity-based award immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than performance-based vesting conditions, which will not apply following the effective time of the merger).

Treatment of Twitter Options

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option.

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option, which cash amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter option for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter option immediately prior to the effective time of the merger.

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, any Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger and for which the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter options is equal to or greater than the per share price will be canceled without any cash payment or other consideration being made in respect of such Twitter option.

Treatment of the ESPP

 

   

As provided in the merger agreement, the Twitter Board has adopted resolutions that provide that (1) the current offering period under our 2013 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (which we refer to as the “ESPP”) will be the final offering period and no further offering period will commence pursuant to the ESPP after the date of the merger agreement, and (2) except as may be required by law, each individual participating in the final offering period as of the date of the merger agreement will not be permitted to (a) increase his or her payroll contribution rate pursuant to the ESPP from the rate in effect when the final offering period commenced or (b) make separate non-payroll contributions to the ESPP on or following the date of the merger agreement.

 

   

Prior to the effective time of the merger, Twitter will take all actions that may be necessary to give effect to the treatment described above and to (1) cause the final offering period, to the extent that it would otherwise be outstanding at the effective time, to be terminated no later

 

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than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs; (2) make any pro rata adjustments that may be necessary to reflect the final offering period, but otherwise treat the final offering period as a fully effective and completed offering period for all purposes pursuant to the ESPP; and (3) cause the exercise (as of no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs) of each outstanding purchase right pursuant to the ESPP.

 

   

On such exercise date, Twitter will apply the funds credited as of such date pursuant to the ESPP within each participant’s payroll withholding account to the purchase of whole shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the ESPP, and such shares of our common stock will be entitled to the per share price. Immediately prior to and effective as of the effective time of the merger (but subject to the consummation of the merger), Twitter will terminate the ESPP.

Employee Benefits

 

   

For a period of one year following the effective time of the merger, Parent will, or will cause the surviving corporation or any of their affiliates to, provide for each continuing employee (1) at least the same base salary and wage rate, (2) short- and long-term target incentive compensation opportunities that are no less favorable in the aggregate than those provided to each such continuing employee immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (provided that Parent will not be obligated to provide such incentives in the form of equity or equity-based awards) and (3) employee benefits (excluding equity and equity-based awards) which are substantially comparable in the aggregate (including with respect to the proportion of employee cost) to those provided to such continuing employee immediately prior to the effective time of the merger. During the one-year period following the effective time of the merger, Parent will, or will cause the surviving corporation or any of their affiliates to, provide severance payments and benefits to each continuing employee that are no less favorable than those applicable to the continuing employee immediately prior to the effective time of the merger under the existing arrangements providing for compensation or employee benefits (which we refer to as “Twitter benefit plans”).

 

   

Parent agrees that the surviving corporation will cause the surviving corporation’s employee benefit plans established following the closing of the merger (if any) and any other employee benefit plans covering the continuing employees following the effective time of the merger (which we refer to, collectively, as the “post-closing benefit plans”), to recognize the service of each continuing employee (to the extent such service was recognized by Twitter) for purposes of eligibility, vesting and determination of the level of benefits (but not for the benefit accrual purposes under a defined benefit pension plan) under the post-closing benefit plans, to the extent such recognition does not result in the duplication of any benefits.

 

   

For the calendar year including the effective time of the merger, the continuing employees will not be required to satisfy any deductible, co-payment, out-of-pocket maximum or similar requirements under the post-closing benefit plans that provide medical, dental and other welfare benefits (which we refer to, collectively, as the “post-closing welfare plans”) to the extent amounts were previously credited for such purposes under comparable Twitter benefit plans that provide medical, dental and other welfare benefits.

 

   

As of the effective time of the merger, any waiting periods, pre-existing condition exclusions and requirements to show evidence of good health contained in such post-closing welfare

 

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plans will be waived with respect to the continuing employees (except to the extent any such waiting period, pre-existing condition exclusion or requirement to show evidence of good health was already in effect with respect to such employees and has not been satisfied under the applicable Twitter benefit plan in which the participant then participates or is otherwise eligible to participate as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger).

For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Employee Benefits.”

Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

When considering the recommendation of the Twitter Board that you vote to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement, you should be aware that our directors and executive officers may have interests in the merger that are different from, or in addition to, your interests as a stockholder. In (1) evaluating and negotiating the merger agreement, (2) approving the merger agreement and the merger and (3) recommending that the merger agreement be adopted by our stockholders, the Twitter Board was aware of and considered these interests to the extent that they existed at the time, among other matters. These interests include the following:

 

   

For our executive officers, the treatment of their Twitter equity-based awards, as described in more detail in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger—Treatment of Equity-Based Awards.”

 

   

For our non-employee directors, the treatment of their Twitter equity-based awards and Twitter options, as described in more detail in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger—Treatment of Equity-Based Awards.”

 

   

The entitlement of each of our executive officers to receive payments and benefits pursuant to Twitter’s Change of Control and Involuntary Termination Policy (which we refer to as the “severance policy”) if, during the period beginning on our change of control (or, in the case of Mr. Agrawal, beginning three months before our change of control) and ending 12 months after our change of control (which we refer to as the “COC period”), Twitter terminates their employment with Twitter for a reason other than “cause,” death or “disability” or they resign for “good reason” (which we refer to as an “involuntary termination”), in each case as set forth in the severance policy. These payments and benefits include:

 

   

a lump sum payment equal to 100 percent of base salary;

 

   

payment of continuation of coverage premiums under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (which we refer to as “COBRA”) for up to 12 months, or taxable payments in lieu of such payment; and

 

   

50 percent (or 100 percent in the case of Mr. Agrawal and Mr. Segal) acceleration of vesting of unvested equity awards (with performance-based vesting deemed achieved at target levels as to that percentage).

 

   

The continued indemnification and insurance coverage for our directors and executive officers from the surviving corporation and Parent under the terms of the merger agreement.

 

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Appraisal Rights

If the merger is consummated, our stockholders who (1) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) continuously hold their applicable shares of our common stock through the effective time of the merger; (3) properly demand appraisal of their applicable shares; (4) meet certain statutory requirements described in this proxy statement; and (5) do not withdraw their demands or otherwise lose their rights to appraisal, will be entitled to seek appraisal of their shares in connection with the merger under Section 262 of the DGCL if certain conditions set forth in Section 262(g) of the DGCL are satisfied. This means that these stockholders will be entitled to have their shares appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment in cash of the “fair value” of their shares of our common stock, exclusive of any elements of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown) interest on the amount determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery to be fair value from the effective date of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment at a rate of five percent over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the effective date of the merger and the date of payment of the judgment, compounded quarterly (except that, if at any time before the entry of judgment in the proceeding, the surviving corporation makes a voluntary cash payment to stockholders seeking appraisal, interest will accrue thereafter only upon the sum of (1) the difference, if any, between the amount so paid and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery; and (2) interest theretofore accrued, unless paid at that time). The surviving corporation is under no obligation to make such voluntary cash payment prior to such entry of judgment. Due to the complexity of the appraisal process, stockholders who wish to seek appraisal of their shares are encouraged to seek the advice of legal counsel with respect to the exercise of appraisal rights.

Stockholders considering seeking appraisal should be aware that the fair value of their shares as determined pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL could be more than, the same as or less than the value of the consideration that they would receive pursuant to the merger agreement if they did not seek appraisal of their shares.

Only a stockholder of record may submit a demand for appraisal. To exercise appraisal rights, the stockholder of record must (1) submit a written demand for appraisal to Twitter before the vote is taken on the proposal to adopt the merger agreement; (2) not vote, in person or by proxy, in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement; (3) continue to hold the subject shares of our common stock of record through the effective time of the merger; and (4) strictly comply with all other procedures for exercising appraisal rights under the DGCL. The failure to follow exactly the procedures specified under the DGCL may result in the loss of appraisal rights. In addition, the Delaware Court of Chancery will dismiss appraisal proceedings in respect of Twitter unless certain conditions are satisfied by the stockholders seeking appraisal, as described further below. The requirements under Section 262 of the DGCL for exercising appraisal rights are described in further detail in this proxy statement, which description is qualified in its entirety by Section 262 of the DGCL, the relevant section of the DGCL regarding appraisal rights, a copy of which is attached as Annex B to this proxy statement. If you hold your shares of our common stock through a bank, broker or other nominee and you wish to exercise appraisal rights, you should consult with your bank, broker or other nominee to determine the appropriate procedures for the making of a demand for appraisal on your behalf by your bank, broker or other nominee.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the receipt of cash by a U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the

 

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Merger”) in exchange for such U.S. Holder’s shares of our common stock in the merger generally will result in the recognition of gain or loss in an amount measured by the difference, if any, between the amount of cash that such U.S. Holder receives in the merger and such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares of our common stock surrendered in the merger.

A Non-U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger”) generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to the exchange of our common stock for cash in the merger unless such Non-U.S. Holder has certain connections to the United States, but may be subject to backup withholding tax unless the Non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification procedures or otherwise establishes a valid exemption from backup withholding tax.

For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger.” Stockholders should consult their own tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the merger in light of their particular circumstances and any consequences arising under U.S. federal non-income tax laws or the laws of any territory, state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.

Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger

The merger cannot be completed until the waiting periods (and any extensions thereof, if any) applicable to the merger under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (which we refer to as the “HSR Act”) and the laws of certain other jurisdictions have expired or otherwise been terminated, or all requisite consents pursuant to those laws have been obtained. Under the merger agreement, each of Twitter, Parent and Acquisition Sub agreed to (1) promptly make its respective filings under the HSR Act, and (2) as promptly as reasonably practicable, make any other applications and filings as are mutually agreed by Parent and Twitter, under any antitrust laws or foreign investment laws with respect to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Although we expect that all required regulatory clearances and approvals will be obtained, we cannot assure you that these regulatory clearances and approvals will be timely obtained or obtained at all, or that the granting of these regulatory clearances and approvals will not involve the imposition of additional conditions on the completion of the merger. For more information, please see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger.”

Financing of the Merger

The total amount of funds necessary to consummate the merger and related transactions, including payment of related fees and expenses, will be approximately $46.5 billion. The transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including (1) the payment of consideration due to our stockholders and the holders of our equity awards under the merger agreement, (2) the repayment of all or a portion of Twitter’s outstanding indebtedness, and (3) the aggregate of all other amounts, costs, fees and expenses required to be paid by Parent will be funded with the proceeds of committed equity and debt financing, as further described below.

Pursuant to an equity commitment letter, as amended and restated (which we refer to as the “equity commitment letter”), Mr. Musk initially committed to contribute or otherwise provide equity capital to Parent in an aggregate amount of up to approximately $21.0 billion in immediately available funds, as necessary to fully discharge, when taken together with the aggregate proceeds of the debt financing (or, if applicable, alternative financing) actually funded at the closing, the amounts required to be funded by Parent in connection with the merger agreement, including (1) the consideration due to our

 

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stockholders and the holders of our equity awards under the merger agreement and (2) the aggregate of all other amounts, costs, fees and expenses required to be paid by Parent in connection with the transactions pursuant to and in accordance with the merger agreement. On May 4, 2022, the equity commitment letter was amended to increase Mr. Musk’s financing commitment thereunder to $27.25 billion (which we refer to as the “equity financing”).

Pursuant to a debt commitment letter (which we refer to as the “debt commitment letter”), Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and the other financial institutions party thereto committed to provide to Acquisition Sub (which we collectively refer to as the “bank debt financing”):

 

   

a senior secured term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $6.5 billion;

 

   

a senior secured revolving facility in an aggregate committed amount of $500.0 million;

 

   

up to $3.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of senior secured bridge commitments (which commitments may be replaced by the proceeds of the issuance of one or more series of senior secured notes (in escrow or otherwise) pursuant to a Rule 144A offering or other private placement, as contemplated by the debt commitment letter); and

 

   

up to $3.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured bridge commitments (which commitments may be replaced by the proceeds of the issuance of one or more series of senior unsecured notes (in escrow or otherwise) pursuant to a Rule 144A offering or other private placement, as contemplated by the debt commitment letter).

The proceeds of the bank debt financing would be used at the closing of the merger, together with the proceeds of the equity financing, for the purposes of (1) financing the consummation of the merger, paying fees and expenses incurred in connection with the merger, and (2) the repayment of all or a portion of Twitter’s outstanding indebtedness (we refer to clause (2) as the “refinancing”).

Pursuant to a margin loan commitment letter (which we refer to as the “margin loan commitment letter”), Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and the other financial institutions party thereto committed to provide $12.5 billion (which we refer to as the “margin loan financing”) to X Holdings III, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company of which Mr. Musk is the sole member (which we refer to as “X Holdings III”). The margin loan financing is to be used, together with the proceeds of the equity financing and the bank debt financing, for the purpose of financing the consummation of the merger and paying fees and expenses incurred in connection with the merger. On May 4, 2022, the aggregate principal amount of the commitments available to X Holdings III under the margin loan commitment letter was reduced to an aggregate principal amount of $6.25 billion. For more information, please see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Efforts to Close the Merger—Financing.”

Restrictions on Solicitation of Other Acquisition Offers

Under the merger agreement, during the period commencing on the date of the merger agreement and continuing until the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed that it will, and will cause each of its directors, executive officers and subsidiaries to, and will instruct its other representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any existing solicitation of, or discussions or negotiations with, any third party relating to any competing proposal.

 

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Until the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, except as otherwise provided in the relevant provisions of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed that it will not, and will cause each of its directors, executive officers and subsidiaries not to, and it will instruct its other representatives not to:

 

   

solicit, initiate, knowingly encourage or knowingly facilitate, whether publicly or otherwise, any substantive discussion, offer or request that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a competing proposal; or

 

   

engage in negotiations or substantive discussions with, or furnish any material non-public information to, any person relating to a competing proposal or any inquiry or proposal that would reasonably be expected to lead to a competing proposal.

In addition, until the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed to:

 

   

as promptly as reasonably practicable, and in any event within one business day of receipt by Twitter or any of its directors, executive officers or subsidiaries of any competing proposal or any request that would reasonably be expected to lead to the making of a competing proposal, deliver to Parent a written notice setting forth the identity of the person making such competing proposal or request and the material terms and conditions of any such competing proposal; and

 

   

keep Parent reasonably informed of any material amendment or other modification of any such competing proposal or request on a prompt basis, and in any event within two business days following Twitter’s receipt in writing of such an amendment or modification.

However, at any time prior to obtaining the requisite stockholder approval, in the event that Twitter receives a competing proposal from any person or group of persons, (1) Twitter and its representatives may contact such person to clarify the terms and conditions thereof and (2) Twitter, the Twitter Board and their respective representatives may engage in negotiations or discussions with, or furnish any information and other access to, any person or group of persons making such competing proposal and any of its representatives or potential sources of financing if the Twitter Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its legal counsel and financial advisors) that such competing proposal either constitutes a superior proposal or would reasonably be expected to result in a superior proposal; provided that (a) prior to furnishing any material non-public information concerning Twitter or its subsidiaries, Twitter receives from such person or group, to the extent that such person or group is not already subject to a confidentiality agreement with Twitter, an executed confidentiality agreement containing customary confidentiality terms (it being understood that such confidentiality agreement need not contain a standstill provision or otherwise restrict the making, or amendment, of a competing proposal to Twitter or the Twitter Board) and (b) any such material non-public information so furnished in writing shall be promptly made available to Parent to the extent it was not previously made available to Parent or its representatives. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Restrictions on Solicitation of Other Acquisition Offers.”

Twitter is not entitled to terminate the merger agreement to enter into an agreement for a superior proposal unless it complies with certain procedures in the merger agreement, including engaging in good faith negotiations with Parent during a specified period. If Twitter terminates the merger agreement in order to accept a superior proposal from a third party it must pay a termination fee to Parent. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—The Twitter Board’s Recommendation; Board Recommendation Change.”

 

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Change in the Twitter Board’s Recommendation

Under the merger agreement, the Twitter Board will not (1) publicly recommend that Twitter’s stockholders vote against the adoption of the merger agreement, (2) approve or recommend to Twitter’s stockholders any competing proposal (we refer to the actions described in (1) and (2), collectively, as a “Twitter Board recommendation change”), or (3) approve or recommend or allow Twitter to enter into an agreement with respect to a competing proposal, other than, under certain circumstances, if it determines in good faith, after consultation with its legal counsel and financial advisors, that (a) failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with the Twitter Board’s fiduciary duties under applicable law or (b) a competing proposal constitutes a superior proposal, and, in each case, the Twitter Board complies with the terms of the merger agreement. If Twitter or Parent terminates the merger agreement under certain circumstances, including because of a Twitter Board recommendation change prior to the adoption of the merger agreement, then Twitter must pay to Parent a termination fee. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—The Twitter Boards Recommendation; Board Recommendation Change.”

Conditions to the Closing of the Merger

The obligations of Parent, Acquisition Sub and Twitter, as applicable, to consummate the merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including the following:

 

   

the adoption of the merger agreement by the requisite affirmative vote of our stockholders;

 

   

the expiration or termination of the waiting period applicable to the merger under the HSR Act, and, to the extent applicable, each consent or approval required under any antitrust laws or foreign investment laws in certain specified jurisdictions having been made, obtained or received (or, as applicable, the waiting periods, if any, with respect thereto will have expired or been terminated); and

 

   

the absence of any then-effective law or order enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered into by any governmental authority in certain specified jurisdictions which has the effect of restraining, enjoining, rendering illegal or otherwise prohibiting consummation of the merger, or causing the merger to be rescinded following the consummation thereof.

The obligations of Parent and Acquisition Sub to consummate the merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following additional conditions, any of which may be waived by Parent:

 

   

Twitter having performed and complied in all material respects with the obligations required by the merger agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the closing of the merger;

 

   

the accuracy of the representations and warranties of Twitter in the merger agreement, subject to applicable materiality or other qualifiers, as of the effective time of the merger or the date in respect of which such representation or warranty was specifically made; and

 

   

the absence of any Company Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Representations and Warranties”) having occurred that is continuing.

 

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The obligation of Twitter to consummate the merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following additional conditions, any of which may be waived by Twitter:

 

   

Parent and Acquisition Sub having performed and complied in all material respects with the obligations required by the merger agreement to be performed or complied with by Parent or Acquisition Sub on or prior to the closing of the merger; and

 

   

the accuracy of the representations and warranties of Parent and Acquisition Sub in the merger agreement, subject to applicable materiality or other qualifiers, as of the effective time of the merger or the date in respect of which such representation or warranty was specifically made.

Termination of the Merger Agreement

The merger agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the effective time of the merger, whether before or after the adoption of the merger agreement by our stockholders (except as otherwise provided in the merger agreement), in the following ways:

 

   

by mutual written agreement of Twitter and Parent;

 

   

by either Twitter or Parent if:

 

   

the merger has not been consummated by 5:00 p.m., Pacific time, on October 24, 2022 (as such date may be extended pursuant to the terms of this provision, which we refer to as the “termination date”), except that (1) a party may not terminate the merger agreement pursuant to this provision if such party’s failure to perform or comply with any of its obligations under the merger agreement has been the principal cause of, or resulted in, the failure to consummate the merger by the termination date, and (2) the termination date will be extended for an additional six months if, as of the termination date, the closing condition regarding (a) the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act or the receipt of approvals under the other specified antitrust laws or foreign investment laws or (b) the absence of any applicable legal restraint prohibiting the consummation of the merger has not been satisfied;

 

   

prior to the effective time of the merger, any governmental authority of competent jurisdiction has enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any law or order or taken any other action permanently restraining, enjoining, rendering illegal or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and such law or order or other action has become final and non-appealable, except, in each case, that the right to terminate will not be available to any party (1) that has failed to use the efforts required by the merger agreement to remove such law, order or other action, or (2) if the issuance of such law or order or taking of such action was primarily due to the failure of such party, and, in the case of Parent, the failure of Acquisition Sub or Mr. Musk, to perform any of its obligations under the merger agreement; or

 

   

our stockholders do not adopt the merger agreement at the special meeting (or at any adjournment or postponement thereof at which the merger agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby are voted on);

 

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by Twitter if:

 

   

subject to a 30-day cure period, Parent, Acquisition Sub or Mr. Musk has breached or failed to perform any of their respective representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements in the merger agreement, which breach or failure would give rise to the failure of relevant conditions to effect the closing of the merger, except that the right to terminate will not be available to Twitter if Twitter is then in material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements under the merger agreement;

 

   

the Twitter Board has authorized Twitter to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to a superior proposal, if, substantially concurrently with the termination of the merger agreement, Twitter enters into such definitive agreement and pays (or causes to be paid) the termination fee to and at the direction of Parent; or

 

   

(1) Parent and Acquisition Sub have been notified in writing that the conditions precedent to Parent’s and Acquisition Sub’s obligations to close the merger set forth in the merger agreement (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the closing, each of which is capable of being satisfied if the closing were to occur at such time) have been satisfied or waived in accordance with the merger agreement; (2) Parent and Acquisition Sub fail to consummate the merger within three business days following the date on which the closing should have occurred; and (3) during such three business day period, Twitter stood ready, willing and able to consummate the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement; and

 

   

by Parent if:

 

   

subject to a 30-day cure period, Twitter has breached or failed to perform any of its representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements in the merger agreement, which breach or failure would give rise to the failure of relevant conditions to effect the closing of the merger, except that the right to terminate will not be available to Parent if Parent, Acquisition Sub or Mr. Musk is then in material breach of any of its representations, warranties, covenants or agreements under the merger agreement; or

 

   

prior to the adoption of the merger agreement by the requisite affirmative vote of our stockholders, the Twitter Board has made a Twitter Board recommendation change.

Termination Fees and Remedies

The merger agreement contains certain termination rights for Twitter and Parent.

Upon valid termination of the merger agreement under specified circumstances, Twitter will be required to pay, at the direction of Parent, a termination fee of $1,000,000,000. Specifically, this termination fee will be payable by Twitter to Parent if:

 

   

(1) a third party will have made a competing proposal after the date of the merger agreement, (2) the merger agreement is subsequently terminated by (a) Twitter or Parent because our stockholders have failed to approve the merger agreement at the special meeting or (b) Parent as a result of a breach or failure by Twitter to perform any of its representations, warranties,

 

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covenants or other agreements in the merger agreement (subject to a 30-day cure period), which breach or failure would give rise to the failure of any condition to effect the closing of the merger, and at the time of such special meeting or breach, as applicable, a competing proposal has been publicly announced and has not been withdrawn, and (3) within 12 months of such termination of the merger agreement, Twitter consummates a transaction involving a competing proposal or enters into a definitive agreement providing for the consummation of a competing proposal and such competing proposal is subsequently consummated (provided that, for purposes of this paragraph, all percentages in the definition of competing proposal are increased to 50 percent);

 

   

the merger agreement is terminated by Twitter to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to a superior proposal; or

 

   

the merger agreement is terminated by Parent if the Twitter Board made a Twitter Board recommendation change prior to the adoption of the merger agreement by the requisite affirmative vote of our stockholders.

Upon valid termination of the merger agreement under certain specified circumstances, Parent will be required to pay, at the direction of Twitter, a termination fee of $1,000,000,000, the payment of which has been guaranteed pursuant and subject to the terms and conditions of the limited guaranty. Specifically, the termination fee will be payable by Parent to Twitter if the merger agreement is terminated by Twitter:

 

   

as a result of a breach or failure by Parent, Acquisition Sub or Mr. Musk to perform any of its respective representations, warranties, covenants or other agreements in the merger agreement (subject to a 30-day cure period), which breach or failure would give rise to the failure of relevant conditions to effect the closing of the merger; or

 

   

because Parent and Acquisition Sub failed to consummate the merger as required pursuant to, and in the circumstances specified in, and subject to the terms of, the merger agreement while Twitter stood ready, willing and able to consummate the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

The merger agreement also provides that Twitter, on one hand, or Parent and Acquisition Sub, on the other hand, may specifically enforce the obligations under the merger agreement in accordance with its terms. In addition, Twitter is entitled to obtain specific performance or other equitable relief to enforce Parent’s and Acquisition Sub’s obligations to cause Mr. Musk to fund the equity financing, or to enforce Mr. Musk’s obligation to fund the equity financing directly, and to consummate the closing of the merger, if certain conditions are satisfied, including the funding or availability of the debt financing.

Neither Parent nor Twitter is required to pay to the other a termination fee on more than one occasion.

Limited Guarantee

Pursuant to the limited guarantee delivered by Elon Musk in favor of Twitter, dated as of April 25, 2022 (which we refer to as the “limited guarantee”), Mr. Musk agreed to guarantee the due, complete and punctual payment, observance, performance and discharge of the payment obligations of Parent under the merger agreement, including the termination fee payable by Parent, plus amounts in respect of reimbursement, indemnification or other payment obligations of Parent for certain costs, expenses, monetary damages or losses incurred or sustained by Twitter, subject to the conditions set forth in the limited guarantee. For more information, please see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Limited Guarantee.”

 

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Delisting and Deregistration of Our Common Stock

If the merger is completed, our common stock will no longer be traded on the NYSE and will be deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (which we refer to as the “Exchange Act”). We will no longer be required to file periodic reports, current reports and proxy and information statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission (which we refer to as the “SEC”) on account of our common stock.

Effect on Twitter if the Merger is Not Completed

If the merger agreement is not adopted by our stockholders, or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, our stockholders will not receive any payment for their shares of our common stock in connection with the merger. Instead: (1) Twitter will remain an independent public company; (2) our common stock will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE and registered under the Exchange Act; and (3) we will continue to file periodic reports with the SEC.

Furthermore, if the merger is not completed, and depending on the circumstances that cause the merger not to be completed, the price of our common stock may decline significantly.

Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to the effect of the merger not being completed on the future value of your shares of our common stock. If the merger is not completed, the Twitter Board will continue to evaluate and review, among other things, Twitter’s business, operations, strategic direction and capitalization, and will make whatever changes it deems appropriate. If the merger agreement is not adopted by our stockholders or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, Twitter’s business, prospects or results of operations may be adversely impacted.

In certain specified circumstances in which the merger agreement is terminated, Parent has agreed to pay Twitter a reverse termination fee, the payment of which has been guaranteed by Mr. Musk. Similarly, in certain specified circumstances in which the merger agreement is terminated, Twitter has agreed to pay Parent (or its designee) a termination fee.

Litigation Relating to the Merger

On May 6, 2022, a complaint was filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery by a putative Twitter stockholder against Twitter, members of the Twitter Board, and Mr. Musk. The complaint alleges that Mr. Musk reached an “agreement, arrangement or understanding,” as those terms are defined in Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (which we refer to as “Section 203”), with certain other Twitter stockholders prior to the Twitter Board’s approval of the merger, pursuant to which the shares of Twitter owned by these other stockholders would be voted in favor of the merger, thereby triggering Section 203’s requirement that at least 66 and 2/3 percent of Twitter’s outstanding stock unaffiliated with Mr. Musk vote in favor of the merger. The complaint seeks, among other things, (1) an order declaring that the merger is subject to Section 203’s supermajority voting requirement and (2) a finding that the members of the Twitter Board breached their fiduciary duties by entering into the merger agreement without providing for a supermajority stockholder vote contemplated by Section 203.

Twitter disputes the complaint’s allegations, including the allegation that Section 203’s supermajority voting requirement applies to the merger. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Litigation Relating to the Merger.

 

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The following questions and answers address some commonly asked questions regarding the merger, the merger agreement and the special meeting. These questions and answers may not address all questions that are important to you. We encourage you to carefully read the more detailed information contained elsewhere in this proxy statement, including the annexes to this proxy statement and the other documents to which we refer in this proxy statement. You may obtain the information incorporated by reference in this proxy statement without charge by following the instructions in the section of this proxy statement captioned “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

Q:

Why am I receiving these materials?

 

A:

On April 25, 2022, Twitter entered into the merger agreement. Under the merger agreement, Parent will acquire Twitter for $54.20 in cash per share of our common stock. In order to complete the merger, stockholders representing a majority of all issued and outstanding shares of our common stock must vote to approve the adoption of the merger agreement at the special meeting. This approval is a condition to the consummation of the merger. See the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Conditions to the Closing of the Merger.” The Twitter Board is furnishing this proxy statement and form of proxy card to the holders of shares of our common stock in connection with the solicitation of proxies of our stockholders to be voted at the special meeting.

 

    

This proxy statement, which you should read carefully, contains important information about the merger, the merger agreement, the special meeting and the matters to be voted on at the special meeting. The enclosed materials allow you to submit a proxy to vote your shares of our common stock without attending the special meeting and to ensure that your shares of our common stock are represented and voted at the special meeting.

 

    

Your vote is very important. Even if you plan to attend the special meeting, we encourage you to submit a proxy as soon as possible.

 

Q:

What is the merger and what effects will it have on Twitter?

 

A:

The merger is the acquisition of Twitter by Parent. If the proposal to adopt the merger agreement is approved by our stockholders and the other closing conditions under the merger agreement are satisfied or waived, Acquisition Sub will merge with and into Twitter, with Twitter continuing as the surviving corporation. As a result of the merger, Twitter will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, and our common stock will no longer be publicly traded and will be delisted from the NYSE. In addition, our common stock will be deregistered under the Exchange Act, and we will no longer file periodic reports with the SEC.

 

Q:

What will I receive if the merger is completed?

 

A:

Upon completion of the merger, you will be entitled to receive $54.20 in cash, without interest, for each share of our common stock that you own, unless you have properly exercised, and not validly withdrawn or subsequently lost, your appraisal rights under the DGCL, and certain other conditions under the DGCL are satisfied. For example, if you own 100 shares of our common stock, you will receive $5,420.00 in cash in exchange for your shares of our common stock, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes.

 

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Q:

How does the per share price compare to the market price of Twitter’s common stock?

 

A:

This amount constitutes a premium of approximately 38 percent to the closing price of our common stock on April 1, 2022, which was the last full trading day before Mr. Musk disclosed his approximately nine percent stake in Twitter.

 

Q:

What will happen to Twitter equity-based awards and Twitter options?

 

A:

Generally speaking, Twitter equity-based awards and Twitter options will be treated as follows:

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter equity-based award (other than a vested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such vested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any vested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the level of performance at which such equity-based award vested in accordance with its terms).

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter equity-based award (other than an unvested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such unvested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any unvested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the target level of performance), which amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter equity-based award for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter equity-based award immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than performance-based vesting conditions, which will not apply following the effective time of the merger).

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option.

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option, which cash amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter option for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested

 

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pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter option immediately prior to the effective time of the merger.

 

   

At the effective time of the merger, any Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger and for which the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter options is equal to or greater than the per share price will be canceled without any cash payment or other consideration being made in respect of such Twitter option.

 

Q:

What will happen to the ESPP?

 

A:

Generally speaking, the ESPP will be treated as follows:

 

   

The Twitter Board has adopted resolutions that provide that (1) the current offering period under the ESPP will be the final offering period and no further offering period will commence pursuant to the ESPP after the date of the merger agreement, and (2) except as may be required by law, each individual participating in the final offering period as of the date of the merger agreement will not be permitted to (a) increase his or her payroll contribution rate pursuant to the ESPP from the rate in effect when the final offering period commenced or (b) make separate non-payroll contributions to the ESPP on or following the date of the merger agreement.

 

   

Prior to the effective time of the merger, Twitter will take all actions that may be necessary to give effect to the treatment described above and to (1) cause the final offering period, to the extent that it would otherwise be outstanding at the effective time, to be terminated no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs; (2) make any pro rata adjustments that may be necessary to reflect the final offering period, but otherwise treat the final offering period as a fully effective and completed offering period for all purposes pursuant to the ESPP; and (3) cause the exercise (as of no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs) of each outstanding purchase right pursuant to the ESPP.

 

   

On such exercise date, Twitter will apply the funds credited as of such date pursuant to the ESPP within each participant’s payroll withholding account to the purchase of whole shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the ESPP, and such shares of our common stock will be entitled to the per share price. Immediately prior to and effective as of the effective time of the merger (but subject to the consummation of the merger), Twitter will terminate the ESPP.

 

Q:

What am I being asked to vote on at the special meeting?

 

A:

You are being asked to vote on the following proposals:

 

   

Proposal 1: to adopt the merger agreement, pursuant to which Acquisition Sub will merge with and into Twitter, with Twitter continuing as the surviving corporation, and Twitter will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent;

 

   

Proposal 2: to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and

 

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Proposal 3: to approve the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

 

Q:

When and where is the special meeting?

 

A:

The special meeting will take place on [•], 2022, at [•], Pacific time. You may attend the special meeting via a live interactive webcast at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. You will be able to listen to the special meeting live and vote online. You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to participate in the special meeting (including voting your shares).

 

Q:

Who is entitled to vote at the special meeting?

 

A:

All of our stockholders as of the close of business on [•], 2022, which is the record date for the special meeting, are entitled to vote their shares of our common stock at the special meeting. As of the close of business on the record date, there were [•] shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the special meeting. Each share of our common stock outstanding as of the record date is entitled to one vote per share on each matter properly brought before the special meeting.

 

Q:

What vote is required to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement?

 

A:

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock outstanding as of the record date is required to adopt the merger agreement.

 

    

The failure of any stockholder of record to (1) submit a signed proxy card; (2) grant a proxy over the internet or by telephone; or (3) attend and vote at the special meeting will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. If you hold your shares in “street name,” the failure to instruct your bank, broker or other nominee how to vote your shares will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement.

 

Q:

What vote is required to approve (1) the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (2) the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting?

 

A:

Approval of the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.

 

    

Approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.

 

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The failure of any stockholder of record to (1) submit a signed proxy card; (2) grant a proxy over the internet or by telephone; or (3) attend and vote at the special meeting will not have any effect on the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger, or the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting, except, in all cases, to the extent that such failure affects obtaining a quorum at the meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name,” the failure to instruct your bank, broker or other nominee how to vote your shares will not have any effect on these proposals, except to the extent that such failure affects obtaining a quorum at the meeting. In all cases, abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “AGAINST” these proposals.

 

Q:

What do I need to do now?

 

A:

We encourage you to read this proxy statement, the annexes to this proxy statement and the documents that we refer to in this proxy statement carefully and consider how the merger affects you. Then, even if you expect to attend the special meeting, please sign, date and return, as promptly as possible, the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience), or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card), so that your shares can be voted at the special meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name,” please refer to the voting instruction form provided by your bank, broker or other nominee for information on how to vote your shares. Please do not send your stock certificates with your proxy card.

 

Q:

How does the Twitter Board recommend that I vote?

 

A:

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

 

Q:

What happens if the merger is not completed?

 

A:

If the merger agreement is not adopted by our stockholders or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, our stockholders will not receive any payment for their shares of our common stock. Instead: (1) Twitter will remain an independent public company; (2) our common stock will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE and registered under the Exchange Act; and (3) we will continue to file periodic reports with the SEC.

 

    

In specified circumstances in which the merger agreement is terminated, Twitter has agreed to pay Parent (or its designee) a termination fee. In specified circumstances in which the merger agreement is terminated, Parent has agreed to pay Twitter a reverse termination fee, the payment of which has been guaranteed by Mr. Musk. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Termination Fees and Remedies.”

 

Q:

What is the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger?

 

A:

The compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger is certain compensation that is tied to or based on the merger

 

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and payable to certain of Twitter’s named executive officers pursuant to underlying plans and arrangements that are contractual in nature. Compensation that will or may become payable by Parent or its affiliates (including, following the consummation of the merger, the surviving corporation) to our named executive officers in connection with or following the merger is not subject to this advisory vote. For further information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “Proposal 2: Approval, on a Non-Binding, Advisory Basis, of Certain Merger-Related Executive Compensation.”

 

Q:

Why am I being asked to cast a vote to approve the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger?

 

A:

Twitter is required by law to seek approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger. Approval of the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger is not required to consummate the merger.

 

Q:

What will happen if Twitter’s stockholders do not approve the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to its named executive officers in connection with the merger?

 

A:

Approval of the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger is not a condition to consummation of the merger. This is an advisory vote and will not be binding on Twitter or Parent. The underlying plans and arrangements providing for such compensation are contractual in nature and are not, by their terms, subject to stockholder approval.

 

    

Accordingly, if the merger agreement is adopted by our stockholders and the merger is consummated, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger will or may be paid to Twitter’s named executive officers as contractually required even if our stockholders do not approve such compensation.

 

Q:

What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and as a beneficial owner?

 

A:

If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., you are considered, with respect to those shares, to be the “stockholder of record.” If you are a stockholder of record, this proxy statement and your proxy card have been sent directly to you by or on behalf of Twitter. As a stockholder of record, you may attend the special meeting and vote your shares at the special meeting using the control number on the enclosed proxy card.

 

    

If your shares are held through a bank, broker or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares of our common stock held in “street name.” If you are a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock held in “street name,” this proxy statement has been forwarded to you by your bank, broker or other nominee who is considered, with respect to those shares, to be the stockholder of record. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your bank, broker or other nominee how to vote your shares by following their instructions for voting. You are also invited to attend the special meeting. However, because you are not the stockholder of record, you may not vote your shares at the special meeting

 

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unless you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting.

 

Q:

If my broker holds my shares in “street name,” will my broker vote my shares for me?

 

A:

No. Your bank, broker or other nominee is permitted to vote your shares on any proposal currently scheduled to be considered at the special meeting only if you instruct your bank, broker or other nominee how to vote. You will receive instructions from your bank, broker or other nominee that you must follow in order to submit your voting instructions and have your shares counted at the special meeting. Without instruction, your shares will not be counted for the purpose of obtaining a quorum or voted on the proposals, which will have the same effect as if you voted “AGAINST” adoption of the merger agreement, but will have no effect on the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger or the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting, except to the extent affecting the obtaining of a quorum at the meeting.

 

Q:

How may I vote?

 

A:

If you are a stockholder of record (that is, if your shares of our common stock are registered in your name with Computershare Trust Company, N.A., our transfer agent), there are four ways to vote:

 

   

by signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience);

 

   

by visiting the internet address on your proxy card;

 

   

by calling the toll-free (within the United States or Canada) phone number on your proxy card; or

 

   

by attending the special meeting and voting at the special meeting using the control number on the enclosed proxy card.

 

    

The control number located on your proxy card is designed to verify your identity and allow you to vote your shares of our common stock and to confirm that your voting instructions have been properly recorded when voting electronically over the internet or by telephone. Although there is no charge for voting your shares, if you vote electronically over the internet or by telephone, you may incur costs such as internet access and telephone charges for which you will be responsible.

 

    

Even if you plan to attend the special meeting, you are strongly encouraged to vote your shares of our common stock by proxy. If you are a stockholder of record or if you provide a “legal proxy” to vote shares that you beneficially own, you may vote your shares of our common stock at the special meeting even if you have previously voted by proxy. If you attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting, your vote will revoke any previously submitted proxy.

 

    

If your shares are held in “street name” through a bank, broker or other nominee, you may vote through your bank, broker or other nominee by completing and returning the voting instruction

 

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form provided by your bank, broker or other nominee, or, if such a service is provided by your bank, broker or other nominee, electronically over the internet or by telephone. To vote over the internet or by telephone through your bank, broker or other nominee, you should follow the instructions on the voting instruction form provided by your bank, broker or nominee. However, because you are not the stockholder of record, you may not vote your shares at the special meeting unless you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting.

 

Q:

May I attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting?

 

A:

Yes. You may attend the special meeting via a live interactive webcast at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. You will be able to listen to the special meeting live and vote online. The special meeting will begin at [•], Pacific time. Online check-in will begin a few minutes prior to the special meeting. You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to participate in the special meeting (including voting your shares). As the special meeting is virtual, there will be no physical meeting location.

 

    

Even if you plan to attend the special meeting, to ensure that your shares will be represented at the special meeting, we encourage you to promptly sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience) or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card). If you attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting, your vote will revoke any proxy previously submitted.

 

    

If, as of the record date, you are a beneficial owner of shares held in “street name,” you may not vote your shares at the special meeting unless you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting. Otherwise, you should instruct your bank, broker or other nominee how to vote your shares in accordance with the voting instruction form provided by your bank, broker or other nominee. Your bank, broker or other nominee cannot vote on any of the proposals to be considered at the special meeting without your instructions. Without your instructions, your shares will not be counted for purposes of a quorum or voted at the meeting, which will have the same effect as voting against the adoption of the merger agreement.

 

Q:

Why did Twitter choose to hold a virtual special meeting?

 

A:

The Twitter Board decided to hold the special meeting virtually in order to facilitate stockholder attendance and participation by enabling stockholders to participate fully, and equally, from virtually any location around the world, at no cost. However, you will bear any costs associated with your internet access, such as usage charges from internet access providers and telephone companies. We believe this is the right choice for a company with a global footprint. A virtual special meeting makes it possible for more stockholders (regardless of size, resources or physical location) to have direct access to information, while saving us and our stockholders time and money. We also believe that the online tools that we have selected will increase stockholder communication. We remain very sensitive to concerns that virtual meetings may diminish stockholder voice or reduce accountability. Accordingly, we have designed our virtual format to enhance, rather than constrain, stockholder access, participation and communication.

 

Q:

What is a proxy?

 

A:

A proxy is your legal designation of another person, referred to as a “proxy,” to vote your shares of our common stock. The written document describing the matters to be considered

 

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and voted on at the special meeting is called a “proxy statement.” The document used to designate a proxy to vote your shares of our common stock is called a “proxy card.” You may follow the instructions on the proxy card to designate a proxy by telephone or by the internet in the same manner as if you had signed, dated and returned a proxy card. Parag Agrawal, Ned Segal and Sean Edgett, each with full power of substitution and re-substitution, have been designated as proxy holders for the special meeting by the Twitter Board.

 

Q:

May I change my vote after I have mailed my signed and dated proxy card?

 

A:

Yes. If you are a stockholder of record, you may change your vote or revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the special meeting by:

 

   

signing another proxy card with a later date and returning it to us prior to the special meeting;

 

   

submitting a new proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone after the date of the earlier submitted proxy;

 

   

delivering a written notice of revocation to our Corporate Secretary; or

 

   

attending the special meeting and voting at the special meeting using the control number on the enclosed proxy card.

 

    

If you hold your shares of our common stock in “street name,” you should contact your bank, broker or other nominee for instructions regarding how to change your vote. You may also vote at the special meeting if you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting.

 

Q:

If a stockholder gives a proxy, how are the shares voted?

 

A:

Regardless of the method you choose to grant your proxy, the individuals named on the enclosed proxy card, with full power of substitution and re-substitution, will vote your shares in the way that you direct.

 

    

If you sign and date your proxy card but do not mark the boxes showing how your shares should be voted on a matter, the shares represented by your properly signed proxy will be voted as recommended by the Twitter Board with respect to each proposal. This means that they will be voted: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

 

Q:

Should I send in my stock certificates now?

 

A:

No. After the merger is completed, any holders of physical stock certificates will receive a letter of transmittal containing instructions for how to send your stock certificates to the payment agent in order to receive the appropriate cash payment for the shares of our common stock represented by your stock certificates. Unless you are seeking appraisal, you should use the letter of transmittal to exchange your stock certificates for the cash payment to which you are entitled. Please do not send your stock certificates with your proxy card. If you hold your shares of our common stock in book-entry form, you will not receive a letter of transmittal.

 

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Instead, the payment agent will pay you the appropriate portion of the aggregate merger consideration (subject to any applicable withholding taxes) upon receipt of a customary “agent’s message” and any other items specified by the payment agent.

 

Q:

What happens if I sell or transfer my shares of common stock after the record date but before the special meeting?

 

A:

The record date for the special meeting is earlier than the date of the special meeting and the expected effective date of the merger. If you sell or transfer your shares of our common stock after the record date but before the special meeting, unless special arrangements (such as provision of a proxy) are made between you and the person to whom you sell or transfer your shares and each of you notifies Twitter in writing of such special arrangements, you will transfer the right to receive the per share price with respect to such shares, if the merger is completed, to the person to whom you sell or transfer your shares, but you will retain your right to vote those shares at the special meeting. Even if you sell or transfer your shares of our common stock after the record date, we encourage you to sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card (a proxy card and a prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience) or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card).

 

Q:

What should I do if I receive more than one set of voting materials?

 

A:

Please sign, date and return (or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone for) each proxy card and voting instruction form that you receive to ensure that all of your shares are voted.

 

    

You may receive more than one set of voting materials, including multiple copies of this proxy statement and multiple proxy cards or voting instruction forms, if your shares are registered differently or are held in more than one account. For example, if you hold your shares in more than one brokerage account, you will receive a separate voting instruction form for each brokerage account in which you hold shares. If you are a stockholder of record and your shares are registered in more than one name, you will receive more than one proxy card. Please vote all voting materials that you receive.

 

Q:

Where can I find the voting results of the special meeting?

 

A:

If available, Twitter may announce preliminary voting results at the conclusion of the special meeting. Twitter intends to publish final voting results in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the SEC following the special meeting. All reports that Twitter files with the SEC are publicly available when filed. See the section of this proxy statement captioned “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

Q:

Will I be subject to U.S. federal income tax upon the exchange of common stock for cash pursuant to the merger?

 

A:

If you are a U.S. Holder, the exchange of our common stock for cash pursuant to the merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which generally will require a U.S. Holder to recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received by such U.S. Holder in the merger and such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares of our common stock surrendered in the merger.

 

    

A Non-U.S. Holder (as defined in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger”) generally will not be subject

 

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to U.S. federal income tax with respect to the exchange of our common stock for cash in the merger unless such Non-U.S. Holder has certain connections to the United States, but may be subject to backup withholding tax unless the Non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification procedures or otherwise establishes a valid exemption from backup withholding tax.

 

    

Because particular circumstances may differ, we recommend that you consult your own tax advisor to determine the U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the merger in light of your own particular circumstances and any consequences arising under U.S. federal non-income tax laws or the laws of any territory, state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction. This discussion is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice to any holder. A more complete description of material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger is provided in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger.”

 

Q:

When do you expect the merger to be completed?

 

A:

We currently expect to complete the merger in 2022. However, the exact timing of completion of the merger, if at all, cannot be predicted because the merger is subject to the closing conditions specified in the merger agreement, many of which are outside of our control.

 

Q:

What governmental and regulatory approvals are required?

 

A:

Under the terms of the merger agreement, the merger cannot be completed until the waiting period applicable to the merger under the HSR Act has expired or been terminated. Additionally, under the terms of the merger agreement, the merger cannot be completed until all consents, approvals and filings that are mutually agreed by Parent and Twitter, acting reasonably, to be (1) material and (2) required or advisable under the antitrust or foreign investment laws of certain specified jurisdictions have been obtained or made or, as applicable, the waiting periods, if any, have expired or been terminated. For more information, please see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger.”

 

Q:

Am I entitled to appraisal rights under the DGCL?

 

A:

If the merger is consummated and certain conditions set forth in Section 262(g) of the DGCL are satisfied, our stockholders who (1) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, (2) continuously hold their applicable shares of our common stock through the effective time of the merger, (3) properly demand appraisal of their applicable shares, (4) meet certain statutory requirements as described in this proxy statement and (5) do not withdraw their demands or otherwise lose their rights to appraisal, will be entitled to seek appraisal of their shares in connection with the merger under Section 262 of the DGCL. This means that such stockholders will be entitled to have their shares appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment in cash of the “fair value” of their shares, exclusive of any elements of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown) interest on the amount determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery to be fair value from the effective date of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment at a rate of five percent over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the effective date of the merger and the date of payment of the judgment, compounded quarterly (except that, if at any time before the entry of judgment in the proceeding, the surviving corporation makes a voluntary cash payment to each stockholder seeking appraisal, interest will accrue thereafter only upon the sum of (1) the

 

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difference, if any, between the amount so paid and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery; and (2) interest theretofore accrued, unless paid at that time). The surviving corporation is under no obligation to make such voluntary cash payment prior to such entry of judgment. Stockholders who wish to seek appraisal of their shares are encouraged to seek the advice of legal counsel with respect to the exercise of appraisal rights due to the complexity of the appraisal process. The DGCL requirements for exercising appraisal rights are described in additional detail in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Appraisal Rights,” which description is qualified in its entirety by Section 262 of the DGCL regarding appraisal rights, attached as Annex B to this proxy statement.

 

Q:

Do any of Twitter’s directors or officers have interests in the merger that may differ from those of Twitter stockholders generally?

 

A:

Yes. In considering the recommendation of the Twitter Board with respect to the proposal to adopt the merger agreement, you should be aware that our directors and executive officers may have interests in the merger that are different from, or in addition to, the interests of our stockholders generally. In: (1) evaluating and negotiating the merger agreement; (2) approving the merger agreement and the merger; and (3) unanimously recommending that the merger agreement be adopted by our stockholders, the Twitter Board was aware of and considered these interests to the extent that they existed at the time, among other matters. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger.

 

Q:

Who can help answer my questions?

 

A:

If you have any questions concerning the merger, the special meeting or this proxy statement, would like additional copies of the accompanying proxy statement or need help submitting your proxy or voting your shares of our common stock, please contact our proxy solicitor:

Innisfree M&A Incorporated

501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10022

Stockholders call: (877) 750-8338 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or

+1 (412) 232-3651 (from other countries)

Banks and brokers call collect: (212) 750-5833

 

 

 

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This proxy statement, the documents to which we refer you in this proxy statement and information included in oral statements or other written statements made or to be made by us or on our behalf contain “forward-looking statements” that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts, including, without limitation, statements relating to the completion of the merger. You can typically identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking words, such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “project,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “potential,” “plan,” “forecast,” “intend,” “target,” “possible” and other words of similar import, or the negative versions of such words. Our stockholders are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may involve significant risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may vary materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks detailed in our filings with the SEC, including in our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, factors and matters described or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, and the following factors:

 

   

the inability to complete the merger due to the failure of our stockholders to adopt the merger agreement or the failure to satisfy the other conditions to the completion of the merger, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant a necessary regulatory approval;

 

   

the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right to terminate the merger, and the risk that the merger agreement may be terminated in circumstances that require us to pay a termination fee;

 

   

the nature, cost and outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against us and others related to the merger agreement;

 

   

risks that the pendency of the merger affects our current operations or our ability to retain or recruit employees;

 

   

economic, market, business or geopolitical conditions (including resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, or the conflict in Ukraine and related sanctions against Russia and Belarus) or competition, or changes in such conditions, negatively affecting Twitter’s business, operations and financial performance;

 

   

the fact that receipt of the all-cash per share price will be taxable to our stockholders that are treated as U.S. Holders and may be taxable to our stockholders that are treated as non-U.S. Holders;

 

   

the fact that, if the merger is completed, our stockholders will forgo the opportunity to realize the potential long-term value of the successful execution of Twitter’s current strategy as an independent company;

 

   

the possibility that Twitter could, following the merger, engage in operational or other changes that could result in meaningful appreciation in its value;

 

   

the possibility that Twitter could, at a later date, engage in unspecified transactions, including restructuring efforts, special dividends or the sale of some or all of Twitter’s assets to one or more as yet unknown purchasers, that could conceivably produce a higher aggregate value than that available to our stockholders in the merger;

 

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the fact that under the terms of the merger agreement, Twitter is restrained from soliciting other acquisition proposals during the pendency of the merger;

 

   

the effect of the announcement or pendency of the merger on our business relationships, customers, operating results and business generally, including risks related to the diversion of the attention of Twitter management or employees or the loss of employees or customers during the pendency of the merger;

 

   

the amount of the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the merger agreement or the merger;

 

   

the risk that the merger will not be consummated in a timely manner, creating potential uncertainty around the transaction and exceeding the expected costs of the merger;

 

   

the risk that our stock price may fluctuate during the pendency of the merger and may decline significantly if the merger is not completed; and

 

   

risks related to obtaining the requisite stockholder approval to the merger.

Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements that we make in this proxy statement are qualified by the information contained or incorporated by reference in this proxy statement, including: (1) the information contained under this caption; and (2) information in our most recent filings on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, including the information contained under the caption “Risk Factors,” and information in our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto. No assurance can be given that these are all of the factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking statements.

Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our stockholders are advised to consult any future disclosures that we make on related subjects as may be detailed in our other filings made from time to time with the SEC.

 

 

 

 

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THE SPECIAL MEETING

Date, Time and Place

We will hold the special meeting on [•], 2022, at [•], Pacific time. You may attend the special meeting via a live interactive webcast at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. You will be able to listen to the special meeting live and vote online. You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to participate in the special meeting (including voting your shares). We believe that a virtual meeting provides expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for our stockholders and Twitter.

Purpose of the Special Meeting

At the special meeting, we will ask stockholders to vote on proposals to (1) adopt the merger agreement; (2) approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Attending the Special Meeting

The special meeting will begin at [•], Pacific time. Online check-in will begin a few minutes prior to the special meeting. We encourage you to access the meeting prior to the start time.

As the special meeting is virtual, there will be no physical meeting location. To attend the special meeting, log in at http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/TWTR2022SM. You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to participate in the special meeting (including voting your shares). If you encounter technical difficulties accessing the special meeting or during the special meeting, a support line will be available on the login page of the special meeting website.

Once online access to the special meeting is open, stockholders may submit questions pertinent to meeting matters, if any, through the special meeting website. Such questions will be answered during the meeting, subject to time constraints. You will need the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction form in order to submit questions.

Record Date; Shares Entitled to Vote; Quorum

Only our stockholders as of the close of business on the record date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the special meeting. A list of stockholders of record entitled to vote at the special meeting will be available at our corporate offices located at 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, California 94103, during regular business hours for a period of no less than 10 days before the special meeting and on the virtual meeting website during the special meeting.

As of the record date, there were [•] shares of our common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the special meeting. Each share of our common stock outstanding as of the close of business on the record date is entitled to one vote per share on each matter submitted for a vote at the special meeting.

The holders of a majority of the voting power of our stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum.

 

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Vote Required; Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes

Approval of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock as of the record date. Adoption of the merger agreement by our stockholders is a condition to the closing of the merger.

Approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.

Approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the special meeting and entitled to vote on the proposal.

If a stockholder abstains from voting, that abstention will have the same effect as if the stockholder voted: (1) “AGAINST” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement; (2) “AGAINST” the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “AGAINST” the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting. Abstentions will be counted as present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists.

A “broker non-vote” generally occurs when a bank, broker or other nominee holding shares on your behalf does not vote on a proposal because the bank, broker or other nominee has not received your voting instructions and lacks discretionary power to vote your shares. We do not expect any “broker non-votes” at the special meeting, but if there are any, they will be counted for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present. If there are broker non-votes, each broker non-vote will count as a vote “AGAINST” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement, but will have no effect on: (1) the proposal to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; or (2) the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Shares Held by Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers

As of the record date, our directors and executive officers beneficially owned and were entitled to vote, in the aggregate, [•] shares of our common stock, representing approximately [•] percent of the shares of our common stock outstanding as of the record date. Twitter has not been informed that any of our directors and executive officers intend to vote any of their shares of our common stock other than: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) ”FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Voting of Proxies

If your shares are registered in your name with our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., you may vote your shares by returning a signed and dated proxy card (a proxy card and a

 

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prepaid reply envelope are enclosed for your convenience), or you may vote at the special meeting using the control number located on the enclosed proxy card. Additionally, you may grant a proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone by following the instructions on your proxy card. You must have your proxy card available, and follow the instructions on the proxy card, in order to grant a proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone.

If you attend the special meeting and wish to vote at the special meeting, you will need the control number located on the enclosed proxy card. Beneficial owners of shares held in “street name” must also provide a “legal proxy” from their bank or broker in order to vote at the special meeting. You are encouraged to vote by proxy even if you plan to attend the special meeting. If you attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting, your vote will revoke any previously submitted proxy.

All shares represented by properly signed and dated proxies (or proxies granted electronically over the internet or by telephone) will, if received before the special meeting, be voted at the special meeting in accordance with the instructions of the stockholder. Properly signed and dated proxies (or proxies granted electronically over the internet or by telephone) that do not contain voting instructions will be voted: (1) “FOR” adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

If your shares are held in “street name” through a bank, broker or other nominee, you may vote through your bank, broker or other nominee by completing and returning the voting instruction form provided by your bank, broker or other nominee. You may also attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting if you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting. If available from your bank, broker or other nominee, you may vote over the internet or telephone through your bank, broker or other nominee by following the instructions on the voting instruction form provided by your bank, broker or other nominee. If you do not (1) return your bank’s, broker’s or other nominee’s voting instruction form; (2) vote over the internet or by telephone through your bank, broker or other nominee; or (3) attend the special meeting and vote at the special meeting with a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee, it will have the same effect as if you voted “AGAINST” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. It will not, however, have any effect on the proposals (1) to approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; or (2) to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting, except to the extent affecting the obtaining of a quorum at the meeting.

Revocability of Proxies

If you are a stockholder of record, you may change your vote or revoke your proxy at any time before it is voted at the special meeting by:

 

   

signing another proxy card with a later date and returning it to us prior to the special meeting;

 

   

submitting a new proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone after the date of the earlier submitted proxy;

 

   

delivering a written notice of revocation to our Corporate Secretary; or

 

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attending the special meeting and voting at the special meeting using the control number on the enclosed proxy card.

If you have submitted a proxy, your attendance at the special meeting, in the absence of voting at the special meeting or submitting an additional proxy or revocation, will not have the effect of revoking your prior proxy.

If you hold your shares of our common stock in “street name” through a bank, broker or other nominee, you should contact your bank, broker or other nominee for instructions regarding how to change your vote. You may also vote at the special meeting if you provide a “legal proxy” from your bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at the special meeting.

Any adjournment, postponement or other delay of the special meeting, including for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies, will allow our stockholders who have already sent in their proxies to revoke them at any time prior to their use at the special meeting as adjourned, postponed or delayed.

The Twitter Board’s Recommendation

The Twitter Board, after considering various factors described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger,” has unanimously: (1) determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders; and (2) adopted and approved the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Adjournment

In addition to the proposals to (1) adopt the merger agreement and (2) approve, on a non-binding, advisory basis, the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger, our stockholders are also being asked to approve a proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting. Subject to the limitations on such actions set forth in the merger agreement, the Twitter Board may cancel, postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting at any time, before or after the notice for such meeting has been sent to the stockholders. If the special meeting is adjourned or postponed, our stockholders who have already submitted their proxies will be able to revoke them at any time before they are voted at the special meeting.

Solicitation of Proxies

The expense of soliciting proxies will be borne by Twitter. We have retained Innisfree M&A Incorporated, a professional proxy solicitation firm, to assist in the solicitation of proxies, and provide related advice and informational support during the solicitation process, for a fee of up to $[•], plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. We will indemnify this firm against losses arising out of its provisions of these services on our behalf. In addition, we may reimburse banks, brokers and other nominees representing beneficial owners of shares of our common stock for their expenses in

 

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forwarding soliciting materials to such beneficial owners. Proxies may also be solicited by our directors, officers and employees, personally or by telephone, email, fax or over the internet. No additional compensation will be paid for such services.

Anticipated Date of Completion of the Merger

We currently expect to complete the merger in 2022. However, the exact timing of completion of the merger, if at all, cannot be predicted because the merger is subject to the closing conditions specified in the merger agreement, many of which are outside of our control.

Appraisal Rights

If the merger is consummated and certain conditions set forth in Section 262(g) of the DGCL are satisfied, our stockholders who (1) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, (2) continuously hold their applicable shares of our common stock through the effective time of the merger, (3) properly demand appraisal of their applicable shares, (4) meet certain statutory requirements described in this proxy statement and (5) do not withdraw their demands or otherwise lose their rights to appraisal will be entitled to seek appraisal of their shares in connection with the merger under Section 262 of the DGCL. This means that such stockholders will be entitled to seek appraisal of their shares by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment in cash of the “fair value” of their shares of our common stock, exclusive of any elements of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown) interest on the amount determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery to be fair value from the effective date of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment at a rate of five percent over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the effective date of the merger and the date of payment of the judgment, compounded quarterly (except that, if at any time before the entry of judgment in the proceeding, the surviving corporation makes a voluntary cash payment to each stockholder seeking appraisal, interest will accrue thereafter only upon the sum of (1) the difference, if any, between the amount so paid and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery; and (2) interest theretofore accrued, unless paid at that time). The surviving corporation is under no obligation to make such voluntary cash payment prior to such entry of judgment. Due to the complexity of the appraisal process, stockholders who wish to seek appraisal of their shares are encouraged to seek the advice of legal counsel with respect to the exercise of appraisal rights.

Stockholders considering seeking appraisal should be aware that the fair value of their shares as determined pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL could be more than, the same as or less than the value of the consideration that they would receive pursuant to the merger agreement if they did not seek appraisal of their shares.

Only a stockholder of record may submit a demand for appraisal. To exercise appraisal rights, the stockholder of record must (1) submit a written demand for appraisal to Twitter before the vote is taken on the proposal to adopt the merger agreement; (2) not vote, in person or by proxy, in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement; (3) continue to hold the subject shares of our common stock of record through the effective time of the merger; and (4) strictly comply with all other procedures for exercising appraisal rights under the DGCL. The failure to follow exactly the procedures specified under the DGCL may result in the loss of appraisal rights. In addition, the Delaware Court of Chancery will dismiss appraisal proceedings in respect of Twitter unless certain conditions set forth in Section 262(g) of the DGCL are satisfied by the stockholders seeking appraisal. The requirements under Section 262 of the DGCL for exercising appraisal rights are described in further detail in this proxy statement, which description is qualified in its entirety by Section 262 of the DGCL, the relevant section of the DGCL regarding appraisal rights, a copy of which is attached as Annex B to this proxy

 

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statement. If you hold your shares of our common stock through a bank, broker or other nominee and you wish to exercise appraisal rights, you should consult with your bank, broker or other nominee to determine the appropriate procedures for the making of a demand for appraisal on your behalf by your bank, broker or other nominee.

Other Matters

At this time, we know of no other matters to be voted on at the special meeting. If any other matters properly come before the special meeting and you deliver a proxy to us, your shares of our common stock will be voted in accordance with the discretion of the appointed proxy holders, with full power of substitution and re-substitution.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on [•], 2022

This proxy statement is available on our website located at https://investor.twitterinc.com.

Householding of Special Meeting Materials

We have adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this procedure, stockholders who have the same address and last name will receive only one copy of this proxy statement unless one or more of these stockholders notifies us that they wish to continue receiving individual copies. This procedure reduces printing costs, postage fees and the use of natural resources. Each stockholder who participates in householding will continue to be able to access or receive a separate proxy card upon request. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate set of our disclosure documents, or if you are receiving multiple copies and wish to receive only one copy, please contact us as follows:

Twitter, Inc.

Attention: Investor Relations

1355 Market Street, Suite 900

San Francisco, California 94103

Tel: (415) 222-9670

Questions and Additional Information

If you have any questions concerning the merger, the special meeting or this proxy statement, would like additional copies of this proxy statement or need help submitting your proxy or voting your shares of our common stock, please contact our proxy solicitor at:

Innisfree M&A Incorporated

501 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10022

Stockholders call: (877) 750-8338 (toll-free from the U.S. and Canada) or

+1 (412) 232-3651 (from other countries)

Banks and brokers call collect: (212) 750-5833

 

 

 

 

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THE MERGER

The rights and obligations of the parties to the merger agreement are governed by the specific terms and conditions of the merger agreement and not by any summary or other information provided in this proxy statement. Therefore, this discussion of the merger is qualified in its entirety by reference to the merger agreement, a copy of which is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement and incorporated into this proxy statement by reference. You should read the entire merger agreement carefully as it is the legal document that governs the merger.

Parties Involved in the Merger

Twitter, Inc.

1355 Market Street, Suite 900

San Francisco, California 94103

(415) 222-9670

Twitter is what’s happening in the world and what people are talking about right now. Our primary product, Twitter, is a global platform for public self-expression and conversation in real time. We have democratized content creation and distribution so people can consume, create, distribute and discover content about the topics and events they care about most. Through Topics, Interests, and Trends, we help people discover what’s happening through text, images, on demand and live video, and audio from people, content partners, media organizations, advertisers and others. Media outlets, websites, and other partners extend the reach of Twitter content by distributing Tweets beyond our app and website.

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “TWTR.”

X Holdings I, Inc.

c/o Elon Musk

2110 Ranch Road 620 S. #341886

Austin, TX 78734

Parent was formed on April 19, 2022, solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and has not engaged in any business activities other than as incidental to its formation and in connection with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and arranging of the equity financing and the debt financing in connection with the merger.

X Holdings II, Inc.

c/o Elon Musk

2110 Ranch Road 620 S. #341886

Austin, TX 78734

Acquisition Sub is a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent and was formed on April 19, 2022, solely for the purpose of engaging in the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. Acquisition Sub has not engaged in any business activities other than as incidental to its formation and in connection with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and arranging of the equity financing and the debt financing in connection with the merger. Upon completion of the merger, Acquisition Sub will cease to exist and Twitter will continue as the surviving corporation.

Elon Musk

2110 Ranch Road 620 S. #341886

Austin, TX 78734

 

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Elon Musk leads SpaceX, Tesla, Inc., Neuralink Corp. and The Boring Company. Mr. Musk has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Tesla, Inc. since October 2008, as a member of the Board of Directors of Tesla, Inc. since April 2004, as the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer and Chairman of the Board of SpaceX since May 2002, and served as Chairman of the Board of SolarCity Corporation, a solar installation company, from July 2006 until its acquisition by Tesla in November 2016. Mr. Musk is also the founder of The Boring Company and of Neuralink Corp. Mr. Musk also co-founded Zip2 Corporation, an early internet company, and PayPal. Mr. Musk has served on the board of directors of Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. since April 2021. Mr. Musk holds a B.A. in physics from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in business from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Effect of the Merger

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the merger agreement, and in accordance with the DGCL, at the effective time of the merger, (1) Acquisition Sub will merge with and into Twitter; (2) the separate existence of Acquisition Sub will cease; and (3) Twitter will continue as the surviving corporation in the merger and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent.

As a result of the merger, Twitter will cease to be a publicly traded company, our common stock will be delisted from the NYSE and deregistered under the Exchange Act and Twitter will no longer file periodic reports with the SEC. If the merger is completed, you will not own any shares of capital stock of the surviving corporation.

The effective time of the merger will occur upon the filing of a certificate of merger with, and acceptance of that certificate by, the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (or at a later time as we, Parent and Acquisition Sub may agree and specify in such certificate of merger).

Effect on Twitter if the Merger is Not Completed

If the merger agreement is not adopted by our stockholders, or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, our stockholders will not receive any payment for their shares of our common stock in connection with the merger. Instead, (1) Twitter will remain an independent public company; (2) our common stock will continue to be listed and traded on the NYSE and registered under the Exchange Act; and (3) we will continue to file periodic reports with the SEC. In addition, if the merger is not completed, we expect that: (1) our management will continue to operate the business as it is currently being operated; and (2) our stockholders will continue to be subject to the same risks and opportunities to which they are currently subject, including risks related to the highly competitive industry in which Twitter operates and adverse economic conditions.

Furthermore, if the merger is not completed, and depending on the circumstances that cause the merger not to be completed, the price of our common stock may decline significantly.

Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to the effect of the merger not being completed on the future value of your shares of our common stock. If the merger is not completed, the Twitter Board will continue to evaluate and review, among other things, Twitter’s business, operations, strategic direction and capitalization, and will make whatever changes it deems appropriate. If the merger agreement is not adopted by our stockholders or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, Twitter’s business, prospects or results of operations may be adversely impacted.

In specified circumstances in which the merger agreement is terminated, Twitter has agreed to pay Parent (or its designee) a termination fee. In specified circumstances in which the merger agreement is terminated, Parent has agreed to pay Twitter a reverse termination fee, the payment of which has been guaranteed by Mr. Musk.

 

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Per Share Price

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the merger agreement, at the effective time of the merger:

 

   

each share of our common stock that is (1) held by Twitter or any of its subsidiaries or (2) held, directly or indirectly, by Mr. Musk, Parent or Acquisition Sub immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will no longer be outstanding and will automatically be canceled and will cease to exist, and no consideration will be delivered or deliverable in exchange therefor;

 

   

each share of our common stock that is issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than the shares identified in the prior bullet) and held by our stockholders who have (1) neither voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement nor consented thereto in writing; and (2) properly and validly exercised their statutory rights of appraisal in respect of such shares in accordance with the DGCL (and have not validly withdrawn or subsequently lost such appraisal rights) will be entitled to the “fair value” of such shares, determined pursuant to an appraisal proceeding contemplated by the DGCL as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Appraisal Rights”; and    

 

   

each share of our common stock that is issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than the shares identified in the prior bullets) will automatically be canceled and retired and all such shares will cease to exist and will thereafter only represent the right to receive the per share price.

At or prior to the closing of the merger, a sufficient amount of cash will be deposited with a designated paying agent to pay the aggregate merger consideration. Once a stockholder has provided the paying agent with his, her or its stock certificates (or an affidavit of loss in lieu of a stock certificate) or customary agent’s message with respect to book-entry shares, appropriate letter of transmittal and other items specified by the paying agent, then the paying agent will pay the stockholder the appropriate portion of the aggregate merger consideration (subject to any applicable withholding taxes). For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Paying Agent, Exchange Fund and Exchange and Payment Procedures.”

After the merger is completed, each of our stockholders will have the right to receive the per share price for each share of our common stock that such stockholder owned, as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Conversion of Shares,” but will no longer have any rights as a Twitter stockholder (except that our stockholders who properly and validly exercise and perfect, and do not validly withdraw or subsequently lose, their appraisal rights will have the right to receive payment for the “fair value” of their shares, determined pursuant to an appraisal proceeding contemplated by the DGCL as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Appraisal Rights”).

Background of the Merger

The following chronology summarizes the key meetings and events that led to the signing of the merger agreement. This chronology does not purport to catalog every conversation of or among the Twitter Board, the Transactions Committee (as defined below), our representatives, or other parties.

The Twitter Board regularly evaluates Twitter’s strategic direction and ongoing business plans with a view toward strengthening Twitter’s business, furthering Twitter’s mission to serve the public conversation, and enhancing stockholder value. As part of this evaluation, the Twitter Board has, from time to time, considered a variety of strategic alternatives. These have included, among others, (1) the

 

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continuation of, and potential improvements to, Twitter’s current business plan, with Twitter remaining an independent entity; (2) the investment in, and development of, new products, services and functionalities; (3) capital raising activities; (4) potential expansion opportunities through acquisitions, partnerships or other commercial relationships; and (5) business combinations, acquisitions and other financial and strategic alternatives, including the sale of Twitter.

Elon Musk is an active user of the Twitter platform. In March 2022, Mr. Musk Tweeted comments regarding Twitter’s business, the Twitter platform and functionality, and Twitter’s content moderation policies.

On March 26, 2022, Mr. Musk contacted Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s founder, former chief executive officer and one of Twitter’s current directors, to discuss the future direction of social media, including the benefits of open social protocols. Mr. Dorsey had previously communicated his views on these topics to the Twitter Board and publicly.

Also on March 26, 2022, Mr. Musk contacted Egon Durban, one of Twitter’s directors, to set up a discussion between Mr. Musk and Mr. Durban. Mr. Musk and Mr. Durban subsequently spoke on March 26, 2022 and March 27, 2022 and discussed the potential of Mr. Musk joining the Twitter Board, as well as the fact that Mr. Musk had purchased a significant stake of more than five percent of our common stock. Mr. Durban informed Bret Taylor, the chairperson of the Twitter Board, Martha Lane Fox, one of Twitter’s directors and the chairperson of Twitter’s Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (which we refer to as the “NomGov Committee”), and Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s chief executive officer, of Mr. Musk’s communication. Messrs. Durban, Taylor and Agrawal and Ms. Lane Fox discussed Mr. Musk’s communications and determined (1) that Mr. Durban would connect Mr. Musk with Messrs. Taylor and Agrawal and Ms. Lane Fox, and they would also discuss with Mr. Musk his potential interest in joining the Twitter Board; (2) to call meetings of the NomGov Committee and of the Twitter Board to discuss Mr. Musk’s communications and potential interest in joining the Twitter Board; and (3) that Ms. Lane Fox would inform each member of the Twitter Board in advance of the Twitter Board meeting of Mr. Musk’s communications. Ms. Lane Fox subsequently informed the members of the Twitter Board of Mr. Musk’s initial communications.

On March 27, 2022, Messrs. Musk, Taylor and Agrawal discussed Mr. Musk’s interest in Twitter and potentially joining the Twitter Board. As part of that discussion, Mr. Musk stated that he was considering various options with respect to his ownership, including potentially joining the Twitter Board, seeking to take Twitter private or starting a competitor to Twitter.

On March 30, 2022, Ms. Lane Fox and Mr. Musk discussed Mr. Musk’s potential interest in joining the Twitter Board and the benefits that Mr. Musk believed he could potentially bring to Twitter as a Twitter director.

On March 31, 2022, Messrs. Agrawal and Taylor met with Mr. Musk to discuss Twitter’s business and Mr. Musk’s potential interest in joining the Twitter Board. At the meeting, Mr. Musk reiterated his interest in potentially joining the Twitter Board to help improve Twitter’s business as a director of Twitter, and that he was also considering the possibility of taking Twitter private or starting a competitor to Twitter.

On April 2, 2022, the NomGov Committee met, with Mr. Taylor, members of Twitter management and a representative of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, Twitter’s outside legal counsel reporting to the Twitter Board (which we refer to as “Wilson Sonsini”), in attendance. Messrs. Durban, Taylor and Agrawal and Ms. Lane Fox each updated the NomGov Committee on their discussions with Mr. Musk. After considering, among other things, Mr. Musk’s interest in Twitter’s business, his statement that he is one of Twitter’s substantial stockholders, his active use of the Twitter

 

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platform, his technical expertise in areas critical to Twitter’s products and technology, and the perspectives that he could bring to the Twitter Board, the NomGov Committee determined to recommend that the Twitter Board consider inviting Mr. Musk to join the Twitter Board, subject to completion of customary onboarding procedures, such as a background check and completing and signing a director onboarding questionnaire.

Also on April 2, 2022, at the direction of Mr. Taylor and the NomGov Committee, Twitter requested that J.P. Morgan attend the scheduled meeting of the Twitter Board to assist Twitter in reviewing Mr. Musk’s purported purchase of a significant stake in our common stock, Mr. Musk’s potential appointment to the Twitter Board and related matters.

On April 3, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Wilson Sonsini and J.P. Morgan in attendance. Messrs. Durban, Agrawal, Taylor and Ms. Lane Fox each updated the Twitter Board on their discussions with Mr. Musk. The NomGov Committee reported on its discussions at its meeting the previous day and provided its recommendation that the Twitter Board consider inviting Mr. Musk to join the Twitter Board. In evaluating the NomGov Committee’s recommendation, the Twitter Board considered, among other things, Mr. Musk’s qualifications, business expertise, knowledge of Twitter’s business and user base and technical expertise in areas critical to Twitter’s products and technology, as well as (1) the perspectives that he could bring to the Twitter Board and benefits he could bring to Twitter’s business, strategy and brand as a Twitter director; (2) his statements that he is one of Twitter’s substantial stockholders; and (3) his active use of the Twitter platform. The Twitter Board also considered possible disruption to Twitter’s business and the potential for adverse impacts on stockholder value if Mr. Musk determined to pursue the other alternatives that he expressed an interest in considering. The representatives of Wilson Sonsini reviewed with the members of the Twitter Board their fiduciary duties. Mr. Dorsey informed the Twitter Board that he and Mr. Musk were friends, and Mr. Durban informed the Twitter Board that he had worked on unrelated matters with Mr. Musk in the past. At this and other meetings of the Twitter Board relating to Mr. Musk joining the Twitter Board, Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal and the merger, the Twitter Board regularly met in executive session of independent directors. The Twitter Board determined to invite Mr. Musk to join the Twitter Board, subject to his completion of a background check and other customary onboarding procedures. In connection with Mr. Musk joining the Twitter Board, it was the desire of the Twitter Board that Mr. Musk enter into a cooperation agreement that included “standstill” provisions that, among other things, would limit his public statements regarding Twitter, including the making of unsolicited public proposals to acquire Twitter (but not private proposals) without the prior consent of the Twitter Board. Following the meeting, at the direction of the Twitter Board, Ms. Lane Fox called Mr. Musk to invite him to join the Twitter Board, subject to completion of customary onboarding procedures. Ms. Lane Fox also noted the desire of the Twitter Board that Mr. Musk enter into a cooperation agreement. Following that discussion, representatives of Twitter sent a copy of Twitter’s customary director onboarding questionnaire to representatives of Mr. Musk.

On April 4, 2022, Mr. Musk publicly disclosed his ownership of approximately 9.2 percent of our common stock.

Also on April 4, 2022, representatives of Twitter provided Mr. Musk with a draft of a cooperation agreement that provided for Mr. Musk’s appointment to the Twitter Board and included customary “standstill” provisions. Subsequently, Mr. Musk informed Mr. Taylor that Mr. Musk would not agree to limit his public statements regarding Twitter, but would be open to an agreement limiting his ownership of Twitter to approximately 15 percent (with any increase to be subject to future Twitter Board approval).

Later on April 4, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of Wilson Sonsini in attendance. The Twitter Board reviewed Mr. Musk’s disclosures

 

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regarding his ownership of our common stock made earlier that day. Mr. Taylor provided an update on Mr. Musk’s response to the request that he enter into a cooperation agreement. The Twitter Board again considered the possible disruption to Twitter’s business and the possible impact on stockholder value if Mr. Musk determined to seek to acquire Twitter on an unsolicited basis, as well as the additional stockholder value that could be derived from (1) requiring Mr. Musk to negotiate the terms of a potential acquisition with the Twitter Board; and (2) ensuring that the Twitter Board had sufficient time to evaluate strategic alternatives in response to a takeover proposal from Mr. Musk. The Twitter Board also discussed terms of an agreement that would be asked of Mr. Musk if he were appointed to the Twitter Board in light of Mr. Musk’s refusal to sign the cooperation agreement previously proposed. The Twitter Board directed Twitter management and Wilson Sonsini to request that Mr. Musk, in connection with joining the Twitter Board as a director, simply enter into an agreement that would restrict Mr. Musk from purchasing more than 14.9 percent of our common stock. The Twitter Board delegated authority to each of Mr. Taylor and Ms. Lane Fox to approve the execution of such agreement by Twitter. The Twitter Board also approved increasing the size of the Twitter Board by one seat and appointing Mr. Musk to the Twitter Board to serve as a Class II director, effective upon the latest of (1) a determination by Mr. Taylor and/or Mr. Lane Fox that Mr. Musk had executed such agreement on terms consistent with those discussed by the Twitter Board and in a form acceptable to Mr. Taylor and/or Ms. Lane Fox; (2) confirmation by Mr. Musk in a manner acceptable to Mr. Taylor and/or Ms. Lane Fox that Mr. Musk was prepared to join the Twitter Board; and (3) the completion to the satisfaction of Mr. Taylor and/or Ms. Lane Fox of customary director onboarding procedures (including a customary background check of Mr. Musk and a director onboarding questionnaire by Mr. Musk).

Still later on April 4, 2022, representatives of Twitter sent Mr. Musk a draft of a letter agreement providing that (1) Twitter would appoint Mr. Musk to the Twitter Board to serve as a Class II director with a term expiring at Twitter’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, subject to and contingent upon the provision by Mr. Musk of any information that Twitter reasonably required to complete customary director onboarding procedures (including a customary background check and director onboarding questionnaire); and (2) for so long as Mr. Musk were to serve on the Twitter Board and for 90 days thereafter, Mr. Musk would not, either alone or as a member of a group, become the beneficial owner of more than 14.9 percent of our common stock outstanding at such time. Mr. Musk and Twitter (with Mr. Taylor’s and Ms. Lane Fox’s approval) subsequently executed the letter agreement in the form sent to Mr. Musk.

On April 5, 2022, Twitter and Mr. Musk publicly announced the entry into the letter agreement. Over the next three days, Messrs. Agrawal and Musk continued to discuss Twitter’s business and products in anticipation of Mr. Musk joining the Twitter Board.

Also on April 5, 2022, Mr. Musk contacted Mr. Dorsey to ask Mr. Dorsey his perspectives on Twitter in connection with the announcement of Mr. Musk joining the Twitter Board. As part of this discussion, Mr. Dorsey shared his personal view that Twitter would be better able to focus on execution as a private company. Mr. Musk further inquired if Mr. Dorsey would stay on the Twitter Board, and Mr. Dorsey declined.

On April 8, 2022, Ms. Lane Fox informed the Twitter Board of the satisfactory completion of Mr. Musk’s background check. Mr. Taylor informed the Twitter Board of his expectation that Mr. Musk’s appointment to the Twitter Board would be effective on April 9, 2022.

On April 9, 2022, before Mr. Musk’s appointment to the Twitter Board became effective, Mr. Musk notified Messrs. Taylor and Agrawal that he would not be joining the Twitter Board and would be making an offer to take Twitter private. Mr. Agrawal informed the members of the Twitter Board of Mr. Musk’s communication.

On April 10, 2022, Twitter announced that Mr. Musk had decided not to join the Twitter Board.

 

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Also on April 10, 2022, at Mr. Taylor’s direction, Twitter requested that Goldman Sachs attend meetings of the Twitter Board to assist in Twitter’s evaluation of a potential acquisition proposal from Mr. Musk and related matters.

On April 12, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, outside legal counsel to the Twitter Board (which we refer to as “Simpson Thacher”), in attendance. Messrs. Taylor and Agrawal provided an update on their communications with Mr. Musk. The representatives of Goldman Sachs (1) provided preliminary market and trading perspectives on Twitter; (2) discussed with the Twitter Board the possibility that Mr. Musk would seek to acquire Twitter on a negotiated or unsolicited basis; and (3) discussed with the Twitter Board potential strategic alternatives available to Twitter, including continuing to execute Twitter’s business plan as an independent entity or commencing a process to solicit interest from counterparties with respect to a transaction involving Twitter. The Twitter Board and representatives of Goldman Sachs reviewed various potential strategic and financial counterparties to a strategic transaction involving Twitter, including those with whom it had previous discussions, the likelihood that each party would be interested in and have the capability to consummate an acquisition of Twitter, including, among other things, based on the regulatory, financing and other execution risks applicable to each party discussed with representatives of Goldman Sachs and Twitter’s legal advisors. The Twitter Board also discussed the possible impact on stockholder value if Mr. Musk sought to acquire Twitter on an unsolicited basis, and the additional stockholder value that could be derived from requiring Mr. Musk to negotiate the terms of an acquisition of Twitter with the Twitter Board. The Twitter Board also considered the possibility of adopting a shareholder rights plan in response to an unsolicited acquisition proposal from Mr. Musk or Mr. Musk continuing to purchase shares of our common stock in the open market, including (1) the terms of a potential shareholder rights plan and (2) whether a shareholder rights plan would be a reasonable and proportionate response to these actions by Mr. Musk. The representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors reviewed with the members of the Twitter Board their fiduciary duties. The Twitter Board also directed members of Twitter management to present Twitter management’s then current business plan for Twitter at a subsequent meeting so that the Twitter Board would be better prepared to evaluate a potential takeover proposal from Mr. Musk and other strategic alternatives, including relative to continuing to execute Twitter’s business plan as an independent entity.

On April 13, 2022, Mr. Musk delivered to Mr. Taylor a non-binding proposal to acquire Twitter, the full text of which is reproduced below. Mr. Musk also called Mr. Taylor to re-iterate that Mr. Musk’s proposal represented his best and final offer to acquire Twitter and referred Mr. Taylor to Mr. Musk’s public disclosure of the proposal scheduled for the next day for additional details with respect to the proposal.

Bret Taylor

Chairman of the Board,

I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.

However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company.

As a result, I am offering to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash, a 54% premium over the day before I began investing in Twitter and a 38% premium over the day before my

 

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investment was publicly announced. My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder.

Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it.

/s/ Elon Musk    

Elon Musk

On April 14, 2022, Mr. Musk publicly disclosed his acquisition proposal. As part of the disclosure, Mr. Musk also disclosed that his acquisition proposal would be conditioned upon, among other things, (1) the receipt of any required governmental approvals; (2) confirmatory legal, business, regulatory, accounting and tax due diligence; (3) the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements providing for the proposed acquisition; and (4) completion of anticipated financing. Over the next eight days, Mr. Musk from time to time Tweeted comments that could be interpreted to refer to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal, which comments led the Twitter Board to believe Mr. Musk might commence an unsolicited tender offer for our common stock imminently. Also during this period and around the time of the announcement of the merger, Mr. Dorsey from time to time Tweeted about his personal views on Twitter’s history and operations as either a public or private company.    

Also on April 14, 2022, and from time to time over the next eight days, representatives of financial sponsors and institutional investors communicated to members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan their preliminary and non-specific interest in participating in a potential acquisition of Twitter, including as a financing source for an acquisition of Twitter by Mr. Musk. None of these parties (or any other party) made a proposal to acquire Twitter.

Also on April 14, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. Mr. Taylor provided an update on Mr. Musk’s communication the previous day. The Twitter Board reviewed the terms and conditions of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal with the representatives of Goldman Sachs and Twitter’s legal advisors. The representatives of Goldman Sachs provided an update on the outreach from financial sponsors and institutional investors regarding their interest in participating in a potential acquisition. The Twitter Board determined not to engage with these parties because (1) they had not made an acquisition proposal; and (2) Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal had been publicly disclosed (and the subject of significant press coverage) and any interested party was free to contact Mr. Musk about participating in a potential acquisition. The Twitter Board again discussed the possibility of adopting a shareholder rights plan in response to Mr. Musk’s proposal, including (1) to reduce the likelihood that an unsolicited potential acquiror could take actions not in the best interests of all Twitter stockholders, including by seeking to obtain control of Twitter without paying all Twitter stockholders an appropriate control premium; and (2) to provide the Twitter Board with sufficient time to evaluate Mr. Musk’s proposal and other strategic alternatives available to Twitter. As part of this discussion, the Twitter Board discussed with Twitter’s legal advisors and the representatives of Goldman Sachs the terms of a potential shareholder rights plan that would be reasonable and proportionate in response to these risks. The representatives of Goldman Sachs reviewed considerations relating to shareholder rights plans, including with respect to the exercise price of rights under a potential shareholder rights plan. The representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors reviewed with the members of the Twitter Board their fiduciary duties. The Twitter Board considered strategic alternatives to an acquisition of Twitter by Mr. Musk and whether to contact other parties to solicit their interest in a potential acquisition of Twitter. The Twitter Board determined not to make such contacts based on (1) the fact that Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal had been publicly disclosed; and (2) the Twitter Board’s assessment that other parties were unlikely to have the interest in, or capability to, acquire Twitter, including, among other things, based on the regulatory, financing and other execution risks applicable to each party discussed with representatives of Goldman Sachs and

 

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Twitter’s legal advisors. To assist in the Twitter Board in its evaluation and negotiation of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal and consideration of other strategic alternatives and to provide additional feedback and guidance to members of Twitter management, the Twitter Board established a Transactions Committee of the Twitter Board (which we refer to as the “Transactions Committee”). The Transactions Committee was formed in light of (1) the possibility that Twitter management may need feedback and direction on relatively short notice; and (2) the benefits and convenience of having a subset of directors oversee and direct these matters. The Twitter Board authorized and instructed the Transactions Committee, among other things, to (1) oversee and provide assistance to Twitter management and Twitter’s advisors with respect to the exploration, evaluation, consideration, review and negotiation of the terms and conditions of any strategic alternative, including any sale of Twitter; and (2) explore, evaluate, consider, review and negotiate the terms and conditions of any strategic alternative, including any sale of Twitter, and to take such other actions with respect to any strategic alternative as the Transactions Committee deemed necessary, appropriate or advisable. The Twitter Board retained the power and authority to approve the final decision on pursuing a strategic alternative, including a sale of Twitter. It was also understood that the Twitter Board would continue to have an active role in the consideration of strategic alternatives. The Twitter Board appointed Mr. Taylor, Ms. Lane Fox and Patrick Pichette as the members of the Transactions Committee, each of whom is an independent director. The Twitter Board determined not to provide any additional compensation to the members of the Transactions Committee for their service on the Transactions Committee. After the representatives of Goldman Sachs left the meeting, the Twitter Board also approved retaining Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to act as financial advisors to Twitter and the Twitter Board in connection with a potential takeover proposal from Mr. Musk and strategic alternatives thereto. The Twitter Board selected Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan in view of their respective qualifications, extensive expertise, international reputation, familiarity with Twitter and its business and industry, given their past experience working with Twitter and others in Twitter’s industry, and experience in similar situations. The Twitter Board also considered the advantages of engaging two financial advisors, including the additional and independent perspectives that each financial advisor could provide. Following the meeting, at the direction of the Twitter Board, Mr. Taylor communicated to Mr. Musk that the Twitter Board had received his acquisition proposal and would evaluate the course of action in the best interests of Twitter’s stockholders and be back in touch with Mr. Musk when the Twitter Board’s work was done.

Also on April 14, 2022, members of Twitter management informed Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan that the Twitter Board had approved retaining Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to act as financial advisors to Twitter and the Twitter Board in connection with a potential takeover proposal from Mr. Musk and strategic alternatives thereto.

On April 15, 2022, the Twitter Board adopted a shareholder rights plan (which we refer to as the “rights plan”) scheduled to expire on April 14, 2023, providing for a distribution of rights to stockholders that will become exercisable if an entity, person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 15 percent or more of our outstanding common stock in a transaction not approved by the Twitter Board. In that instance, each right will entitle its holder (other than the person, entity or group triggering the shareholder rights plan, whose rights will become void and will not be exercisable) to purchase, at the then-current exercise price, additional shares of common stock having a then-current market value of twice the exercise price of $210.00 per right.

Later on April 15, 2022, Twitter publicly announced the adoption of the rights plan.

Also on April 15, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The Transactions Committee discussed Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal and other strategic alternatives available to Twitter. The Transactions Committee noted that Mr. Musk had not provided any information on financing arrangements to fund the proposed acquisition, and that additional clarity on

 

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financing and other execution risks related to the proposed acquisition would be required to better evaluate Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal. The Transactions Committee also discussed next steps with respect to the Twitter Board’s evaluation of Twitter’s business plan and Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal.

On April 16, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The Transactions Committee determined that it would be helpful to the Twitter Board’s evaluation of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal and other strategic alternatives available to Twitter to understand the perspectives of Twitter’s significant institutional stockholders on such matters. As such, the Twitter Board coordinated an outreach process to gather those perspectives. The Transactions Committee also discussed next steps with respect to the Twitter Board’s evaluation of Twitter’s business plan and Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal.

On April 17, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The Transactions Committee continued its coordination of an outreach process to Twitter’s largest institutional stockholders. The Transactions Committee also discussed Twitter’s response to Mr. Musk while the Twitter Board continued its evaluation of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal. Over the subsequent four days, Messrs. Taylor and Pichette held meetings with a number of Twitter’s largest institutional stockholders to discuss the perspectives of these stockholders on Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal and Twitter more generally. As part of these meetings, these Twitter stockholders generally (1) expressed that Twitter has much opportunity, but indicated a perceived failure of historical execution; (2) expressed understanding there has been recent management change and openness to a stand-alone plan to give them confidence in the long term; and (3) encouraged the Twitter Board to seriously consider Mr. Musk’s proposal and weigh the risks of future execution. The Transactions Committee instructed Mr. Taylor to reiterate to Mr. Musk that the Twitter Board was taking Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal seriously. Mr. Taylor did that following the meeting of the Transactions Committee.

On April 19, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. Messrs. Taylor and Pichette provided an update on their ongoing discussions with Twitter’s institutional stockholders. The representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan also provided an update on the outreach from financial sponsors and institutional investors regarding their interest in participating in a potential acquisition of Twitter. Members of Twitter management presented their then current business plan for Twitter, including their then current estimated projections of Twitter’s financial prospects and underlying assumptions and market share case sensitivities. The Transactions Committee directed Twitter management to present their then current business plan to the Twitter Board for review.

On April 20, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. Members of Twitter management reviewed their then current business plan for Twitter, including their then current estimated projections of Twitter’s financial prospects and underlying assumptions and market share case sensitivities. The Twitter Board provided feedback with respect to these matters. The Twitter Board determined to take additional time to review the then current business plan, but instructed Twitter management to share the then current business plan with Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan so that both firms could begin their preliminary financial analysis of Twitter and Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal. The Twitter Board also discussed next steps for responding to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal, including the need for additional clarity from Mr. Musk on equity financing and any debt financing and other closing certainty matters with respect to the proposed acquisition, and determined to request that Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan present their respective preliminary financial analyses of Twitter and Mr. Musk’s

 

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acquisition proposal, that the Twitter Board wanted to consider prior to concluding how to respond to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal, at an upcoming meeting of the Twitter Board to be held on April 24, 2022.

On April 21, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The Transactions Committee continued its review and discussion of Twitter’s business plan. The Transactions Committee also discussed the timing of a formal response to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal.

Later on April 21, 2022, Mr. Musk publicly disclosed that he and Parent had obtained commitment letters for approximately $46.5 billion in financing to fund the proposed acquisition, including (1) a debt commitment letter providing for an aggregate of $13 billion in various secured and unsecured debt financing commitments; (2) a debt commitment letter providing for an aggregate of $12.5 billion in margin loan commitments (which commitments were subsequently reduced to $6.25 billion, as described below); and (3) an equity commitment letter providing for a $21 billion equity financing by Mr. Musk to Parent (which commitment was subsequently increased to $27.25 billion, as described below). The equity financing commitment did not include third party beneficiary rights permitting Twitter to enforce Mr. Musk’s equity financing commitment in connection with a potential transaction. Mr. Musk also disclosed that his acquisition proposal was no longer subject to the completion of financing and business due diligence. The debt commitment letters referenced drafts of agreements and documents providing for a tender offer for our common stock that had been shared with the lenders party to the debt commitment letters, but that had not been shared with Twitter.

Still later on April 21, 2022, Twitter management sent to the members of the Twitter Board and to Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan an updated version of Twitter’s business plan and estimated projections of Twitter’s financial prospects, noting the changes to the business plan reviewed at the meeting of the Twitter Board the previous day, including to reflect the Twitter Board’s feedback on these matters.

On April 22, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with other Twitter directors, members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. Messrs. Taylor and Pichette provided an update on their ongoing discussions with Twitter’s institutional stockholders. The representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan also reviewed Goldman Sachs’ and J.P. Morgan’s respective preliminary financial analyses of Twitter’s then current business plan. The representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan also reviewed the outreach from financial sponsors and institutional investors regarding their interest in participating in a potential acquisition of Twitter. The representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan reviewed the financing commitments for, and the other details with respect to, Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal that were disclosed the previous day. The Transactions Committee noted that Mr. Musk’s disclosure provided additional clarity with respect to financing and other closing certainty risks, but that additional information regarding these matters would be helpful in the Twitter Board’s evaluation of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal. The Transactions Committee instructed Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to contact representatives of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Mr. Musk’s outside financial advisor (which we refer to as “Morgan Stanley”), to obtain additional information with respect to the debt and equity financing aspects of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal. Mr. Taylor confirmed with each of the other members of the Twitter Board that they concurred with this approach. Representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan subsequently contacted Mr. Musk’s representatives as instructed by the Transactions Committee.

Later on April 22, 2022, representatives of each of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan met with representatives of Morgan Stanley to obtain additional information with respect to the debt and equity financing commitments and the financing aspects of Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal.

 

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On April 23, 2022, the Transactions Committee met, with other Twitter directors, members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan provided an update on their review of the debt and equity financing commitments to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal, as well as their discussions with representatives of Morgan Stanley. The Transactions Committee also discussed Twitter’s business plan, Twitter’s upcoming earnings announcements, circumstances and developments in Twitter’s industry and in the economy generally affecting the business of and trading prices of technology companies and Twitter, as well as potential next steps with respect to responding to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal.

Later on April 23, 2022, Mr. Musk contacted Mr. Taylor requesting to speak with Mr. Taylor or other representatives of Twitter.

Still later on April 23, 2022, following Mr. Musk’s outreach, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The Transactions Committee directed Mr. Taylor and a representative of Goldman Sachs to respond to Mr. Musk’s request, and to invite Mr. Musk to provide additional information regarding his acquisition proposal for the benefit of the Twitter Board. This conversation among Messrs. Musk and Taylor and a representative of Goldman Sachs subsequently occurred on April 23, 2022. During the conversation, Mr. Musk reiterated that his acquisition proposal represented his best and final offer, and communicated to Mr. Taylor that he would be willing to take his proposal to our stockholders.

Also on April 23, 2022, J.P. Morgan provided Twitter with customary relationship disclosures regarding J.P. Morgan’s relationships with Twitter and Mr. Musk’s affiliates. In addition, J.P. Morgan provided to the Twitter Board certain estimates and analyses concerning the potential impact of the proposed transaction on the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions that Twitter entered into with an affiliate of J.P. Morgan, with respect to Twitter’s convertible senior notes, which are more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC—Miscellaneous.” Such estimates and analyses were based on theoretical models and various assumptions concerning the terms of the proposed transaction and market conditions and other information available to J.P. Morgan at the time.

On April 24, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. Members of Twitter management reviewed Twitter’s then current business plan, including their estimated projections of Twitter’s long-term financial prospects and underlying assumptions and market share case sensitivities. The representatives of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan presented their respective preliminary financial analyses of Twitter and Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal based on Twitter’s then current business plan. The Twitter Board considered various risks associated with executing the business plan, including with respect to achieving the various market share sensitivity cases relative to Twitter’s historical market share, and authorized Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan to use, for purposes of performing their respective financial analyses in connection with rendering their respective fairness opinions to the Twitter Board (as more fully described in the sections of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC” and “Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC”), the estimated projections of Twitter’s long-term financial performance assuming an increase in Twitter’s market share to 3.3 percent by fiscal year 2027 (relative to Twitter’s trailing 7-year historical average market share of approximately 2.1 percent) as reflected in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information. (The term Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is defined in, and further information about the substance of the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is contained in, the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Unaudited Prospective Financial Information.”) Mr. Taylor provided an update on the discussions with Mr. Musk the previous day. The Twitter Board also

 

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considered the possibility that Mr. Musk might imminently commence an unsolicited tender offer for our common stock, and the fact that Mr. Musk would not be contractually committed to offer $54.20 in cash per share of our common stock or to consummate a tender offer absent a negotiated agreement with Twitter. The Twitter Board also discussed the recent general decline in trading prices of social media companies and the potential impact of the decline on the likelihood that Mr. Musk would be prepared to improve his proposal. Based on these discussions, it was the consensus of the Twitter Board that (1) Mr. Musk would not be willing to increase the value of his acquisition proposal; (2) Mr. Musk’s proposal merited further evaluation, given the preliminary financial analyses presented by Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan; and (3) Twitter should engage with Mr. Musk in an effort to improve the certainty of a potential acquisition for the benefit of our stockholders. The Twitter Board requested that the Transactions Committee and Twitter’s advisors engage with Mr. Musk on that basis promptly following the conclusion of that meeting, including to determine whether an agreement could be finalized with Mr. Musk with respect to an acquisition of Twitter as promptly as practicable. The Twitter Board again considered strategic alternatives to an acquisition of Twitter by Mr. Musk and whether to contact other parties to solicit their interest in a potential acquisition of Twitter. As part of this discussion, the Twitter Board reviewed discussions with Twitter’s institutional stockholders and the outreach by the various financial sponsors and institutional investors regarding the possibility of participating in support of a potential acquisition by Mr. Musk. The Twitter Board determined not to contact other parties at this time based on (1) the fact that Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal had been publicly disclosed (and the subject of significant press coverage); (2) the Twitter Board’s assessment that other parties were unlikely to have the interest in, or capability to, acquire Twitter, including, among other things, based on the regulatory, financing and other execution risks applicable to each party discussed with representatives of Twitter’s financial and legal advisors; (3) the likelihood that other potential acquirors would require substantial due diligence, creating a delay and risk to reaching the signing of such a potential transaction; and (4) the possibility that outreach to additional counterparties could jeopardize reaching an agreement with Mr. Musk at the per share price and could cause significant disruption to Twitter.

Later on April 24, 2022, promptly following the meeting of the Twitter Board, the Transactions Committee met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance, to coordinate next steps for engaging with Mr. Musk in accordance with the Twitter Board’s request. During the meeting, but before the Transactions Committee had informed Mr. Musk of the Twitter Board’s determination, representatives of Morgan Stanley delivered a letter to Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, the full text of which is reproduced below.

April 24, 2022

Bret Taylor

Chairman of the Board,

Thank you for the conversation yesterday.

We remain committed to our transaction with Twitter at $54.20 and appreciate your contact on the matter. As we discussed, $54.20 has been and will remain my best and final offer, period. This is binary – my offer will either be accepted or I will exit my position. At the time my $54.20 offer was made, it represented a 54% premium to Twitter’s share price prior to the day before my investment in Twitter began, and a 38% premium to the day before my investment in Twitter was announced. Since that time, the attractiveness of my proposal has only increased given the market’s continued correction. Had your stock traded inline with comparable social media companies, my offer would represent approximately 90% and 70% premiums to those times.

 

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While I strongly believe that you should recommend my offer to shareholders based upon its superior value to the value of Twitter without my offer and my equity position, I recognize that you may elect not to do so. As such, I have attached a merger agreement that is “seller friendly” and that does not require you to recommend in favor of my offer. This will provide all shareholders a voice, and allow for a democratic decision consistent with Twitter’s ethos. With your cooperation, we can negotiate changes that you require to be able to announce a transaction before the market opens tomorrow that the shareholders can then vote on. I would respect the outcome of that vote if the shareholders prefer the management plan to my $54.20, and exit my position entirely if that is the outcome of the vote.

In order to provide further value and choice to shareholders (within the legal boundaries of a private, unlisted company), we are willing to explore options that allow existing shareholders (including convertible securities and other related instruments) to invest all or a portion of their proceeds into the proposed transaction. Any such rollover transaction would be structured as a separate negotiated transaction consistent with laws and regulations and not be a public offer, and would not affect the proposed $54.20 cash offer transaction.

My strong preference continues to be a negotiated transaction with you at $54.20 per share. I look forward to the board’s response to my proposal.

Elon Musk

Also during the meeting, and shortly after receipt of the letter, representatives of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Mr. Musk’s outside legal counsel (which we refer to as “Skadden”), delivered to representatives of Twitter an initial draft of the merger agreement. The Transactions Committee directed Twitter’s legal advisors to engage with representatives of Skadden to discuss the initial draft of the merger agreement. This discussion subsequently occurred.

Still later on April 24, 2022, following the discussion between Twitter’s legal advisors and representatives of Skadden, the Transactions Committee reconvened, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors reviewed the nature and key terms of the initial draft of the merger agreement and discussed with the Transactions Committee potential open issues to be negotiated with Mr. Musk and Parent, including to improve the certainty of the completion of the merger for the benefit of our stockholders. Based on these discussions, the Transactions Committee directed Twitter’s legal advisors to proceed with the negotiation of the merger agreement and related transaction documents.

Also on April 24, 2022, Goldman Sachs provided the Twitter Board with customary relationship disclosures regarding Goldman Sachs’ relationships with Twitter and Mr. Musk and his affiliates. In addition, Goldman Sachs provided to Twitter management for the information of the Twitter Board materials that summarized, based on theoretical models, the potential effects of the announcement and of the consummation of an acquisition of Twitter on the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions that Twitter entered into with Goldman Sachs and other counterparties, each acting as principal for its own account, with respect to Twitter’s 0% convertible senior notes due 2026 in March 2021, as more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC—General.”

 

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Throughout the remainder of April 24, 2022, and into April 25, 2022, Twitter, Parent and Mr. Musk and their respective legal advisors negotiated the terms of the merger agreement and related transaction documents. Key terms negotiated between the parties included (1) Twitter’s specific enforcement rights to require Parent and Mr. Musk to perform their obligations under the merger agreement and consummate the closing on the terms set forth in the merger agreement, as well as third-party beneficiary rights under the equity commitment letter to enforce Mr. Musk’s obligations to fund the equity commitment; (2) the circumstances in which a termination fee would be payable by Parent and Mr. Musk and the amount of the termination fee; (3) the availability of potential monetary damages under the merger agreement; (4) the terms and conditions applicable to Parent’s and Mr. Musk’s obligations to obtain regulatory approvals, and the closing conditions related to regulatory approvals; (5) the terms and conditions applicable to Parent’s and Mr. Musk’s obligations to complete debt financing arrangements for the acquisition, and Twitter’s obligations to assist Parent and Mr. Musk in such efforts; (6) the terms of the “no-shop” restrictions and the circumstances in which the Twitter Board could change its recommendation to its stockholders or negotiate or accept an alternative acquisition transaction; (7) the circumstances in which the merger agreement could be terminated by the parties and the applicable outside date; (8) the interim operating covenants applicable to Twitter prior to the closing of the merger and related exceptions; (9) limitations on the parties’ ability to make public statements regarding the merger; (10) the assignability of Mr. Musk’s equity financing commitments to Parent and of Mr. Musk’s limited guarantee of certain obligations under the merger agreement; and (11) the parties’ other representations, warranties and covenants.

On April 25, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. Members of Twitter management and the representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors provided an update on the negotiation of the merger agreement and related transaction documents. The representatives of each of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan reviewed with the Twitter Board Goldman Sachs’ and J.P. Morgan’s respective financial analyses of the $54.20 in cash per share of our common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Mr. Musk, Parent and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement. The Twitter Board noted the customary relationship disclosures previously provided by each of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan regarding their relationship with Mr. Musk and his affiliates and with Twitter; the Twitter Board did not identify any concerns with these disclosures. All of the members of the Twitter Board, and the members of Twitter management present at the meeting, were asked and confirmed that they had no discussions or arrangements with Mr. Musk or his affiliates with respect to participating with Mr. Musk in the acquisition. The representatives of Goldman Sachs discussed the procedures and process in connection with delivery of its opinion, assuming successful completion of the negotiations and finalization of the terms of the merger agreement and related transaction documents. The representatives of J.P. Morgan discussed the procedures and process in connection with delivery of its opinion, assuming successful completion of the negotiations and finalization of the terms of the merger agreement and related transaction documents. The representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors reviewed with the members of the Twitter Board their fiduciary duties. The representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors also reviewed the key terms of the merger agreement, debt commitment letter, the margin loan commitment letter, equity commitment letter and limited guarantee. Following this discussion, the Twitter Board directed Twitter’s legal advisors to finalize the merger agreement and related transaction documents. Following the meeting, Twitter and Mr. Musk and their respective legal advisors finalized the terms of the merger agreement, the debt commitment letter, the margin loan commitment letter, the equity commitment letter and the limited guarantee.

Later on April 25, 2022, the Twitter Board met, with members of Twitter management and representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher in attendance. The representatives of Twitter’s legal advisors provided an update on the negotiation of the merger agreement and related transaction documents, including updates to the final terms of the

 

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merger agreement since the earlier meeting of the Twitter Board. The representatives of each of Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan again reviewed with the Twitter Board Goldman Sachs’ and J.P. Morgan’s respective financial analyses of the $54.20 in cash per share of our common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Mr. Musk, Parent and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement. The representatives of Goldman Sachs then rendered the oral opinion of Goldman Sachs, subsequently confirmed by delivery of its written opinion, dated April 25, 2022, to the Twitter Board that, as of the date of the written opinion and based upon and subject to the limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth therein, the $54.20 in cash per share of our common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Mr. Musk, Parent and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement was fair from a financial point of view to such holders. The representatives of J.P. Morgan then also rendered the oral opinion of J.P. Morgan (subsequently confirmed by delivery of its written opinion dated April 25, 2022) to the Twitter Board that, as of the date of such opinion and based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth therein, the merger consideration to be paid to holders of our common stock in the proposed transaction was fair, from a financial point of view, to such holders. Following discussion, and taking into consideration various factors, including those described in the section titled “—Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger,” the Twitter Board unanimously (1) determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by merger agreement are advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and the Twitter stockholders; (2) authorized the execution and delivery of the merger agreement and approved the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, and (3) resolved to recommend that the Twitter stockholders adopt the merger agreement and approve the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger.

Still later on April 25, 2022, following the meeting of the Twitter Board, the applicable parties executed the merger agreement and the limited guarantee and Parent delivered to Twitter fully executed revised versions of the debt commitment letter, margin loan commitment letter and equity commitment letter. Promptly following execution of the merger agreement, Twitter and Mr. Musk publicly announced the merger agreement and the merger.

On May 4, 2022, in connection with Mr. Musk’s and Parent’s financing activities for the merger, Mr. Musk and Parent amended the equity commitment letter to increase the amount of Mr. Musk’s equity financing commitment thereunder by $6.25 billion to an aggregate amount of $27.25 billion, and reduced the amount of the margin loan financing commitments under the margin loan commitment letter by $6.25 billion to an aggregate amount of $6.25 billion.

On May 5, 2022, Twitter and Mr. Musk entered into a confidentiality agreement with respect to Twitter sharing non-public information with Parent, Mr. Musk and their representatives, including pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement. Prior to entry into the merger agreement, Mr. Musk did not ask to enter into a confidentiality agreement or seek from Twitter any non-public info regarding Twitter. Twitter did not enter into a confidentiality agreement with any other third party regarding strategic alternatives to Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal.

Also on May 5, 2022, Mr. Musk publicly disclosed that he (on behalf of Parent) was having, and would continue to have, discussions with certain existing holders of our common stock (including Mr. Dorsey) regarding the possibility of contributing shares of our common stock of such holders to Parent, at or immediately prior to the closing of the merger, in order to retain an equity investment in Twitter following completion of the merger in lieu of receiving merger consideration in the merger. Mr. Dorsey informed Twitter that his communications with Mr. Musk regarding these matters first occurred following execution of the merger agreement and that these communications may continue, and may result in Mr. Dorsey continuing to hold equity of the surviving corporation or one or more of its affiliates following the merger. There are no assurances that an agreement will result, or of the

 

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amount, if any, of Mr. Dorsey’s holdings that will be contributed to Parent, or of the amount, if any, of equity of the surviving corporation or one or more of its affiliates that Mr. Dorsey will hold following the merger.

Recommendation of the Twitter Board and Reasons for the Merger

Recommendation of the Twitter Board

The Twitter Board unanimously: (1) determined that the merger agreement is advisable and the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement are fair to, advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and its stockholders; and (2) adopted and approved the merger agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) “FOR” the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger; and (3) “FOR” the adjournment of the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting.

Reasons for the Merger

In evaluating the merger agreement and the merger, the Twitter Board consulted with Twitter management, as well as representatives of each of Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher. In recommending that Twitter stockholders vote “FOR” the adoption of the merger agreement, the Twitter Board considered and analyzed a number of factors, including the following (which factors are not necessarily presented in order of relative importance). Based on these consultations, considerations and analyses, and the factors discussed below, the Twitter Board unanimously concluded that entering into the merger agreement was advisable and in the best interests of Twitter and our stockholders.

The Twitter Board believed that the following material factors and benefits supported its determination and recommendation:

 

   

Financial Condition, Results of Operations and Prospects of Twitter; Risks of Execution. The current, historical and projected financial condition, results of operations and business of Twitter, as well as Twitter’s prospects and risks if it were to remain an independent company. In particular, the Twitter Board considered Twitter’s then current business plan, including management’s then current estimated projections of Twitter’s financial prospects, as reflected in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information, and underlying assumptions and market share case sensitivities. As part of this, the Twitter Board considered Twitter’s current business plan and the potential opportunities and risks that it presented, against, among other things, various execution, operational and other risks to achieving the business plan and related uncertainties, including: (1) the impact of market, customer and competitive trends on Twitter; (2) the likelihood that the business plan could be achieved in the face of operational and execution risks, including loss of market share, user dissatisfaction or employee attrition; and (3) general risks related to market conditions that could negatively impact our valuation or reduce the price of our common stock. In particular, the Twitter Board considered the likelihood and timing of, and risks to, achieving the operational improvements, monetization objectives and market share capture assumptions underlying the business plan, as well as the estimated

 

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projections of Twitter’s financial prospects, all as reflected in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information. Among the potential risks identified by the Twitter Board were:

 

   

Twitter’s competitive positioning and prospects as an independent company. Included among these risks were consideration of (1) Twitter’s size, as well as its financial resources, relative to those of its competitors; (2) new and evolving competitive threats; (3) changes in the industry in which Twitter operates; and (4) the substantial risks to achieving Twitter’s business plan.

 

   

The historical growth rate of Twitter’s monetizable daily active usage or users, ad engagement or other general engagement on its platform and the impact that this has had, and could continue to have, on Twitter’s ability to achieve stable and consistent revenue, business and operating results. The Twitter Board also considered Twitter’s historical challenges in increasing market share, and noted that the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information included various assumptions regarding increased market share.

 

   

The historical challenges to Twitter’s ability to grow its advertising revenue and the impact that this has had, and could continue to have, on our future revenue, profitability and stock price.

 

   

The continued economic uncertainty, including related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine and related sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and inflationary pressures, as well as the impact that such uncertainty has had, and could continue to have, on the digital advertising market (and brand advertising specifically) and Twitter’s business and operating results.

 

   

The challenges to a public company of making investments, and operational changes and improvements (including meaningful cost reductions) to achieve long-term growth and profitability. The Twitter Board was aware that such investments, changes and improvements could lead to disruption in our performance and expose us to scrutiny based on our quarter-over-quarter operational and financial metrics and results. The Twitter Board was also aware that the price of our common stock could be negatively impacted if we failed to meet investor expectations, including if we failed to meet our monetization, growth and profitability objectives.

 

   

The historical execution track record of Twitter’s business plan by Twitter management and their ability to continue to drive Twitter’s business.

 

   

Potential Strategic Alternatives. The assessment of the Twitter Board that none of the possible alternatives to the merger (including continuing to operate Twitter as an independent company or pursuing a different transaction, and the desirability and perceived risks of those alternatives, as well as the potential benefits and risks to our stockholders of those alternatives and the timing and likelihood of effecting such alternatives) was reasonably likely to present superior opportunities for Twitter to create greater value for our stockholders, taking into account execution risks as well as business, financial, industry, competitive and regulatory risks. The Twitter Board considered other potential acquirors of Twitter, and determined that other parties were unlikely to have the interest in, or capability to, acquire Twitter, including based on the regulatory, financing and other execution risks applicable to each party. In that regard, the Twitter Board noted that although Mr. Musk’s acquisition proposal had been publicly disclosed (and the subject of significant press coverage) and a number of financial sponsors had contacted Twitter and its representatives regarding their interest in participating as a financing source in a potential acquisition of Twitter, the Twitter Board did not receive any alternative acquisition proposals from any potential acquirers other that Mr. Musk. The Twitter

 

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Board also noted the likelihood that other potential acquirors would require substantial due diligence, creating a delay and risk to reaching the signing of such a potential transaction.

 

   

Possibility that Mr. Musk Could Commence an Unsolicited Takeover or Exit His Stake. The possibility that, absent a negotiated agreement with Twitter, Mr. Musk might commence an unsolicited tender offer for our common stock imminently based on his public statements and disclosures, and the fact that Mr. Musk would not be contractually committed to offer the per share price to all of our stockholders, or otherwise be subject to contractual obligations and commitments (including with respect to receipt of regulatory approvals) to complete an acquisition transaction. As part of this, the Twitter Board noted (1) the possible disruption to our business and the possible impact on stockholder value if Mr. Musk determined to seek to acquire Twitter on an unsolicited basis; and (2) the additional stockholder value, including with respect to closing certainty, that could be derived from requiring Mr. Musk to negotiate the terms of a potential acquisition with the Twitter Board. In addition, the Twitter Board considered the possible disruption to our business and the possible impact on stockholder value if Mr. Musk did not pursue an acquisition or exited his stake of our common stock.

 

   

Certainty of Value. The consideration to be received by our stockholders in the merger consists entirely of cash, which provides certainty of value measured against the ongoing business and financial execution risks of Twitter’s business plan, and allows our stockholders to realize that value immediately upon the closing of the merger. In that regard, the Twitter Board noted that the amount of cash to be received for each outstanding share of our common stock is fixed and will not be reduced if the share price of our common stock declines prior to the effective time of the merger.

 

   

Best Value Reasonably Obtainable. The belief of the Twitter Board that the per share price represented Mr. Musk’s best and final offer and the best value that Twitter could reasonably obtain from Mr. Musk for the shares of our common stock, taking into account (1) Mr. Musk’s statements (both publicly and to Mr. Taylor) and reputation; (2) the Twitter Board’s assessment that other parties were unlikely to have the interest in, or capability to, acquire Twitter, including based on the regulatory, financing and other execution risks applicable to each party; and (3) the Twitter Board’s familiarity with the business, operations, prospects, business strategy, assets, liabilities and general financial condition of Twitter on a historical and prospective basis and its assessment of associated risks, including execution risks with respect to Twitter’s business plan. In addition, the Twitter Board believed that, measured against the longer-term execution risks described above, the per share price reflects a fair and favorable price for the shares of our common stock. The Twitter Board also considered that the per share price constitutes (1) a premium of approximately 38 percent to the closing price of our common stock on April 1, 2022, which was the last full trading day before Mr. Musk’s investment in Twitter became public; and (2) a premium of approximately 51 percent to Twitter’s 30-trading day volume-weighted average closing stock price ending on such date.

 

   

Opinion of Goldman Sachs. The oral opinion of Goldman Sachs rendered to the Twitter Board, subsequently confirmed by delivery of its written opinion, dated April 25, 2022, that, as of such date, and based upon and subject to the limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth therein, the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement was fair from a financial point of view to such holders. The opinion is more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC” and the full text of the opinion is attached as Annex C to this proxy statement.

 

   

Opinion of J.P. Morgan. The oral opinion of J.P. Morgan rendered to the Twitter Board on April 25, 2022 that, as of such date and based upon and subject to the factors and

 

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assumptions set forth in its opinion, the consideration to be paid to Twitter’s common stockholders in the proposed transaction was fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders. J.P. Morgan has confirmed its April 25, 2022 oral opinion by delivering its written opinion to the Twitter Board, dated April 25, 2022, that, as of such date, the consideration to be paid to Twitter’s common stockholders in the proposed merger was fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders. The opinion is more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC” and the full text of the opinion is attached as Annex D to this proxy statement.

 

   

Negotiations with Parent and Terms of the Merger Agreement. The terms of the merger agreement, which was the product of arm’s-length negotiations, and the belief of the Twitter Board that the merger agreement contained terms and conditions that provided the Twitter Board with a high level of closing certainty. The factors considered included:

 

   

Twitter’s ability, under certain circumstances, to furnish information to, and conduct negotiations with, third parties submitting unsolicited takeover proposals.

 

   

The Twitter Board’s belief that the terms of the merger agreement would be unlikely to deter third parties from making a superior proposal.

 

   

The Twitter Board’s ability, under certain circumstances, to withdraw or modify its recommendation that our stockholders vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement.

 

   

The Twitter Board’s ability, under certain circumstances, to terminate the merger agreement to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to a superior proposal. In that regard, the Twitter Board believed that the termination fee payable by Twitter in such instance was reasonable, consistent with or below similar fees payable in comparable transactions, and not preclusive of other offers.

 

   

The obligations of Parent, under certain circumstances, to take the actions necessary to consummate the merger, including to obtain required regulatory approvals or waivers on the terms set forth in the merger agreement.

 

   

The limited conditions to Parent’s obligation to consummate the merger, making the merger reasonably likely to be consummated.

 

   

The reverse termination fee of $1,000,000,000 payable by Parent in certain circumstances, our ability to specifically enforce Parent’s and Mr. Musk’s obligations under the merger agreement in accordance with its terms and to cause the equity financing to be funded if the conditions to closing are satisfied and the debt financing is available, and the other remedies available to Twitter under the merger agreement, including monetary damages. The Twitter Board also considered the terms of the limited guarantee, which guarantees payment of the reverse termination fee.

 

   

The consummation of the merger not being subject to a financing condition. The Twitter Board also considered the terms of the (1) debt commitment letters, which commit the debt sources to lend a portion of the amounts needed by Parent to fund the transaction; and (2) equity commitment letter, which commit Mr. Musk to invest the balance of the amounts needed by Parent to fund the transaction (including Twitter’s third-party beneficiary rights to enforce Mr. Musk’s equity commitments under the equity commitment letter in accordance with its terms and the terms of the merger agreement).

 

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Reasonable Likelihood of Consummation. The belief of the Twitter Board that an acquisition by Mr. Musk has a reasonable likelihood of closing. In that regard, the Twitter Board considered Mr. Musk’s business reputation and financial resources, as well as those of Parent’s debt financing sources, which the Twitter Board believed increased the likelihood that the required debt and equity financing for the merger would be available.

 

   

Appraisal Rights. The appraisal rights in connection with the merger available to our stockholders who timely and properly exercise such appraisal rights under the DGCL if certain conditions are met.

The Twitter Board also considered a number of uncertainties and risks and other potentially negative factors, including the following:

 

   

No Stockholder Participation in Future Growth or Earnings. The nature of the merger as a cash transaction means that our stockholders will not participate in Twitter’s future earnings or growth and will not benefit from any appreciation in value of the surviving corporation. The Twitter Board considered the other potential alternative strategies available to Twitter as an independent company, which, despite significant uncertainty, had the potential to result in a more successful and valuable company.

 

   

No-Shop Restrictions. The restrictions in the merger agreement on Twitter’s ability to solicit competing transactions (subject to certain exceptions to allow the Twitter Board to exercise its fiduciary duties and to accept a superior proposal, and then only upon the payment of a termination fee).

 

   

Risk Associated with Failure to Consummate the Merger. The possibility that the merger might not be consummated, and if it is not consummated, that: (1) Twitter’s directors, senior management and other employees will have expended extensive time and effort and will have experienced significant distractions from their work on behalf of Twitter during the pendency of the merger; (2) Twitter will have incurred significant transaction and other costs; (3) Twitter’s continuing business relationships with customers, business partners and employees may be adversely affected; (4) the trading price of our common stock could be adversely affected; (5) the contractual and legal remedies available to Twitter in the event of the breach or termination of the merger agreement may be insufficient, costly to pursue, or both; (6) the reverse termination fee of $1,000,000,000 payable by Parent to Twitter will not be available in all instances in which the merger agreement is terminated and such reverse termination fee may not be sufficient to compensate Twitter for the damage suffered by its business as a result of the pendency of the merger or of the strategic initiatives forgone by Twitter during this period; and (7) the failure of the merger to be consummated could result in an adverse perception among our customers, potential customers, employees and investors about Twitter’s prospects.

 

   

Regulatory Risks. The possibility that regulatory agencies may delay, object to, challenge or seek to enjoin the merger, or may seek to impose terms and conditions on their approvals that are not acceptable to Mr. Musk, notwithstanding his obligations under the merger agreement.

 

   

Impact of Interim Restrictions on Twitter’s Business Pending the Completion of the Merger. The restrictions on the conduct of Twitter’s business prior to the consummation of the merger, which may delay or prevent us from undertaking strategic initiatives before the completion of the merger that, absent the merger agreement, we might have pursued, or from taking certain actions aimed at incentivizing and retaining our employees.

 

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Effects of the Merger Announcement. The effects of the public announcement of the merger, including the: (1) effects on our employees, customers, operating results and stock price; (2) impact on our ability to attract and retain key management, sales and marketing, and technical personnel; and (3) potential for litigation in connection with the merger.

 

   

Termination Fee Payable by Twitter. The requirement that Twitter pay Parent a termination fee under certain circumstances following termination of the merger agreement, including if the Twitter Board terminates the merger agreement to accept a superior proposal. The Twitter Board considered the potentially discouraging impact that this termination fee could have on a third party’s interest in making a competing proposal to acquire Twitter.

 

   

Taxable Consideration. The receipt of cash in exchange for shares of our common stock in the merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes for many Twitter stockholders.

 

   

Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers. The interests that Twitter’s directors and executive officers may have in the merger, which may be different from, or in addition to, those of our other stockholders.

This discussion is not meant to be exhaustive. Rather, it summarizes the material reasons and factors evaluated by the Twitter Board in its consideration of the merger. After considering these and other factors, the Twitter Board concluded that the potential benefits of entering into the merger agreement outweighed the uncertainties and risks. In the light of the variety of factors considered by the Twitter Board and the complexity of these factors, the Twitter Board did not find it practicable to, and did not, quantify or otherwise assign relative weights, ranks or values to the foregoing factors in reaching its determination and recommendations. Moreover, each member of the Twitter Board applied his or her own personal business judgment to the process and may have assigned different relative weights, ranks or values to the different factors. The Twitter Board unanimously adopted and approved the merger agreement and the merger, and recommended that Twitter stockholders adopt the merger agreement, based upon the totality of the information presented to, and considered by, the Twitter Board.

Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

At a meeting of the Twitter Board held on April 25, 2022, Goldman Sachs rendered its oral opinion, subsequently confirmed by delivery of its written opinion, dated April 25, 2022, to the Twitter Board that, as of the date of the written opinion and based upon and subject to limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth therein, the $54.20 in cash per share of our common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement was fair from a financial point of view to such holders.

The full text of the written opinion of Goldman Sachs, dated April 25, 2022, which sets forth assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is attached as Annex C to this proxy statement. Goldman Sachs provided advisory services and its opinion for the information and assistance of the Twitter Board in connection with its consideration of the merger. The Goldman Sachs opinion is not a recommendation as to how any holder of our common stock should vote with respect to the merger or any other matter.

In connection with rendering its opinion, Goldman Sachs, among other things, reviewed:

 

   

the merger agreement;

 

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annual reports to stockholders and Annual Reports on Form 10-K of Twitter for the five years ended December 31, 2021;

 

   

certain interim reports to stockholders and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q of Twitter;

 

   

certain publicly available research analyst reports for Twitter;

 

   

certain other communications from Twitter to its stockholders; and

 

   

certain internal financial analyses and forecasts for Twitter prepared by its management, as approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by Twitter, which are referred to in this section of the proxy statement as the “Forecasts.”

Goldman Sachs also held discussions with members of the senior management of Twitter regarding their assessment of the past and current business operations, financial condition and future prospects of Twitter; reviewed the reported price and trading activity for the Twitter common stock; compared certain financial and stock market information for Twitter with similar information for certain other companies the securities of which are publicly traded; reviewed the financial terms of certain recent business combinations in the internet industry; and performed such other studies and analyses, and considered such other factors, as it deemed appropriate.

For purposes of rendering this opinion, Goldman Sachs, with the consent of the Twitter Board, relied upon and assumed the accuracy and completeness of all of the financial, legal, regulatory, tax, accounting and other information provided to, discussed with or reviewed by it, without assuming any responsibility for independent verification thereof. In that regard, Goldman Sachs assumed, with the consent of the Twitter Board, that the Forecasts were reasonably prepared on a basis reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of the management of Twitter. Goldman Sachs did not make an independent evaluation or appraisal of the assets and liabilities (including any contingent, derivative or other off-balance-sheet assets and liabilities) of Twitter or any of its subsidiaries and it was not furnished with any such evaluation or appraisal. Goldman Sachs assumed that all governmental, regulatory or other consents and approvals necessary for the consummation of the merger will be obtained without any adverse effect on the expected benefits of the merger in any way meaningful to its analysis. Goldman Sachs also assumed that the merger will be consummated on the terms set forth in the merger agreement, without the waiver or modification of any term or condition the effect of which would be in any way meaningful to its analysis.

Goldman Sachs’ opinion does not address the underlying business decision of Twitter to engage in the merger or the relative merits of the merger as compared to any strategic alternatives that may be available to Twitter; nor does it address any legal, regulatory, tax or accounting matters. Goldman Sachs was not requested to solicit, and did not solicit, interest from other parties with respect to an acquisition of, or other business combination with, Twitter or any other alternative transaction. Goldman Sachs’ opinion addresses only the fairness from a financial point of view, as of the date of the written opinion, of the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement. Goldman Sachs’ opinion does not express any view on, and does not address, any other term or aspect of the merger agreement or the merger or any term or aspect of any other agreement or instrument contemplated by the merger agreement or entered into or amended in connection with the merger, including the fairness of the merger to, or any consideration received in connection therewith by, the holders of any other class of securities, creditors, or other constituencies of Twitter; nor as to the fairness of the amount or nature of any compensation to be paid or payable to any of the officers, directors or employees of Twitter, or class of such persons in connection with the merger, whether relative to the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock to be paid to the holders (other than

 

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Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement or otherwise. Goldman Sachs did not express any opinion as to the prices at which shares of Twitter common stock will trade at any time, as to the potential effects of volatility in the credit, financial and stock markets on Twitter, Mr. Musk, Parent or the merger, or as to the impact of the merger on the solvency or viability of Twitter, Mr. Musk or Parent or the ability of Twitter, Mr. Musk or Parent to pay their respective obligations when they come due. Goldman Sachs’ opinion was necessarily based on economic, monetary, market and other conditions, as in effect on, and the information made available to it as of, the date of the opinion and Goldman Sachs assumed no responsibility for updating, revising or reaffirming its opinion based on circumstances, developments or events occurring after the date of its opinion. Goldman Sachs’ advisory services and its opinion were provided for the information and assistance of the Twitter Board in connection with its consideration of the merger and such opinion does not constitute a recommendation as to how a holder of shares of Twitter common stock should vote with respect to such transaction or any other matter. Goldman Sachs’ opinion was approved by a fairness committee of Goldman Sachs.

Summary of Material Financial Analysis

The following is a summary of the material financial analyses presented by Goldman Sachs to the Twitter Board in connection with rendering the opinion described above. The following summary, however, does not purport to be a complete description of the financial analyses performed by Goldman Sachs, nor does the order of analyses described represent relative importance or weight given to those analyses by Goldman Sachs. Some of the summaries of the financial analyses include information presented in tabular format. The tables must be read together with the full text of each summary and are alone not a complete description of Goldman Sachs’ financial analyses. Except as otherwise noted, the following quantitative information, to the extent that it is based on market data, is based on market data as it existed on or before April 22, 2022, the last trading day before the public announcement of the merger, and is not necessarily indicative of current market conditions.

Implied Premia Analysis

Goldman Sachs calculated and compared certain implied premia described below based on the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement.

Goldman Sachs calculated the implied premia represented by the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock relative to:

 

   

$39.31, the undisturbed closing price for Twitter common stock on April 1, 2022, the last trading day prior to the filing of the Schedule 13G filed by Elon Musk disclosing his ownership of Twitter common stock (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “Undisturbed Share Price”);

 

   

$48.93, the closing price for Twitter common stock on April 22, 2022, the last full trading day prior to the signing of the merger agreement (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “Current Share Price”);

 

   

$71.69, the highest closing trading price of the shares of Twitter common stock over the 52-week period ended April 22, 2022 (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “52-Week High”);

 

   

$32.42, the lowest closing trading price of the shares of Twitter common stock over the 52-week period ended April 22, 2022 (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “52-Week Low”);

 

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$35.89, the volume weighted average price of Twitter common stock over the 30-trading-day period ended April 1, 2022 (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “30-day Undisturbed VWAP”); and

 

   

$53.91, the average closing trading price of the shares of Twitter common stock over the 1-year period ended April 1, 2022 (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “1-year Undisturbed Average”).

The results of these calculations and comparisons were as follows:

 

Common Stock Reference Price   Implied Premium Represented by
$54.20 in Cash per Share of
Twitter Common Stock
 

Undisturbed Share Price of $39.31

    38%  

Current Share Price of $48.93

    11%  

52-Week High of $71.69

    (24)%  

52-Week Low $32.42

    67%  

30-day Undisturbed VWAP $35.89

    51%  

1-year Undisturbed Average of $53.91

    1%  

Illustrative Present Value of Future Share Price Analysis

Goldman Sachs performed an illustrative analysis of the implied present value of an illustrative future value per share of Twitter common stock, which is designed to provide an indication of the present value of a theoretical future value of Twitter’s equity as a function of Twitter’s financial multiples. For this analysis, Goldman Sachs used the Forecasts for each of the fiscal years 2022 to 2025. Goldman Sachs first calculated the implied future enterprise value of Twitter as of December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024, by applying a range of enterprise value to one-year forward EBITDA estimates (which are referred to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “forward EV/EBITDA”) multiples of 15.0x to 17.5x to the EBITDA estimates contained in the Forecasts for each of Twitter’s fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025. These illustrative multiples were derived by Goldman Sachs utilizing its professional judgment and experience, taking into account, among other things, current and historical average forward EV/EBITDA multiples for Twitter and certain selected internet companies described in the section below captioned “—Selected Public Company Comparables.”

Goldman Sachs then added the amount of Twitter’s estimated total cash and cash equivalents and equity investments and subtracted the amount of Twitter’s estimated total debt, as of December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024, each as provided by management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to the range of implied enterprise values to derive a range of illustrative equity values as of December 31, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Goldman Sachs then divided these implied equity values by the projected number of fully diluted outstanding shares of Twitter, as provided by management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to derive a range of implied future equity values per share of Twitter common stock. Goldman Sachs then discounted these implied equity values per share to December 31, 2021, using an illustrative discount rate of 11.4%, reflecting an estimate of Twitter’s cost of equity. Goldman Sachs derived such discount rate by application of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “CAPM”), which requires certain company-specific inputs, including a beta for Twitter, as well as certain financial metrics for the United States financial markets generally. This analysis resulted in a range of implied present values per share of Twitter common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of $45.50 to $60.10.

 

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Illustrative Discounted Cash Flow Analysis

Using the Forecasts, Goldman Sachs performed an illustrative discounted cash flow analysis on Twitter to derive a range of illustrative present values per share of Twitter common stock. Using the mid-year convention for discounting cash flows and discount rates ranging from 10.0% to 12.0%, reflecting estimates of Twitter’s weighted average cost of capital, Goldman Sachs discounted to present value as of December 31, 2021 (i) estimates of unlevered free cash flow for Twitter for the fiscal years 2022 through 2027 as reflected in the Forecasts and referred to as Unlevered Free Cash Flow (less stock-based compensation expenses) in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Unaudited Prospective Financial Information” and (ii) a range of illustrative terminal values for Twitter, which were calculated by applying illustrative exit terminal year EV/EBITDA multiples ranging from 10.0x to 15.0x to a terminal year estimate of EBITDA, as reflected in the Forecasts (which analysis implied perpetuity growth rates ranging from 5.6% to 9.0%). Goldman Sachs derived such discount rates by application of the CAPM, which requires certain company-specific inputs, including Twitter’s target capital structure weightings, the cost of long-term debt, after-tax yield on permanent excess cash, if any, future applicable marginal cash tax rate and a beta for Twitter, as well as certain financial metrics for the United States financial markets generally. The illustrative terminal year EV/EBITDA multiple range for Twitter was derived by Goldman Sachs using its professional judgment and experience, taking into account, among other things, current and historical average forward EV/EBITDA multiples for Twitter and certain selected internet companies described in the section below captioned “—Selected Public Company Comparables.” In addition, using discount rates ranging from 10.0% to 12.0%, reflecting estimates of Twitter’s weighted average cost of capital, Goldman Sachs discounted to present value as of December 31, 2021 the estimated benefits of Twitter’s net operating losses, as provided by the management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter.

Goldman Sachs derived a range of illustrative enterprise values for Twitter by adding the ranges of present values it derived as described above. Goldman Sachs then added to the range of illustrative enterprise values it derived for Twitter the amount of Twitter’s estimated total cash and cash equivalents and equity investments and subtracted the amount of Twitter’s estimated total debt as of December 31, 2021, adjusted for any subsequent publicly announced changes to those figures, as provided by the management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to derive a range of illustrative equity values for Twitter. Goldman Sachs then divided the range of illustrative equity values it derived by the number of fully diluted outstanding shares of Twitter as of March 31, 2022, as provided by the management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to derive a range of illustrative present values per share of Twitter common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of $39.10 to $60.90.

Selected Precedent Transactions Analysis

Goldman Sachs analyzed certain publicly available information relating to the following selected transactions involving companies with an enterprise value in excess of $1 billion in the internet industry since 2010. For each of the selected transactions, where information was publicly available, Goldman Sachs calculated and compared the implied enterprise value of the applicable target company based on the consideration paid in the transaction as a multiple of the target company’s EBITDA over the last twelve month period ended prior to the announcement of the applicable transaction (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “EV/LTM EBITDA”).

 

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The following table identifies the transactions reviewed by Goldman Sachs as part of this analysis:

 

  Announcement Date

 

Acquiror

 

Target

  EV/LTM EBITDA  

  Feb 2021

  Magnite, Inc.   SpotX, Inc.     33.4x  

  Jun 2020

  Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V.   Grubhub Inc.                 47.4x  

  Dec 2019

  Hellman & Friedman LLC   AutoScout24     26.1x  

  May 2018

  Silver Lake   ZPG Plc     21.5x  

  Jun 2016

  Microsoft Corporation   LinkedIn Corporation     31.2x  

  Nov 2015

  Expedia, Inc.   HomeAway, Inc.     36.4x  

  Aug 2015

  Liberty Interactive Corporation   zulily, inc.     50.6x  

  Jul 2014

  Zillow, Inc.   Trulia, Inc.     NM(1 ) 

  Jun 2014

  The Priceline Group Inc.   OpenTable, Inc.     29.9x  

  Nov 2012

  priceline.com Incorporated   KAYAK Software Corporation     27.6x  

  May 2011

  Microsoft Corporation   Skype Global S. à r.l.     32.2x  

 

(1)

Not meaningful

While none of the selected transactions or companies that participated in the selected transactions are directly comparable to the proposed merger of Twitter, the transactions included as selected transactions were chosen because the target companies that participated in the selected transactions are companies with operations that, for the purpose of this analysis, may be considered similar to certain of Twitter’s operations, market size and product profile.

The foregoing analysis indicated a 25th percentile EV/LTM EBITDA multiple of 28.2x and a 75th percentile EV/LTM EBITDA multiple of 35.7x. Using this analysis and its professional judgment and experience, Goldman Sachs applied a range of illustrative EV/EBITDA multiples of 28.2x to 35.7x to Twitter’s last twelve months Adjusted EBITDA (adjusted to exclude a one-time litigation-related net charge of $766 million) as of December 31, 2021, as provided by the management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to derive a range of implied enterprise values for Twitter. Goldman Sachs then added to the range of implied enterprise values the amount of Twitter’s estimated total cash and cash equivalents and equity investments and subtracted the amount of Twitter’s estimated total debt, as of December 31, 2021, adjusted for any subsequent publicly announced changes to those figures, as provided by the management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to derive a range of illustrative equity values for Twitter. Goldman Sachs divided the range of illustrative equity values by the number of fully diluted outstanding shares of Twitter as of March 31, 2022, as provided by the management of Twitter and approved for Goldman Sachs’ use by the management of Twitter, to derive a range of implied values per share of Twitter common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of $50.30 to $62.90.

Premia Paid Analysis

Goldman Sachs reviewed and analyzed, using publicly available information, the acquisition premia for 149 all-cash acquisition transactions announced from January 2012 through April 2022, involving a public technology, media, or telecommunication company based in the United States as the target where the disclosed enterprise value for the transaction was greater than $1 billion. For the entire period, using publicly available information, Goldman Sachs calculated the median, 25th percentile and 75th percentile premia of the price paid in the transactions relative to the target’s last undisturbed closing stock price prior to announcement of the transaction. This analysis indicated a median premium of 29% across the period. This analysis also indicated a 25th percentile premium of 18% and a 75th percentile premium of 44% across the period. Using this analysis and its professional judgment and experience, Goldman Sachs applied a reference range of illustrative premia of 18% to 44% to the

 

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undisturbed closing price per share of Twitter common stock of $39.31 as of April 1, 2022 and calculated a range of implied values per share of Twitter common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of $46.40 to $56.60.

Selected Public Company Comparables

Using publicly available information, Goldman Sachs reviewed and compared forward EV/EBITDA multiples for Twitter and the following publicly traded corporations in the internet industry, which are collectively referred to as the “selected companies”:

 

   

Alphabet Inc.

 

   

Meta Platforms, Inc.

 

   

Pinterest, Inc.

 

   

Snap Inc.

Although none of the selected companies is directly comparable to Twitter, the companies included were chosen because they are publicly traded companies in the internet industry with certain operations that for purposes of analysis may be considered similar to certain operations of Twitter.

Goldman Sachs calculated the average multiple of enterprise value to EBITDA for the next twelve-month period (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “NTM EBITDA”), for each of Twitter and the selected companies over the 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, 2-year and 3-year periods prior to April 22, 2022, based on financial and trading data as of April 22, 2022 obtained from public filings, Bloomberg, Capital IQ and Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “IBES”) estimates. The results of this analysis are summarized as follows:

EV/NTM EBITDA

Averages Over Periods Prior to April 22, 2022

 

    

   3-Month          6-Month (1)          1-Year (1)          2-Year (1)          3-Year (1)      

  Alphabet Inc.

     13.3x        14.3x        15.0x        14.6x        13.5x  

  Meta Platforms, Inc.

     9.0x        10.8x        12.3x        13.4x        12.8x  

  Pinterest, Inc.

     17.5x        21.3x        35.2x                

  Snap Inc.

     57.3x                              

  Twitter

     20.6x        22.3x        27.2x        28.4x        25.1x  

 

(1)

Average multiples excluded if respective company does not have meaningful trading data for the entire period.

 

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Goldman Sachs also calculated and compared the current forward EV/EBITDA multiples for Twitter, based on the Forecasts and based on IBES estimates, and the selected companies for calendar years 2022 and 2023, based on financial and trading data as of April 22, 2022 obtained from public filings, Bloomberg, Capital IQ and IBES estimates. The forward EV/EBITDA multiples for Twitter were calculated using the undisturbed closing price per share of Twitter common stock on April 1, 2022. The results of this analysis are summarized as follows:

 

    

   2022E
EV/EBITDA
     2023E
EV/EBITDA
 

  Alphabet Inc.

     12.0x        10.4x  

  Meta Platforms, Inc.

     7.8x        6.7x  

  Pinterest, Inc.

     16.2x        11.2x  

  Snap Inc.

     62.8x        30.2x  

  Twitter (based on the Forecasts)

     19.6x        11.7x  

  Twitter (based on IBES Estimates)

     21.8x        16.9x  

General

The preparation of a fairness opinion is a complex process and is not necessarily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. Selecting portions of the analyses or of the summary set forth above, without considering the analyses as a whole, could create an incomplete view of the processes underlying Goldman Sachs’ opinion. In arriving at its fairness determination, Goldman Sachs considered the results of all of its analyses and did not attribute any particular weight to any factor or analysis considered by it. Rather, Goldman Sachs made its determination as to fairness on the basis of its experience and professional judgment after considering the results of all of its analyses. No company or transaction used in the above analyses as a comparison is directly comparable to Twitter or the merger.

Goldman Sachs prepared these analyses for purposes of Goldman Sachs’ providing its opinion to the Twitter Board as to the fairness from a financial point of view of the $54.20 in cash per share of Twitter common stock to be paid to the holders (other than Parent, Mr. Musk and their respective affiliates) of such shares pursuant to the merger agreement. These analyses do not purport to be appraisals nor do they necessarily reflect the prices at which businesses or securities actually may be sold. Analyses based upon forecasts of future results are not necessarily indicative of actual future results, which may be significantly more or less favorable than suggested by these analyses. Because these analyses are inherently subject to uncertainty, being based upon numerous factors or events beyond the control of the parties or their respective advisors, none of Twitter, Parent, Goldman Sachs or any other person assumes responsibility if future results are materially different from those forecast.

The merger consideration was determined through arm’s-length negotiations between Twitter and Parent and was approved by the Twitter Board. Goldman Sachs provided advice to Twitter during these negotiations. Goldman Sachs did not, however, recommend any specific amount of consideration to Twitter or the Twitter Board or that any specific amount of consideration constituted the only appropriate consideration for the merger.

As described above, Goldman Sachs’ opinion to the Twitter Board was one of many factors taken into consideration by the Twitter Board in making its determination to approve the merger agreement. The foregoing summary does not purport to be a complete description of the analyses performed by Goldman Sachs in connection with the fairness opinion and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the written opinion of Goldman Sachs attached as Annex C.

 

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Goldman Sachs and its affiliates are engaged in advisory, underwriting and financing, principal investing, sales and trading, research, investment management and other financial and non-financial activities and services for various persons and entities. Goldman Sachs and its affiliates and employees, and funds or other entities they manage or in which they invest or have other economic interests or with which they co-invest, may at any time purchase, sell, hold or vote long or short positions and investments in securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments of Twitter, affiliates of Mr. Musk, Parent, any of their respective affiliates and third parties, or any currency or commodity that may be involved in the merger. Goldman Sachs acted as financial advisor to Twitter in connection with, and participated in certain of the negotiations leading to, the merger. Goldman Sachs has provided certain financial advisory and/or underwriting services to Twitter and its affiliates from time to time for which the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs has received, and may receive, compensation, including having acted as an initial purchaser with respect to the offering of Twitter’s 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 in March 2021 (aggregate principal amount of approximately $1.4 billion) (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “convertible notes”) and as an initial purchaser with respect to the offering of Twitter’s 5.000% Senior Notes due 2030 in February 2022 (aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion). During the two year period ended April 25, 2022, Goldman Sachs has recognized compensation for financial advisory and/or underwriting services provided by its Investment Banking Division to Twitter and/or its affiliates of approximately $7.4 million. Goldman Sachs also has provided certain financial advisory and/or underwriting services to Elon Musk and/or his affiliates from time to time for which the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs has received, and may receive, compensation, including having acted as lead left bookrunner of follow-on public offerings by Tesla, Inc., an affiliate of Elon Musk, in September 2020 and December 2020. During the two year period ended April 25, 2022, Goldman Sachs has recognized compensation for financial advisory and/or underwriting services provided by its Investment Banking Division to Elon Musk and/or his affiliates of approximately $[]. Goldman Sachs may also in the future provide financial advisory and/or underwriting services to Twitter, Elon Musk, Parent and their respective affiliates for which the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs may receive compensation.

In addition, concurrent with the issuance of the convertible notes, Twitter entered into convertible note hedge transactions and warrant transactions (which we collectively refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “convertible note hedge and warrant transactions”) with respect to the convertible notes, with Goldman Sachs (as to 25%) and other counterparties (which we collectively refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “convertible note hedge and warrant counterparties”), each acting as a principal for its own account. The convertible note hedge and warrant transactions consisted of the purchase by Twitter of call options, and the sale by Twitter of warrants, with respect to collectively approximately 11.1 million shares of Twitter common stock, the aggregate number of shares of Twitter common stock underlying the convertible notes.

As of March 16, 2022, all of the convertible note hedge transactions remain outstanding with a strike price of approximately $130.03, and are exercisable upon conversion of the convertible notes. The convertible notes hedge transactions were intended to generally reduce the potential dilutive effect on stockholders of Twitter of the conversion of the convertible notes and/or offset any potential cash payment in excess of the principal amount of the convertible notes that Twitter may make in the event that the market value per share of Twitter common stock, as measured under the convertible notes hedge transactions at the time of exercise, is greater than the exercise price of the call options purchased by Twitter in the convertible notes hedge transactions. The warrant transactions provide Goldman Sachs with warrants on shares of Twitter common stock, the value of which depends on the price of Twitter common stock exceeding the strike price of the warrants. As of March 16, 2022, all of the warrant transactions remain outstanding with a strike price of approximately $163.02. If the market value per share of Twitter common stock, as measured under the warrant transactions, exceeds the

 

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strike price of the warrants, the warrant transactions will have a dilutive effect on Twitter’s earnings per share, unless Twitter elects, subject to certain conditions, to settle the warrant transactions in cash.

The convertible note hedge and warrant transactions may be adjusted, exercised, cancelled and/or terminated in accordance with their terms in connection with certain events, including the announcement or consummation of the merger. In particular, under the terms of the convertible note hedge transactions, each of Goldman Sachs and the other convertible note hedge counterparties, each acting separately as calculation agent under the convertible note hedge transactions to which it is a party, is entitled or obligated in certain circumstances to make adjustments to the exercise price of the call options purchased by Twitter from Goldman Sachs and the other counterparties to reflect the adjustments made under the convertible notes indenture or the economic effect of the announcement of the merger on the call options embedded in the convertible note hedge. Under the terms of the warrant transactions, each of Goldman Sachs and the other warrant counterparties, each acting separately as calculation agent under the warrant transactions to which it is a party, is entitled or obligated in certain circumstances to make adjustments to the exercise price of the warrants sold by Twitter to Goldman Sachs and the other counterparties to reflect certain adjustments under the ISDA equity definitions, including adjustments to account for the economic effect of the announcement of the merger on the warrants embedded in the warrant transactions. In addition, each of Goldman Sachs and the other convertible note hedge and warrant counterparties may, each acting separately as the calculation agent, determining party or otherwise as principal under the call options and warrants embedded in the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions to which it is a party, determine such additional adjustments and/or value owed upon termination or cancellation in respect of such options and warrants, respectively, in accordance with their terms, including on or following consummation or abandonment of the merger. All actions or exercises of judgment by Goldman Sachs, in its capacity as calculation agent, pursuant to the terms of the call options and warrants embedded in the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions to which it is a party, must be performed in good faith and a commercially reasonable manner.

As a result of the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions, the convertible note hedge and warrant counterparties are expected to have market exposure to the price of the shares of Twitter common stock. It is the ordinary practice of the convertible note hedge and warrant counterparties to engage in hedging activities to limit their respective market exposure to the price of the stock underlying privately negotiated equity derivative transactions with issuers of such stock, such as the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions. In connection with the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions, Goldman Sachs (and its affiliates) have engaged, and will continue to engage, in accordance with applicable law in hedging and other market transactions (which may include the entering into or unwinding of various derivative transactions with respect to Twitter common stock) that are generally intended to substantially neutralize Goldman Sachs’ exposure as a result of the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions to changes in the price of Twitter common stock. Such hedging activity is at Goldman Sachs’ own risk and may result in a gain or loss to Goldman Sachs that may be greater than or less than the initial expected contractual benefit to Goldman Sachs under the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions. The amount of any such gain or loss will not be known until the applicable convertible note hedge and warrant transactions have been exercised, expired or terminated in accordance with their terms and Goldman Sachs shall have completed all of its hedge unwind activities.

To mitigate the exposure from the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions, as of March 16, 2022, Goldman Sachs held a net long economic position of approximately 90,000 shares of Twitter common stock and was long and short a small number of various options on Twitter common stock.

Under the terms of the convertible notes, upon the consummation of a merger, tender offer or certain other events involving Twitter (including the merger), holders of the convertible notes will be entitled to

 

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convert their notes at a higher conversion rate. If holders of the convertible notes elect to convert or put their notes in these circumstances or otherwise under the terms of the convertible notes, a portion of the convertible note hedge corresponding to the portion of the convertible notes that are converted or put may terminate. In the event of such termination, each convertible note hedge counterparty will determine the amount of any termination payment owed to Twitter under its convertible note hedge in accordance with the termination provisions of its convertible note hedge, unless otherwise agreed by the parties. If any convertible notes are not converted or put in connection with a merger, tender offer or other event involving Twitter (including the merger) and remain outstanding following the consummation of such an event, a corresponding portion of the convertible note hedge will remain outstanding, subject to any adjustments made to the terms of the convertible note hedge as a result of the announcement and the consummation of a merger, tender offer or other event involving Twitter (including the merger), as described above. Warrant transactions are also subject to adjustments made to the terms of the warrant transactions as a result of the announcement and the consummation of a merger, tender offer or other event involving Twitter (including the merger), as described above.

Goldman Sachs provided to the management of Twitter, for the information of the Twitter Board, materials that summarized, based on theoretical models, the potential effects of the announcement and of the consummation of an acquisition of Twitter on the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions. The materials included preliminary illustrative analyses by Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division for a range of stated assumptions regarding takeout prices for shares of Twitter common stock and volatilities, as well as based on other reasonable assumptions (which will ultimately be subject to negotiation between Twitter and counterparties), in the event of an acquisition of Twitter for greater than 10% cash consideration. The materials calculated over a range of potential takeout prices for the shares of Twitter common stock ranging from $50.00 per share to $70.00 per share and volatilities (from 30% to 60%) and for an announcement date of April 13, 2022, and other stated assumptions that, upon the full unwind of the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions, Goldman Sachs might realize, after taking into account any estimated hedging gains or losses, a net gain ranging from approximately $4.6 million to approximately $56.1 million. The methodology employed for the aforementioned materials assumed an intrinsic unwind of the note hedge transaction and fair value unwind of the warrant contract. In accordance with industry practice, Goldman Sachs maintains customary institutional information barriers reasonably designed to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information by personnel in its Investment Banking Division to the personnel in its Securities Division who are undertaking hedging and other market transactions with respect to Goldman Sachs’ convertible note hedge and warrant transactions. In connection with the preparation of presentations to Twitter senior management and the Twitter Board, personnel in Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, including the representatives of Goldman Sachs who have advised Twitter in connection with the merger, from time to time, have received or may receive input from personnel in Goldman Sachs’ Securities Division into how to model, or reports of historical measures or estimates of, Goldman Sachs’ and/or Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division’s profit and/or loss over certain measurement periods related to the call spread transactions.

The amount of any termination payment owed to Twitter as a result of the termination of the convertible note hedge transactions will vary depending on the number of convertible notes converted by note-holders, the actual conversion date(s) of the convertible notes, and market conditions (including, for example, interest rates and volatility and price of Twitter common stock) and the valuation model used to determine such amount and, accordingly, the amount of any termination payment owed by a convertible note hedge counterparty to Twitter may be significantly different from the illustrative amounts described above. The amount of any termination payment owed to Goldman Sachs as a result of the termination of the warrant transactions will vary depending on market conditions (including, for example, interest rates and volatility and price of Twitter common stock) and the valuation model used to determine such amount and, accordingly, the amount of any termination payment owed by Twitter to a warrant counterparty may be significantly different from the illustrative

 

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amounts described above. The consummation of the merger could result in a convertible note hedge and warrant counterparty, in aggregate, paying Twitter an amount that is greater than, equal to, or less than the amount such convertible note hedge and warrant counterparty would have paid or delivered to Twitter upon exercise, expiration or termination of its convertible note hedge and warrant transaction in the absence of the merger.

The indenture governing the convertible notes and the confirmations containing the terms of the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions were included as exhibits to Twitter’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 4, 2021, which contains additional disclosure regarding the convertible notes and a description of the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions. All references related to the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions in this section to share counts, conversion prices, and strike prices are subject to adjustment from time to time in accordance with the terms of the confirmations relating to the convertible note hedge and warrant transactions.

The Twitter Board selected Goldman Sachs as its financial advisor because it is an internationally recognized investment banking firm that has substantial experience in transactions similar to the merger. Pursuant to a letter agreement dated April 25, 2022, Twitter engaged Goldman Sachs to act as its financial advisor in connection with the merger. The engagement letter between Twitter and Goldman Sachs provides for a transaction fee that is estimated, based on the information available as of the date of announcement, at approximately $80 million, $15 million of which became payable at announcement of the merger, and the reminder of which is contingent upon consummation of the merger. In addition, Twitter has agreed to reimburse Goldman Sachs for certain of its expenses, including attorneys’ fees and disbursements, and to indemnify Goldman Sachs and related persons against various liabilities, including certain liabilities under the federal securities laws.

Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Pursuant to an engagement letter, Twitter retained J.P. Morgan as its financial advisor in connection with the proposed merger.

At the meeting of the Twitter Board on April 25, 2022, J.P. Morgan rendered its oral opinion to the Twitter Board that, as of such date and based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth in its opinion, the consideration to be paid to Twitter’s common stockholders in the proposed transaction was fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders. J.P. Morgan has confirmed its April 25, 2022 oral opinion by delivering its written opinion to the Twitter Board, dated April 25, 2022, that, as of such date, the consideration to be paid to Twitter’s common stockholders in the proposed merger was fair, from a financial point of view, to such stockholders.

The full text of the written opinion of J.P. Morgan dated April 25, 2022, which sets forth, among other things, the assumptions made, matters considered and limits on the review undertaken, is attached as Annex D to this proxy statement and is incorporated herein by reference. The summary of the opinion of J.P. Morgan set forth in this proxy statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such opinion. Twitter’s stockholders are urged to read the opinion in its entirety. J.P. Morgan’s written opinion was addressed to the Twitter Board (in its capacity as such) in connection with and for the purposes of its evaluation of the proposed merger, was directed only to the $54.20 per share in cash to be paid to holders of Twitter common stock pursuant to the merger agreement and did not address any other aspect of the merger. J.P. Morgan expressed no opinion as to the fairness of the consideration to the holders of any class of securities, creditors or other constituencies of Twitter or as to the underlying decision by Twitter to engage in the proposed merger. The issuance of J.P. Morgan’s opinion was approved by a fairness committee of J.P. Morgan. The summary of the opinion of J.P. Morgan set forth in this proxy statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of

 

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such opinion. The opinion does not constitute a recommendation to any stockholder of Twitter as to how such stockholder should vote with respect to the proposed merger or any other matter.

In arriving at its opinion, J.P. Morgan, among other things:

 

   

reviewed the merger agreement;

 

   

reviewed certain publicly available business and financial information concerning Twitter and the industries in which it operates;

 

   

compared the proposed financial terms of the merger with the publicly available financial terms of certain transactions involving companies J.P. Morgan deemed relevant and the consideration paid for such companies;

 

   

compared the financial and operating performance of Twitter with publicly available information concerning certain other companies J.P. Morgan deemed relevant and reviewed the current and historical market prices of the Twitter common stock and certain publicly traded securities of such other companies;

 

   

reviewed certain internal financial analyses and forecasts prepared by the management of Twitter relating to its business; and

 

   

performed such other financial studies and analyses and considered such other information as J.P. Morgan deemed appropriate for the purposes of its opinion.

In addition, J.P. Morgan held discussions with certain members of the management of Twitter with respect to certain aspects of the merger, and the past and current business operations of Twitter, the financial condition and future prospects and operations of Twitter, and certain other matters J.P. Morgan believed necessary or appropriate to its inquiry.

In giving its opinion, J.P. Morgan relied upon and assumed the accuracy and completeness of all information that was publicly available or was furnished to or discussed with J.P. Morgan by Twitter or otherwise reviewed by or for J.P. Morgan, and J.P. Morgan did not independently verify (and did not assume responsibility or liability for independently verifying) any such information or its accuracy or completeness. J.P. Morgan did not conduct and was not provided with any valuation or appraisal of any assets or liabilities, nor did J.P. Morgan evaluate the solvency of Twitter or Parent under any state or federal laws relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or similar matters. In relying on financial analyses and forecasts provided to J.P. Morgan or derived therefrom, J.P. Morgan assumed that they were reasonably prepared based on assumptions reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments by management as to the expected future results of operations and financial condition of Twitter to which such analyses or forecasts relate. J.P. Morgan expressed no view as to such analyses or forecasts or the assumptions on which they were based. J.P. Morgan also assumed that the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement will be consummated as described in the merger agreement. J.P. Morgan also assumed that the representations and warranties made by Twitter and Parent in the merger agreement and the related agreements were and will be true and correct in all respects material to its analysis. J.P. Morgan is not a legal, regulatory or tax expert and relied on the assessments made by advisors to Twitter with respect to such issues. J.P. Morgan further assumed that all material governmental, regulatory or other consents and approvals necessary for the consummation of the merger will be obtained without any adverse effect on Twitter or on the contemplated benefits of the merger.

 

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The projections furnished to J.P. Morgan were prepared by Twitter’s management, as discussed more fully in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Unaudited Prospective Financial Information.” Twitter does not publicly disclose internal long-term forecasts or management projections of the type provided to J.P. Morgan in connection with J.P. Morgan’s analysis of the proposed merger, and such projections were not prepared with a view toward public disclosure. These projections were based on numerous variables and assumptions that are inherently uncertain and may be beyond the control of Twitter’s management, including, without limitation, factors related to general economic and competitive conditions and prevailing interest rates. Accordingly, actual results could vary significantly from those set forth in such projections. For more information regarding the use of projections and other forward-looking statements, please refer to the section captioned “—Unaudited Prospective Financial Information.”

J.P. Morgan’s opinion was necessarily based on economic, market and other conditions as in effect on, and the information made available to J.P. Morgan as of, the date of such opinion. J.P. Morgan’s opinion noted that subsequent developments may affect J.P. Morgan’s opinion, and that J.P. Morgan does not have any obligation to update, revise, or reaffirm such opinion. J.P. Morgan’s opinion is limited to the fairness, from a financial point of view, of the $54.20 per share in cash to be paid to holders of Twitter common stock in the transaction pursuant to the merger agreement, and J.P. Morgan has expressed no opinion as to the fairness of any consideration to the holders of any other class of securities, creditors or other constituencies of Twitter or the underlying decision by Twitter to engage in the merger. Furthermore, J.P. Morgan expressed no opinion with respect to the amount or nature of any compensation to any officers, directors, or employees of any party to the proposed merger, or any class of such persons relative to the consideration in the proposed merger or with respect to the fairness of any such compensation. J.P. Morgan expressed no opinion as to the price at which Twitter’s common stock will trade at any future time.

J.P. Morgan was not authorized and did not solicit any expressions of interest from any other parties with respect to the sale of all or any part of Twitter or any other alternative transaction.

The terms of the merger agreement, including the merger consideration, were determined through arm’s length negotiations between Twitter, Elon Musk and Parent, and the decision to enter into the merger agreement was solely that of the Twitter Board. J.P. Morgan’s opinion and financial analyses were only one of the many factors considered by the Twitter Board in its evaluation of the proposed merger and should not be viewed as determinative of the views of the Twitter Board or management with respect to the proposed merger or the $54.20 per share in cash to be paid to holders of Twitter common stock pursuant to the merger agreement.

In accordance with customary investment banking practice, J.P. Morgan employed generally accepted valuation methodology in rendering its opinion to the Twitter Board on April 25, 2022 and in the financial analyses presented to the Twitter Board on such date in connection with the rendering of such opinion. The following is a summary of the material financial analyses utilized by J.P. Morgan in connection with rendering its opinion to the Twitter Board and does not purport to be a complete description of the analyses or data presented by J.P. Morgan. Some of the summaries of the financial analyses include information presented in tabular format. The tables are not intended to stand alone, and in order to more fully understand the financial analyses used by J.P. Morgan, the tables must be read together with the full text of each summary. Considering the data set forth below without considering the full narrative description of the financial analyses, including the methodologies and assumptions underlying the analyses, could create a misleading or incomplete view of J.P. Morgan’s analyses.

 

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Public Trading Multiples

Using publicly available information, J.P. Morgan compared selected financial data of Twitter with similar data for selected publicly traded companies engaged in businesses which J.P. Morgan judged to be analogous to the business of Twitter. The companies selected by J.P. Morgan (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “selected companies”) were:

 

   

Alphabet Inc.

 

   

Meta Platforms, Inc.

 

   

Pinterest, Inc.

 

   

Snap Inc.

The selected companies were chosen, among other reasons, because they are publicly traded companies with operations and businesses that, for purposes of J.P. Morgan’s analyses, may be considered sufficiently similar to those of Twitter based on business sector participation, operational characteristics and financial metrics. However, none of the selected companies reviewed is identical to Twitter and certain of these companies have financial and operating characteristics that are materially different from those of Twitter. The analyses necessarily involve complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in financial and operational characteristics of the companies involved and other factors that could affect the companies differently than they would affect Twitter.

Using information obtained from the selected companies’ public filings and FactSet Research Systems as of April 22, 2022, J.P. Morgan calculated, for each selected company, the ratio of such company’s firm value (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “FV”) to the consensus equity research analyst estimates for the company’s adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization pre-stock based compensation (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as “Adj. EBITDA”) for the year ending December 31, 2023 (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “FV/2023E Adj. EBITDA”). The results of this analysis are indicated in the following table:

 

 

   FV/2023E Adj. EBITDA

  Alphabet Inc.

  10.4 x

  Meta Platforms, Inc.

  6.7 x

  Pinterest, Inc.

  11.2 x

  Snap Inc.

  30.2 x

  Median

  10.8 x

Based on the results of the above analysis and on other factors J.P. Morgan considered appropriate based on their experience and professional judgment, J.P. Morgan selected a FV/2023E Adj. EBITDA multiple reference range for Twitter of 15.0x to 17.5x. J.P. Morgan then applied that range to Twitter’s adjusted EBITDA of $2,685 million forecasted for the year ending December 31, 2023, as provided by Twitter management, yielding implied trading values for Twitter’s common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of approximately $49.70 to $57.50 per share.

Selected Transaction Multiples Analysis

Using publicly available information, J.P. Morgan reviewed selected transactions since 2009 in excess of $1 billion involving companies that engaged in businesses that J.P. Morgan judged to be reasonably

 

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analogous to the business of Twitter or aspects thereof. None of the selected transactions reviewed was identical to the merger contemplated by the merger agreement. Certain of these transactions may have characteristics that are materially different from those of the merger. However, the selected transactions were chosen because certain aspects of the transactions, for purposes of J.P. Morgan’s analysis, may be considered similar to the merger. The analyses necessarily involve complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in financial and operational characteristics of the companies involved and other factors that could affect the transactions differently than they would affect the merger. For each of the selected transactions, using publicly available information, J.P. Morgan calculated the multiple of the target company’s firm value implied in the relevant transaction by the consideration paid in such transaction to the target company’s Adj. EBITDA for the 12-month period immediately preceding the announcement of the applicable transaction (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “FV/LTM Adj. EBITDA”). Specifically, J.P. Morgan reviewed the following transactions:

 

Announcement Date

 

Acquiror

 

Target

 

FV/LTM Adj. EBITDA

Feb 2021

  Magnite, Inc.   SpotX, Inc.   33.4 x

Jun 2020

  Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V.   Grubhub Inc.   47.4

Dec 2019

  Hellman & Friedman LLC   AutoScout24   26.1

May 2018

  Silver Lake   ZPG Plc   21.5

Jun 2016

  Microsoft Corporation   LinkedIn Corporation   31.2

Nov 2015

  Expedia, Inc.   HomeAway, Inc.   36.4

Aug 2015

  Liberty Media Corporation   zulily, inc.   50.6

Jul 2014

  Zillow, Inc.   Trulia, Inc.   nm

Jun 2014

  The Priceline Group Inc.   OpenTable, Inc.   29.9

Nov 2012

  priceline.com Incorporated   KAYAK Software Corporation   27.6

May 2011

  Microsoft Corporation   Skype S. à r.l   32.2

Based on the results of this analysis and other factors that J.P. Morgan considered appropriate based on their experience and professional judgment, J.P. Morgan selected a FV/LTM Adj. EBITDA multiple reference range of 28.0x to 36.0x. J.P. Morgan then applied that reference range to Twitter’s adjusted EBITDA of $1,448 million (which is adjusted to exclude a one-time litigation-related net charge of $766 million) for the year ended December 31, 2021, to produce a range of implied equity values per share of Twitter common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of $50.00 to $63.40.

Discounted Cash Flow Analysis

J.P. Morgan conducted a discounted cash flow analysis for the purpose of determining the fully diluted equity value per share for Twitter’s common stock. A discounted cash flow analysis is a method of evaluating an asset using estimates of the future unlevered free cash flows generated by the asset and taking into consideration the time value of money with respect to those future cash flows by calculating their “present value.” The “unlevered free cash flows,” for purposes of the discounted cash flow analysis, refers to a calculation of the future cash flows generated by an asset without including in such calculation any debt servicing costs. “Present value” refers to the current value of the future cash flows generated by the asset, and is obtained by discounting those cash flows back to the present using a discount rate that takes into account macro-economic assumptions and estimates of risk, the cost of capital and other appropriate factors. “Terminal value” refers to the present value of all future cash flows generated by the asset for periods beyond the projections period.

J.P. Morgan calculated the unlevered free cash flows that Twitter is expected to generate during fiscal years 2022 through 2027 based upon financial projections prepared by Twitter’s management through the year ended December 31, 2027 and more fully described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Unaudited Prospective Financial Information.” J.P. Morgan also calculated a range of terminal values for

 

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Twitter by applying terminal growth rates ranging from 6.0% to 7.0% to the unlevered free cash flows of Twitter at the end of fiscal year 2027. The unlevered free cash flows and the range of terminal values were then discounted to present values using a range of discount rates from 10.25% to 11.25%, which was chosen by J.P. Morgan based upon an analysis of the cost of capital of Twitter, which takes into account certain company-specific metrics, including Twitter’s target capital structure, the cost of equity, the pre-tax cost of debt, long-term debt, forecasted tax rate and predicted (Barra) beta.

In addition, as directed by the management of Twitter, J.P. Morgan calculated the present value of certain tax credits expected to be utilized by Twitter through fiscal year 2027, which were discounted from June 30 of each year to present values as of December 31, 2021 using the same mid-year convention and a discount range of 10.25% to 11.25%. The total tax credit utilization amounts provided by management of Twitter were $0 million, $689 million, $934 million, $1,226 million, $127 million and $0 million for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027, respectively. The present values were then added together with the present values derived based on the unlevered free cash flows to derive a range of firm values for Twitter, which was then adjusted to take into account Twitter’s net cash totaling $1,364 million in the aggregate as of December 31, 2021 to derive a range of implied equity values for Twitter.

Based on the results of this analysis, J.P. Morgan arrived at a range of implied equity value per share for Twitter common stock, rounded to the nearest $0.10, of $36.50 to $57.60.

Miscellaneous

The foregoing summary of certain material financial analyses does not purport to be a complete description of the analyses or data presented by J.P. Morgan. The preparation of a fairness opinion is a complex process and is not necessarily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. J.P. Morgan believes that the foregoing summary and its analyses must be considered as a whole and that selecting portions of the foregoing summary and these analyses, without considering all of its analyses as a whole, could create an incomplete view of the processes underlying the analyses and its opinion. As a result, the ranges of valuations resulting from any particular analysis or combination of analyses described above were merely utilized to create points of reference for analytical purposes and should not be taken to be the view of J.P. Morgan with respect to the actual value of Twitter. The order of analyses described does not represent the relative importance or weight given to those analyses by J.P. Morgan. In arriving at its opinion, J.P. Morgan did not attribute any particular weight to any analyses or factors considered by it and did not form an opinion as to whether any individual analysis or factor (positive or negative), considered in isolation, supported or failed to support its opinion. Rather, J.P. Morgan considered the totality of the factors and analyses performed in determining its opinion.

Analyses based upon forecasts of future results are inherently uncertain, as they are subject to numerous factors or events beyond the control of the parties and their advisors. Accordingly, forecasts and analyses used or made by J.P. Morgan are not necessarily indicative of actual future results, which may be significantly more or less favorable than suggested by those analyses. Moreover, J.P. Morgan’s analyses are not and do not purport to be appraisals or otherwise reflective of the prices at which businesses actually could be acquired or sold. None of the selected companies reviewed as described in the above summary is identical to Twitter, and none of the selected transactions reviewed was identical to the merger. However, the companies selected were chosen because they are publicly traded companies with operations and businesses that, for purposes of J.P. Morgan’s analysis, may be considered similar to those of Twitter. The transactions selected were similarly chosen because their participants, size and other factors, for purposes of J.P. Morgan’s analysis, may be considered similar to the merger. The analyses necessarily involve complex considerations and judgments concerning differences in financial and operational characteristics of the companies involved and other factors that could affect the companies compared to Twitter and the transactions compared to the merger.    

 

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As a part of its investment banking business, J.P. Morgan and its affiliates are continually engaged in the valuation of businesses and their securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions, investments for passive and control purposes, negotiated underwritings, secondary distributions of listed and unlisted securities, private placements, and valuations for corporate and other purposes. J.P. Morgan was selected to advise Twitter with respect to the merger and deliver an opinion to the Twitter Board with respect to the merger on the basis of, among other things, such experience and its qualifications and reputation in connection with such matters and its familiarity with Twitter and the industries in which it operates.

For services rendered in connection with the merger and the delivery of the opinion, Twitter has agreed to pay J.P. Morgan a fee of approximately $53,000,000, of which $5,000,000 became payable upon delivery of the opinion and the remainder of which is contingent and payable only upon the closing of the merger. In addition, Twitter has agreed to reimburse J.P. Morgan for its expenses incurred in connection with its services, including the fees and disbursements of counsel, and will indemnify J.P. Morgan against certain liabilities arising out of J.P. Morgan’s engagement. During the two years preceding the date of J.P. Morgan’s opinion, J.P. Morgan and its affiliates have had commercial or investment banking relationships with Twitter for which J.P. Morgan and such affiliates have received customary compensation. Such services during such period have included acting as joint lead bookrunner on Twitter’s offerings of convertible debt securities in March 2021 and senior debt securities in February 2022. In addition, J.P. Morgan’s commercial banking affiliate is an agent bank and a lender under outstanding credit facilities of Twitter, for which it receives customary compensation or other financial benefits. In addition, J.P. Morgan and its affiliates hold, on a proprietary basis, less than 1% of the outstanding common stock of Twitter. During the two year period preceding delivery of its opinion on April 25, 2022, the aggregate fees recognized by J.P. Morgan from Twitter were approximately $9,000,000. During the two years preceding the date of J.P. Morgan’s opinion, neither J.P. Morgan nor its affiliates have had any financial advisory or other material commercial or investment banking relationships with Elon Musk or his affiliates, Elon Musk Revocable Trust, Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. In the ordinary course of their businesses, J.P. Morgan and its affiliates may actively trade the debt and equity securities or financial instruments (including derivatives, bank loans or other obligations) of Twitter for their own accounts or for the accounts of customers and, accordingly, they may at any time hold long or short positions in such securities or other financial instruments.

In addition, an affiliate of J.P. Morgan is a party to certain note hedge and warrant transactions relating to convertible debt securities issued by Twitter in June 2018, (which we refer to for purposes of this section of the proxy statement as the “note hedge and warrant transactions”). Such J.P. Morgan affiliate entered into such note hedge and warrant transactions as principal for its own account and not as an advisor to Twitter. Pursuant to the terms of the note hedge and warrant transactions, such transactions may be adjusted, exercised, cancelled and/or terminated in connection with certain events relating to the merger.

Prior to Twitter’s entry into the merger agreement, J.P. Morgan provided to the management of Twitter certain estimates and analyses concerning the impact of the proposed transaction on the note hedge and warrant transactions, based on, among other things, certain theoretical models, various assumptions concerning the terms of the proposed transaction, certain information provided by the derivatives trading personnel responsible for J.P. Morgan’s affiliate’s position as principal in the note hedge and warrant transactions and market conditions and other information available at the time. The estimates and analyses calculated, over a range of hypothetical purchase prices for the shares of Twitter common stock (ranging from $54.20 per share to $80.00 per share) and other stated assumptions, that such J.P. Morgan affiliate might realize an estimated net gain ranging from approximately $49 million to approximately $58 million upon a full unwind of the note hedge and warrant transactions (after taking into account any hedging gains or losses).

 

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Unaudited Prospective Financial Information

Other than in connection with our regular earnings press releases and related investor materials, we do not, as a matter of course, make public projections as to our long-term future financial performance, due to, among other reasons, the uncertainty, unpredictability and subjectivity of the underlying assumptions and estimates. However, Twitter management regularly prepares projections as to our future financial performance for internal use.

In connection with our strategic planning process and evaluation of strategic alternatives (including continuing as an independent company), Twitter management prepared and reviewed with the Twitter Board various unaudited forward-looking financial information for fiscal years 2022 through 2027 as part of Twitter management’s business plan, including the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information set forth below. As part of its review, the Twitter Board assessed and considered certain other estimates prepared by Twitter management as to our long-term prospects, reflecting different assumptions with respect to market share sensitivities (ranging in increases from 2.5% to 4.6% of market share by fiscal year 2027), cost efficiencies and growth. The Twitter Board used these sensitivities to inform its assessment of the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was prepared for internal use only and not for public disclosure and was provided to the Twitter Board for the purposes of considering, analyzing and evaluating the merger and strategic alternatives thereto. At the direction of the Twitter Board, the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was also provided to, and approved for use by, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan for purposes of performing their respective financial analyses in connection with rendering their respective opinions to the Twitter Board (as more fully described in the sections of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC” and “—Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC”). With Twitter’s consent, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan assumed that the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was reasonably prepared and reflected the best currently available estimates and judgments as to Twitter’s future financial performance. No Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was provided to Mr. Musk or any of his affiliates or representatives prior to the execution of the merger agreement.

The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was developed by Twitter management as then current estimates of our future financial performance as an independent company, without giving effect to the merger, including any impact of the negotiation or execution of the merger agreement or the merger, the expenses that have already and will be incurred in connection with completing the merger, or any changes to Twitter’s operations or strategy that may be implemented in connection with the pendency of, or following the consummation of, the merger. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information also does not consider the effect of any failure of the merger to be completed; it should not be viewed as accurate or continuing in that context.

The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was not prepared with a view toward public disclosure or complying with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (which we refer to as “GAAP”). In addition, the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information was not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the SEC or the guidelines established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for preparation or presentation of prospective financial information. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information included in this document has been prepared by, and is the responsibility of, Twitter’s management. Neither PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP nor any other independent accountants have audited, reviewed, examined, compiled nor applied agreed-upon procedures with respect to the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information and, accordingly, they do not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. The PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP report incorporated by reference relates solely to Twitter’s previously issued financial statements. It does not extend to the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information and should not be read to do so.

 

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Although the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is presented with numerical specificity, it reflects numerous assumptions and estimates as to future events, including those detailed above, made by Twitter management that Twitter management believed in good faith were reasonable. Twitter’s ability to achieve the financial results contemplated by the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information will be affected by our ability to achieve our strategic goals, objectives and targets over the applicable periods and subject to operational and execution risks associated therewith. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information reflects assumptions as to certain business decisions that are subject to change. Important factors that may affect actual results and cause the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information not to be achieved include, among others, (1) general economic conditions; (2) our ability to achieve operating objectives with respect to expenses and operating margins, as well the risks to our ability to retain and grow users and revenues resulting from the execution of those objectives; (3) our ability to achieve the various monetization, market share and other assumptions underlying the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information; (4) changes in laws, regulations and taxes relevant to Twitter’s business; (5) competitive pressures in the social media industry, including new products and market entrants and changes in the competitive environment; (6) customer demand for our products and services; (7) our ability to attract, integrate and retain qualified personnel; and (8) uncertainty in the timing of relevant transactions and resulting cash inflows and outflows. Additional factors that may impact us or our business can be found in the various risk factors included in our periodic filings with the SEC. All of these factors are difficult to predict, and many of them are outside of our control. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information will be realized, and actual results may be materially better or worse than those contained in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information may differ from publicized analyst estimates and forecasts and does not consider any events or circumstances after the date that it was prepared, including the announcement of or the entry into the merger agreement. You should evaluate the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information, if at all, in conjunction with our historical financial statements and other information regarding Twitter contained in our public filings with the SEC. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information may not be consistent with Twitter’s historical operating data as a result of the assumptions detailed above. Except to the extent required by applicable federal securities laws, we do not intend to update or otherwise revise the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information to reflect circumstances existing after the date that such information was prepared or to reflect the occurrence of future events.

Because the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information reflects estimates and judgments, it is susceptible to sensitivities and assumptions, as well as to multiple interpretations based on actual experience and business developments. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information also covers multiple years, and such information by its nature becomes less predictive with each succeeding year. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is not, and should not be considered to be, a guarantee of future operating results. Further, the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is not fact and should not be relied upon as being necessarily indicative of our future results or for purposes of making any investment decision.

Certain of the financial measures included in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information are non-GAAP financial measures (which we refer to as the “non-GAAP financial measures”). These are financial performance measures that are not calculated in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP financial measures, and may be different from similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. Furthermore, there are limitations inherent in non-GAAP financial measures because they exclude charges and credits that are required to be included in a GAAP presentation. Accordingly, these non-GAAP financial measures should be considered together with, and not as an alternative to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Financial measures included in forecasts provided to a financial advisor and a board of directors in connection with a business combination transaction, such as the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information, are excluded from the definition of “non-GAAP financial

 

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measures” under applicable SEC rules and regulations. As a result, the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is not subject to SEC rules regarding disclosures of non-GAAP financial measures, which would otherwise require a reconciliation of a non-GAAP financial measure to a GAAP financial measure. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures were not provided to or relied upon by the Twitter Board, Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan. Accordingly, no reconciliation of the financial measures included in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is provided in this proxy statement.

The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information constitutes forward-looking statements. By including the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information in this proxy statement, none of Twitter, Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan, or any of our or Goldman Sachs’ or J.P. Morgan’s representatives, has made or makes any representation to any person regarding our ultimate performance as compared to the information contained in the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information. The inclusion of the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information should not be regarded as an indication that the Twitter Board, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan or any other recipient of the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information considered, or now considers, the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information to be predictive of Twitter’s performance or actual future results. For information on factors that may cause our future results to materially vary, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “Forward-Looking Statements.” Further, the inclusion of the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information in this proxy statement does not constitute an admission or representation by Twitter that the information presented is material. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is included in this proxy statement solely to give our stockholders access to the information that was made available to the Twitter Board, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan. The Unaudited Prospective Financial Information is not included in this proxy statement in order to influence any Twitter stockholder as to how to vote at the special meeting with respect to the merger, or whether to seek appraisal rights with respect to their shares.

The following table presents a summary of unaudited projections with respect to Twitter’s long-term future financial performance as an independent company for fiscal years 2022 through 2027, as prepared and used as described above (which we refer to as the “Unaudited Prospective Financial Information”). Twitter management made various judgments and assumptions when preparing the Unaudited Prospective Financial Information, including, among others (1) revenues growing 22% year-over-year in fiscal year 2022 (excluding in fiscal year 2021 revenues from Twitter’s MoPub and MoPub Acquire (formerly known as CrossInstall) businesses that were sold or wound down by Twitter on or before January 1, 2022) and 21% year-over-year in fiscal year 2023, estimated taking into account the impact of ongoing macroeconomic concerns (including inflation, rising energy costs, and declining consumer confidence) and the military conflict in Ukraine on the digital advertising market and brand advertising specifically, and excluding potential revenues from new initiatives; (2) operating improvements to Twitter’s business resulting in total cash operating expenses growing 19% year-over-year in fiscal year 2022 (excluding in fiscal year 2021 expenses related to the settlement of a shareholder class action lawsuit in 2021) and 4% year-over-year in fiscal year 2023, estimated taking into account actions that Twitter management anticipated to execute as an independent company in response to macroeconomic concerns, and resulting in Adjusted EBITDA margins of 27% in fiscal year 2022 and 37% in fiscal year 2023; (3) revenue extrapolations for fiscal years 2024 through 2027 assuming market share increases to 3.3% by fiscal year 2027 of the relevant digital advertisements market (excluding China and search advertisement markets); (4) expense extrapolations for fiscal years 2024 through 2027 assuming expenses will grow at a rate of approximately 82.5% to 90% of revenue growth in the long-term; and (5) a cash tax rate of 18% of GAAP operating income, excluding the impact of cash tax savings from net operating losses (which we refer to as “NOLs”).

 

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    Fiscal year ended December 31,  
    2022E     2023E     2024E     2025E     2026E     2027E  
    (in millions)  

Revenue

    $5,928       $7,200       $8,481       $9,793       $11,264       $12,917  

Adjusted EBITDA (1)

    $1,602       $2,685       $3,243       $3,846       $4,558       $5,399  

GAAP operating income

    $(47)       $917       $1,192       $1,517       $1,932       $2,455  

Cash taxes (2)

    $ 0       $165       $215       $273       $348       $442  

Amortization of intangibles

    $33       $45       $51       $58       $64       $71  

Depreciation

    $669       $823       $934       $1,033       $1,132       $1,230  

Capital expenditures

    $968       $982       $1,018       $1,077       $1,014       $1,033  

Changes in net working capital

    $11       $(259)       $(111)       $(125)       $(150)       $(181)  

Stock-based compensation expenses

    $864       $900       $1,066       $1,238       $1,430       $1,643  

Unlevered free cash flow (3)

    $561       $1,279       $1,900       $2,371       $3,046       $3,742  

Unlevered free cash flow (less stock-based compensation expenses) (4)

    $(303)       $379       $834       $1,133       $1,616       $2,099  

 

(1)

Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as GAAP operating income adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation expense, depreciation and amortization expense, and other expenses.

 

(2)

Cash taxes is based on a cash tax rate of 18% of GAAP operating income, excluding the impact of cash tax savings from NOLs.

 

(3)

Unlevered Free Cash Flow is calculated as GAAP operating income, subtracting the impact of cash taxes (excluding the impact of cash tax savings from NOLs) and capital expenditures, adding the impact of stock-based compensation and depreciation and amortization (including amortization of intangibles), and adding or subtracting, as applicable, changes in net working capital.

 

(4)

Unlevered Free Cash Flow (less stock-based compensation expenses) is calculated as GAAP operating income, subtracting the impact of cash taxes (excluding the impact of cash tax savings from NOLs) and capital expenditures, adding the impact of depreciation and amortization (including amortization of intangibles) and adding or subtracting, as applicable, changes in net working capital. Unlevered Free Cash Flow (less stock-based compensation expenses) was used by Goldman Sachs in performing its financial analyses in connection with its opinion as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC” and by J.P. Morgan in performing its financial analyses in connection with its opinion as described in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Opinion of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC.”

Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

When considering the recommendation of the Twitter Board that you vote to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement, you should be aware that our directors and executive officers may have interests in the merger that are different from, or in addition to, the interests of our stockholders. In (1) evaluating and negotiating the merger agreement; (2) approving the merger agreement and the merger; and (3) recommending that the merger agreement be adopted by our stockholders, the Twitter Board was aware of and considered these interests to the extent that they existed at the time, among other matters. These interests are more fully described below.

Insurance and Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers

Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, directors and officers of Twitter will be entitled to certain ongoing indemnification and insurance coverage, including under directors’ and officers’ liability

 

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insurance policies. For more information, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger Agreement—Indemnification and Insurance.”

Treatment of Equity-Based Awards

Treatment of Twitter equity-based awards

As of April 29, 2022, there were outstanding awards of Twitter RSUs (or portions thereof) that cover an aggregate of 68,591,795 shares of our common stock, of which Twitter RSUs covering an aggregate of 9,546 shares of our common stock were held by our current non-employee directors and of which Twitter RSUs covering an aggregate of 6,275,132 shares of our common stock were held by our current executive officers. As of the same date, there were outstanding awards of Twitter PSUs that cover an aggregate of 4,559,722 shares of our common stock (at target level of performance) and 9,119,444 shares of our common stock (at maximum level of performance), of which Twitter PSUs covering an aggregate of 4,186,561 shares of our common stock (at target level of performance) and 8,373,122 shares of our common stock (at maximum level of performance) were held by our current executive officers and of which none were held by our current non-employee directors.

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter equity-based award (other than a vested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such vested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any vested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the level of performance at which such equity-based award vested in accordance with its terms).

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter equity-based award (other than an unvested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such unvested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any unvested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the target level of performance), which amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter equity-based award for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter equity-based award immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than performance-based vesting conditions).

Treatment of Twitter options

As of April 29, 2022, there were outstanding Twitter options to purchase an aggregate of 938,282 shares of our common stock with an exercise price below the per share price, 800,000 of which were held by our current non-employee directors and none of which were held by our current executive officers.

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option.

 

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At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option, which cash amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter option for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter option immediately prior to the effective time of the merger. Any Twitter options for which the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter options is equal to or greater than the per share price will be canceled without any cash payment or other consideration being made in respect of such Twitter option.

Treatment of the ESPP

The Twitter Board has adopted resolutions that provide that (1) the current offering period under the ESPP will be the final offering period and no further offering period will commence pursuant to the ESPP after the date of the merger agreement, and (2) except as may be required by law, each individual participating in the final offering period as of the date of the merger agreement will not be permitted to (a) increase his or her payroll contribution rate pursuant to the ESPP from the rate in effect when the final offering period commenced or (b) make separate non-payroll contributions to the ESPP on or following the date of the merger agreement. Prior to the effective time of the merger, Twitter will take all actions that may be necessary to give effect to the treatment described above and to (x) cause the final offering period, to the extent that it would otherwise be outstanding at the effective time, to be terminated no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs; (y) make any pro rata adjustments that may be necessary to reflect the final offering period, but otherwise treat the final offering period as a fully effective and completed offering period for all purposes pursuant to the ESPP; and (z) cause the exercise (as of no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs) of each outstanding purchase right pursuant to the ESPP. On such exercise date, Twitter will apply the funds credited as of such date pursuant to the ESPP within each participant’s payroll withholding account to the purchase of whole shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the ESPP, and such shares of our common stock will be entitled to the per share price. Immediately prior to and effective as of the effective time of the merger (but subject to the consummation of the merger), Twitter will terminate the ESPP.

Equity Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth for each of Twitter’s executive officers and non-employee directors, (1) the number of shares of our common stock directly held; (2) the number of shares of our common stock subject to his or her Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs (at levels of achievement assumed in the merger agreement); and (3) the number of shares of our common stock subject to Twitter options with a per share exercise price less than the per share price, assuming the following and such additional assumptions set forth in the footnotes to the table:

 

   

the shares held directly include shares of our common stock directly held by the individual as of April 29, 2022, plus any shares of our common stock subject to Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs that are scheduled to vest and be settled before July 29, 2022 (which, solely for purposes of this proxy statement, is the assumed closing date of the merger), without regard to any change in control-related accelerated vesting;

 

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the Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs include those that would be outstanding as of July 29, 2022, in accordance with their regular vesting schedules and assuming continued service by the individual through such date;

 

   

the Twitter options include those that would be outstanding as of July 29, 2022, assuming continued service by the individual through such date;

 

   

the values of these shares of our common stock and the shares underlying equity awards are equal to the per share price of $54.20 (minus any applicable exercise price in the case of in-the-money Twitter options); and

 

   

none of the individuals exercises any of his or her Twitter options on or before July 29, 2022, and that no additional Twitter options, Twitter RSUs or Twitter PSUs are granted to any such individual on or before such date.

 

Name

  Shares Held Directly (1)     Twitter RSUs and
Twitter PSUs (2)
    In-the-Money Twitter
Options
       
  Number of    
Shares (#)    
    Value of    
Shares ($)    
    Number
of
Shares    
(#)
    Value ($)         Number of
Shares
Subject to    
Option

(#)
    Value of
Shares
Subject to    
Option ($)
    Total ($)          

Parag Agrawal

    128,753       6,978,413       1,090,582       59,109,544                   66,087,957  

Ned Segal

    397,493       21,544,121       845,087       45,803,715                   67,347,836  

Vijaya Gadde

    623,156       33,775,055       751,176       40,713,739                   74,488,794  

Sarah Personette

    153,931       8,343,060       717,706       38,899,665                   47,242,725  

Kayvon Beykpour

    120,439       6,527,794       833,190       45,158,898                   51,686,692  

Nick Caldwell

    19,939       1,080,694       768,819       41,669,990                   42,750,684  

Bruce Falck (3)

    144,301       7,821,114                               7,821,114  

Jack Dorsey

    18,042,428       977,899,598                               977,899,598  

Matthew Derella (4)

    185       10,027                               10,027  

Michael Montano (5)

    324,674       17,597,331                               17,597,331  

Mimi Alemayehou

    3,735       202,437                               202,437  

Jesse Cohn (6)

    7,535       408,397                               408,397  

Egon Durban (7)

    15,013       813,705                               813,705  

Martha Lane Fox

    32,545       1,763,939                               1,763,939  

Omid Kordestani (8)

    934,247       50,636,187       50,000       2,710,000       800,000       20,112,000       73,458,187  

Fei-Fei Li

    10,676       578,639                               578,639  

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (9)

    16,230       879,666                               879,666  

Patrick Pichette

    24,823       1,345,407                               1,345,407  

David Rosenblatt

    109,827       5,952,623                               5,952,623  

Bret Taylor

    56,597       3,067,557                               3,067,557  

Robert Zoellick

    21,535       1,167,197                               1,167,197  

 

(1)

Represents shares of our common stock held as of April 29, 2022, plus any shares of our common stock subject to Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs that are scheduled to vest and be settled before July 29, 2022 (without regard to any change in control-related accelerated vesting). The amounts shown are determined assuming that no individual will acquire or dispose of shares of our common stock from April 29, 2022, through July 29, 2022, and that the Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs scheduled to vest and be settled prior to July 29, 2022, are so settled. The number of shares shown does not include shares of our common stock that the executive officer may purchase after the date of the merger agreement under the ESPP. The number of

 

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shares shown does not include equity awards that Twitter expects to grant to its non-employee directors on the date of its annual meeting of stockholders, as discussed in Twitter’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on April 13, 2021 in the section captioned “Board of Directors and Corporate GovernanceDirector Compensation—Equity Compensation.” For additional information regarding the treatment of our ESPP in the merger, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Treatment of the ESPP.” For additional information regarding beneficial ownership of common stock, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.”

 

(2)

Represents outstanding Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs (at levels of achievement assumed in the merger agreement) that are not scheduled to vest on or before July 29, 2022. The values shown with respect to Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs are determined as the product of the per share merger consideration multiplied by the total number of shares of our common stock subject to Twitter RSUs or Twitter PSUs, as applicable. The number of shares of our common stock subject to Twitter PSUs is based on the levels of achievement assumed in the merger agreement. Accordingly, the number of shares represents unvested Twitter PSUs covering a total of 711,862 shares of our common stock for Mr. Agrawal; 498,721 shares of our common stock for Mr. Segal; 445,814 shares of our common stock for Ms. Gadde; 352,373 shares of our common stock for Ms. Personette; 490,522 shares of our common stock for Mr. Beykpour; 373,161 shares of our common stock for Mr. Caldwell; and 50,000 shares of our common stock for Mr. Kordestani. As described further in the section of this proxy statement captioned “—2013 Equity Incentive Plan” Twitter RSUs outstanding as of the date of the closing of the merger (which date, solely for purposes of this proxy statement, is assumed to be July 29, 2022) that are held by our non-employee directors will accelerate vesting in full (at target levels of achievement) if a non-employee director’s service is terminated, other than upon a voluntary resignation. In addition, each of the Twitter executive officers is eligible for vesting acceleration of his or her Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs in connection with certain qualifying terminations of employment under the severance policy. For additional information regarding the Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs for our named executive officers, see the section of this proxy statement captioned “—Golden Parachute Compensation.”

 

(3)

Mr. Falck served as an executive officer of Twitter until May 2022. The table reflects Mr. Falck’s holdings as of the date of his termination of service as an employee rather than his holdings using the assumptions in footnotes (1) and (2) above.

 

(4)

Mr. Derella served as an executive officer of Twitter until August 2021. To Twitter’s knowledge, as of December 31, 2021, Mr. Derella held 185 shares of our common stock.

 

(5)

Mr. Montano served as an executive officer of Twitter until December 2021. To Twitter’s knowledge, as of December 31, 2021, Mr. Montano held 324,674 shares of our common stock.

 

(6)

Mr. Cohn served as a member of the Twitter Board until June 2021. To Twitter’s knowledge, as of the date of his departure, Mr. Cohn held 7,535 shares of our common stock.

 

(7)

These securities are held by Mr. Durban for the benefit of Silver Lake Technology Management, L.L.C., certain of its affiliates, and certain of the funds they manage.

 

(8)

All of the shares subject to the option held by Mr. Kordestani are fully vested and exercisable as of April 29, 2022.

 

(9)

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala served as a member of the Twitter Board until February 2021. To Twitter’s knowledge, as of the date of her departure, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala held 16,230 shares of our common stock.

2013 Equity Incentive Plan

We have granted certain Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs under our 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (which we refer to as the “2013 Plan”) that are outstanding and held by our non-employee directors and executive officers, including pursuant to our Outside Director Compensation Policy for awards that are held by our non-employee directors. The 2013 Plan provides that in the event of a merger or change in control, with respect to awards granted to a non-employee director that are assumed or substituted for, the participant will fully vest in and have the right to exercise any outstanding options and stock appreciation rights and all restrictions on other outstanding awards will lapse if such participant’s service is terminated following the merger or change in control (other than by voluntary resignation).

 

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The 2013 Plan further provides that in connection with such vesting acceleration, with respect to any awards with performance-based vesting, all performance goals or other vesting criteria applicable to such award will be deemed achieved at 100 percent of target levels. The closing of the merger will constitute a “change in control” under the 2013 Plan. Under the merger agreement, all awards held by non-employee directors will vest immediately prior to the effective time.

Severance Policy

We have entered into participation agreements with each of our executive officers under our severance policy, which provides payments and benefits to the executive officers in the event of an involuntary termination within the COC period (which we refer to as a “COC Qualifying Termination”) or during the normal course of business and outside of the COC period (which we refer to as a “Non-COC Qualifying Termination”).

Upon the occurrence of a Non-COC Qualifying Termination, each of our executive officers will become eligible to receive the following payments and benefits:

 

   

a lump sum payment equal to 100 percent of base salary;

 

   

payment of COBRA continuation coverage premiums for up to 12 months, or taxable payments in lieu of such payment; and

 

   

acceleration of vesting of 12.5 percent of the executive officer’s then-unvested equity awards for executive officers (with performance-based vesting deemed achieved at target levels as to that percentage), other than with respect to our chief executive officer (as described below).

Upon the occurrence of a COC Qualifying Termination, each of our executive officers will become eligible to receive the following payments and benefits:

 

   

a lump sum payment equal to 100 percent of base salary;

 

   

payment of COBRA continuation coverage premiums for up to 12 months, or taxable payments in lieu of such payment; and

 

   

50 percent (or, in the case of Messrs. Agrawal and Segal, 100 percent) acceleration of vesting of unvested equity awards (with performance-based vesting deemed achieved at target levels as to that percentage).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the benefits and rights payable to Mr. Agrawal under the severance policy are qualified by the terms of certain provisions set forth in his offer letter with us, entered into on November 29, 2021 (which we refer to as the “Agrawal offer letter”), which are described in the immediately following section below.

All payments under the severance policy are subject to the execution and non-revocation of our standard separation agreement and release of claims, which includes non-solicitation, non-disparagement and confidentiality conditions.

In the event that payments to an executive officer under the severance policy would be subject to excise taxes under Section 280G and 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, such payments will be reduced if and to the extent such reduction would result in a better result to the executive officer taking into account applicable taxes.

 

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Agrawal Offer Letter

The terms of the participation in our severance policy of our chief executive officer, Mr. Agrawal, are subject to the terms of certain provisions provided for in the Agrawal offer letter. The Agrawal offer letter, in relevant part, provides (1) that in the event of a Non-COC Qualifying Termination, there will be accelerated vesting of equity awards that would have vested within 12 months after the termination of employment (or 37.5 percent of all outstanding awards if the termination is before January 1, 2025), but otherwise consistent with the terms of the severance policy, including (but not limited to) with respect to performance-based awards, provided that performance-based awards granted after the date of the Agrawal offer letter will be subject to the terms of the applicable award agreement if such agreement expressly sets forth a different treatment, and provided that for any equity awards with respect to which, at the time of termination of employment, it is known that the applicable performance goals were attained, vesting will be applied at the greater of target or actual performance, (2) “Good Reason” will include (among other items) “a material adverse change in the nature or scope of Mr. Agrawal’s authority, powers, functions, duties, responsibilities, or reporting relationship (including ceasing to directly report to our board of directors of a publicly traded entity, if applicable) ,” and (3) no amendment to the severance policy that would adversely affect Mr. Agrawal’s rights under the severance policy will be made without his prior written consent, provided that commencing January 1, 2024, Twitter may, following a notice period of at least 12 months, adopt amendments that are materially detrimental to his rights under the severance policy so long as the amendment is not effective until January 1, 2025 at the earliest.

Golden Parachute Compensation

The information set forth in the tables below is intended to comply with Item 402(t) of Regulation S-K, which requires disclosure of information about certain compensation for each of Twitter’s named executive officers (who we refer to as “NEOs”) that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger and assumes, among other things, that the merger is consummated, the merger constitutes a COC of Twitter and that the NEOs will incur a severance-qualifying termination of employment immediately following consummation of the merger.

The amounts indicated below are estimates based on multiple assumptions that may or may not actually occur or be accurate on the relevant date, including assumptions described below, and do not reflect certain compensation actions that may occur before the consummation of the merger. If payments to an NEO under the severance policy would be subject to excise taxes under Section 280G and 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, such payments will be reduced if and to the extent such reduction would result in a better result to the NEO taking into account applicable taxes. For purposes of calculating such amounts, Twitter has assumed:

 

   

July 29, 2022 as the date on which the merger is consummated.

 

   

Each NEO experiences an involuntary termination on July 29, 2022, based on the terms of the severance policy and, for Mr. Agrawal, the Agrawal offer letter.

 

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A price per share of our common stock of $54.20.

 

    Name   Cash ($) (1)             Equity ($) (2)       Perquisites Benefits ($) (3)         Total ($)              
 

Parag Agrawal

    1,000,000       59,109,544       9,172       60,118,716    
 

Ned Segal

    600,000       45,803,715       31,730       46,435,445    
 

Vijaya Gadde

    600,000       20,357,032       31,730       20,988,762    
 

Sarah Personette

    600,000       19,449,995       27,377       20,077,372    
 

Jack Dorsey (4)

                         
 

Mike Montano (5)

                         

 

(1)

As discussed above, under the severance policy and the Agrawal offer letter, upon an involuntary termination during the applicable COC period, each of the NEOs would be entitled to receive a cash amount equal to 100 percent of the NEO’s annual base salary, which is in each case payable in a lump sum on the 61st day following the involuntary termination:

All components of the cash severance amount are “double-trigger” (i.e., they are contingent upon an involuntary termination during the applicable COC period) and are subject to the NEO’s execution, effectiveness and non-revocation of a release of claims our standard separation agreement and release of claims.

 

(2)

Under the severance policy and the Agrawal offer letter, an involuntary termination within the applicable COC period would result in acceleration of vesting of 50 percent (or 100 percent in the case of Mr. Agrawal and Mr. Segal) of the shares underlying all of the executive officer’s then-unvested equity awards (with performance-based vesting deemed achieved at target levels as to that percentage), subject to the NEO’s execution and non-revocation of our standard separation agreement and release of claims, which currently includes non-solicitation, non-disparagement and confidentiality conditions. Set forth below are the values of each type of unvested equity-based award held by the NEOs that would become vested upon an involuntary termination immediately following the consummation of a change of control of Twitter. Amounts are calculated assuming a price of $54.20 per share.

 

   

Name

      Twitter RSUs ($) (i)             Twitter PSUs ($) (i)(ii)          
  Parag Agrawal     20,526,624       38,582,920    
  Ned Segal     18,773,037       27,030,678    
  Vijaya Gadde     8,275,364       12,081,668    
  Sarah Personette     9,900,660       9,549,335    

 

  (i)

Reflects the value of accelerated vesting of 50 percent (or 100 percent in the case of Mr. Agrawal and Mr. Segal) of outstanding Twitter RSUs and Twitter PSUs for all NEOs, pursuant to the severance policy and the Agrawal offer letter, as described in more detail above.

 

  (ii)

Reflects the value of Twitter PSUs that would be available for vesting upon deemed achievement of all performance goals at target levels, pursuant to the severance policy and the Agrawal offer letter, as described in more detail above.

 

(3)

This amount represents the value of the cost of payment for up to 12 months of premiums under COBRA to continue health insurance coverage for each NEO and their eligible dependents that were covered under our healthcare plan, which would be triggered upon an involuntary termination immediately following the consummation of a change of control of Twitter. This double-trigger benefit is subject to the NEO’s execution and non-revocation of our standard separation agreement and release of claims, which currently includes non-solicitation, non-disparagement and confidentiality conditions.

 

(4)

Mr. Dorsey is a named executive officer of Twitter for Twitter’s most recently completed fiscal year. Mr. Dorsey resigned as Chief Executive Officer of Twitter effective as of November 29, 2021 and has never participated in the severance policy or has any outstanding equity awards. Mr. Dorsey continues to serve on the Twitter Board as a non-employee director.

 

(5)

Mr. Montano is a named executive officer of Twitter for Twitter’s most recently completed fiscal year. Mr. Montano stepped down from his position as Engineering Lead effective December 31, 2021 and remained

 

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an advisor of Twitter through March 31, 2022, to ensure an orderly transition. Mr. Montano no longer participates in the severance policy or has any outstanding equity awards.

Arrangements with Parent, Acquisition Sub and Mr. Musk

As of the date of this proxy statement, none of our directors or executive officers has entered into an agreement with Parent, Acquisition Sub, Mr. Musk, or any of their respective affiliates regarding the potential terms of their individual employment arrangements or other retention following the consummation of the merger, or the right to purchase or participate in the equity of the surviving corporation or one or more of its affiliates in connection with the merger. However, prior to the effective time of the merger, Parent, Mr. Musk, or their respective affiliates may have discussions with certain of Twitter’s employees (including certain of its executive officers) regarding employment or other retention terms and may enter into definitive agreements regarding employment, retention, or the right to purchase or participate in the equity of the surviving corporation or one or more of its affiliates in connection with the merger.

On May 5, 2022, Mr. Musk publicly disclosed that he (on behalf of Parent) was having, and would continue to have, discussions with certain existing holders of our common stock (including Mr. Dorsey, one of Twitter’s directors) regarding the possibility of contributing shares of our common stock of such holders to Parent, at or immediately prior to the closing of the merger, in order to retain an equity investment in Twitter following completion of the merger in lieu of receiving merger consideration in the merger. Mr. Dorsey informed Twitter that his communications with Mr. Musk regarding these matters first occurred following execution of the merger agreement and that these communications may continue, and may result in Mr. Dorsey continuing to hold equity of the surviving corporation or one or more of its affiliates following the merger. There are no assurances that an agreement will result, or of the amount, if any, of Mr. Dorsey’s holdings that will be contributed to Parent, or of the amount, if any, of equity of the surviving corporation or one or more of its affiliates that Mr. Dorsey will hold following the merger.

Closing and Effective Time of the Merger

The closing of the merger will take place as soon as possible in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, but no later than the second business day after the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to closing of the merger, other than conditions that by their terms are to be satisfied at the closing of the merger, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions at the closing, unless another time, date or place is agreed to in writing by the parties. On the closing date of the merger, the parties will file a certificate of merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as provided under the DGCL. The merger will become effective on the date and time at which the certificate of merger has been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or such other date and time as may be agreed to by Twitter and Parent and set forth in such certificate of merger in accordance with the DGCL.

Appraisal Rights

If the merger is consummated, our stockholders who (1) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, (2) properly demand an appraisal of their applicable shares of our common stock prior to the vote on the adoption of the merger agreement, (3) continuously hold their applicable shares through the effective time of the merger, (4) otherwise comply with the procedures of Section 262 of the DGCL (which we refer to as “Section 262”), including by satisfying certain ownership thresholds set forth therein, and (5) do not withdraw their demands or otherwise lose their rights to appraisal may, subject to the conditions of Section 262, seek appraisal of their shares in connection with the merger under Section 262. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references in Section 262 and in this summary to a “stockholder” or to a “holder of shares” are to a record holder of our common stock.

 

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The following discussion is not a complete statement of the law pertaining to appraisal rights under the DGCL and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of Section 262, which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex B and incorporated into this proxy statement by reference. The following summary does not constitute any legal or other advice and does not constitute a recommendation that our stockholders exercise their appraisal rights under Section 262. Only a holder of record of shares of our common stock is entitled to demand appraisal of the shares registered in that holder’s name. A person having a beneficial interest in shares of our common stock held of record in the name of another person, such as a bank, broker or other nominee, must act promptly to cause the record holder to demand an appraisal of such holder’s shares. If you hold your shares of our common stock through a bank, broker or other nominee and you wish to exercise appraisal rights, you should consult with your bank, broker or the other nominee to ensure that appraisal rights are exercised. Stockholders should carefully review the full text of Section 262 as well as the information discussed below.

Under Section 262, if the merger is completed, holders of record of shares of our common stock who (1) submit a written demand for appraisal of such stockholder’s shares to Twitter prior to the vote on the adoption of the merger agreement; (2) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement; and (3) continuously are the record holders of such shares through the effective time of the merger may be entitled to have their shares of our common stock appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment in cash of the “fair value” of the shares of our common stock, exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown) interest on the amount determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery to be fair value from the effective date of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment. However, after an appraisal petition has been filed, the Delaware Court of Chancery, at a hearing to determine stockholders entitled to appraisal rights, will dismiss appraisal proceedings as to all of our stockholders who asserted appraisal rights unless (1) the total number of shares of our common stock entitled to appraisal exceeds one percent of the outstanding shares of our common stock as measured in accordance with subsection (g) of Section 262; or (2) the value of the merger consideration in respect of such shares exceeds $1 million. We refer to these conditions as the “ownership thresholds.” Unless the Delaware Court of Chancery, in its discretion, determines otherwise for good cause shown, interest on an appraisal award will accrue and compound quarterly from the effective time of the merger through the date the judgment is paid at five percent over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during such period (except that, if at any time before the entry of judgment in the proceeding, the surviving corporation makes a voluntary cash payment to each stockholder entitled to appraisal, interest will accrue thereafter only upon the sum of (1) the difference, if any, between the amount so paid and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery; and (2) interest theretofore accrued, unless paid at that time). The surviving corporation is under no obligation to make such voluntary cash payment prior to such entry of judgment.

Under Section 262, where a merger agreement is to be submitted for adoption at a meeting of stockholders, the corporation, not less than 20 days prior to the meeting, must notify each of its stockholders of record as of the record date for notice of such meeting that appraisal rights are available and include in the notice a copy of Section 262. This proxy statement constitutes Twitter’s notice to our stockholders that appraisal rights are available in connection with the merger, and the full text of Section 262 is attached to this proxy statement as Annex B. In connection with the merger, any holder of shares of our common stock who wishes to exercise appraisal rights, or who wishes to preserve such holder’s right to do so, should review Annex B carefully. Failure to strictly comply with the requirements of Section 262 in a timely and proper manner may result in the loss of appraisal rights under the DGCL. A stockholder who loses his, her or its appraisal rights will be entitled to receive the per share price described in the merger agreement without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. Because of the complexity of the procedures for exercising the right to seek appraisal of shares

 

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of our common stock, Twitter believes that if a stockholder is considering exercising such rights, that stockholder should seek the advice of legal counsel.

Stockholders wishing to exercise the right to seek an appraisal of their shares of our common stock must do ALL of the following:

 

   

the stockholder must not vote in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement;

 

   

the stockholder must deliver to Twitter a written demand for appraisal before the vote on the merger agreement at the special meeting; and

 

   

the stockholder must continuously hold the shares from the date of making the demand through the effective time of the merger (a stockholder will lose appraisal rights if the stockholder transfers the shares before the effective time of the merger).

In addition, after an appraisal petition has been filed, the Delaware Court of Chancery, at a hearing to determine stockholders entitled to appraisal rights, will dismiss appraisal proceedings as to all of our stockholders who asserted appraisal rights unless one of the ownership thresholds is met.

Because a proxy that does not contain voting instructions will, unless revoked, be voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, each of our stockholders who votes by proxy and who wishes to exercise appraisal rights must vote against the adoption of the merger agreement or abstain with respect to such proposal.

Filing Written Demand

A stockholder wishing to exercise appraisal rights must deliver to Twitter, before the vote on the adoption of the merger agreement at the special meeting, a written demand for the appraisal of such stockholder’s shares. In addition, that stockholder must not vote or submit a proxy in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement. A vote in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, in person at the special meeting or by proxy (whether by mail or via the internet or telephone), will constitute a waiver of appraisal rights in respect of the shares so voted and will nullify any previously filed written demands for appraisal. A stockholder exercising appraisal rights must hold of record the shares on the date the written demand for appraisal is made and must continue to hold the shares of record through the effective time of the merger. Neither voting (in person or by proxy) against the adoption of the merger agreement nor abstaining from voting or failing to vote on the proposal to adopt the merger agreement will, in and of itself, constitute a written demand for appraisal satisfying the requirements of Section 262. The written demand for appraisal must be in addition to and separate from any proxy or vote on the adoption of the merger agreement.

Only a holder of record of shares of our common stock is entitled to demand appraisal rights for the shares registered in that holder’s name. A demand for appraisal in respect of shares of our common stock should be executed by or on behalf of the holder of record and must reasonably inform Twitter of the identity of the holder and that the stockholder intends thereby to demand an appraisal of such stockholder’s shares. If the shares are owned of record in the name of another person, such as a broker, fiduciary, depositary or other nominee, such demand must be executed by or on behalf of the record owner, and if such shares are owned of record by more than one person, as in a joint tenancy or tenancy in common, the demand should be executed by or on behalf of all joint owners. An authorized agent, including an authorized agent for two or more joint owners, may execute a demand for appraisal on behalf of a holder of record; however, the agent must identify the record owner or owners and expressly disclose that, in executing the demand, the agent is acting as agent for the record owner or owners. If a stockholder holds shares of our common stock through a broker who in

 

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turn holds the shares through a central securities depository nominee such as Cede & Co., a demand for appraisal of such shares must be made by or on behalf of the depository nominee and must identify the depository nominee as record holder.

STOCKHOLDERS WHO HOLD THEIR SHARES IN “STREET NAME” BY A BANK, BROKER, TRUST OR OTHER NOMINEE AND WHO WISH TO EXERCISE APPRAISAL RIGHTS SHOULD CONSULT WITH THEIR BANK, BROKER, TRUST OR OTHER NOMINEE, AS APPLICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE PROCEDURES FOR THE BANK, BROKER, TRUST OR OTHER NOMINEE TO MAKE A DEMAND FOR APPRAISAL OF THOSE SHARES. A PERSON HAVING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN SHARES HELD OF RECORD IN THE NAME OF ANOTHER PERSON, SUCH AS A BANK, BROKER, TRUST OR OTHER NOMINEE, MUST ACT PROMPTLY TO CAUSE THE RECORD HOLDER TO FOLLOW PROPERLY AND IN A TIMELY MANNER THE STEPS NECESSARY TO PERFECT APPRAISAL RIGHTS.

All written demands for appraisal pursuant to Section 262 should be mailed or delivered to:

Twitter, Inc.

1355 Market Street, Suite 900

San Francisco, California 94103

Attention: Corporate Secretary

At any time within 60 days after the effective date of the merger, any holder of shares of our common stock who has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined that proceeding as a named party may withdraw his, her or its demand for appraisal and accept the per share price offered pursuant to the merger agreement, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, by delivering to Twitter, as the surviving corporation, a written withdrawal of the demand for appraisal. However, any such attempt to withdraw the demand made more than 60 days after the effective time of the merger will require written approval of the surviving corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no appraisal proceeding in the Delaware Court of Chancery will be dismissed as to any stockholder without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms as the Delaware Court of Chancery deems just; provided, however, that this will not affect the right of any stockholder who has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined that proceeding as a named party to withdraw such stockholder’s demand for appraisal and to accept the merger consideration within 60 days after the effective time of the merger. If Twitter, as the surviving corporation, does not approve a request to withdraw a demand for appraisal when that approval is required, or, except with respect to any stockholder who withdraws such stockholder’s demand in accordance with the proviso in the immediately preceding sentence, if the Delaware Court of Chancery does not approve the dismissal of an appraisal proceeding with respect to a stockholder, the stockholder will be entitled to receive only the appraised value determined in any such appraisal proceeding, which value could be less than, equal to or more than the per share price being offered pursuant to the merger agreement.

Notice by the Surviving Corporation

If the merger is completed, within 10 days after the effective time of the merger, the surviving corporation will notify each record holder of shares of our common stock who has properly made a written demand for appraisal pursuant to Section 262, and who has not voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement, that the merger has become effective and the effective date thereof.

Filing a Petition for Appraisal

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appraisal rights under Section 262 (or a beneficial owner in the circumstances described in the next paragraph) may commence an appraisal proceeding by filing a petition in the Delaware Court of Chancery, with a copy served on the surviving corporation in the case of a petition filed by a stockholder, demanding a determination of the fair value of the shares held by all dissenting stockholders entitled to appraisal. The surviving corporation is under no obligation, and has no present intention, to file a petition, and stockholders should not assume that the surviving corporation will file a petition or initiate any negotiations with respect to the fair value of the shares of our common stock. Accordingly, any holders of shares of our common stock who desire to have their shares appraised should initiate all necessary action to perfect their appraisal rights in respect of their shares of our common stock within the time and in the manner prescribed in Section 262. If no petition for appraisal is filed with the Delaware Court of Chancery within 120 days after the effective time of the merger, stockholders’ rights to appraisal shall cease, and all holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to receive the consideration offered pursuant to the merger agreement, without interest.

Within 120 days after the effective time of the merger, any holder of shares of our common stock who has complied with the requirements for an appraisal of such holder’s shares pursuant to Section 262 will be entitled, upon written request, to receive from the surviving corporation a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement and with respect to which Twitter has received demands for appraisal, and the aggregate number of holders of such shares. The surviving corporation must send this statement to the requesting stockholder within 10 days after receipt by the surviving corporation of the written request for such a statement or within 10 days after the expiration of the period for delivery of demands for appraisal, whichever is later. A beneficial owner of shares of our common stock held either in a voting trust or by a nominee on behalf of such person may, in such person’s own name, file a petition seeking appraisal or request from the surviving corporation the foregoing statements. As noted above, however, the demand for appraisal can only be made by a stockholder of record.

If a petition for an appraisal is duly filed by a holder of shares of our common stock and a copy thereof is served upon the surviving corporation, the surviving corporation will then be obligated within 20 days after such service to file with the Delaware Register in Chancery a duly verified list containing the names and addresses of all stockholders who have demanded payment for their shares and with whom agreements as to the value of their shares have not been reached. The Delaware Court of Chancery may order that notice of the time and place fixed for the hearing of such petition be given to the surviving corporation and all of the stockholders shown on the verified list at the addresses stated therein. Any such notice shall also be given by one or more publications at least one week before the day of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation published in the City of Wilmington, Delaware or any other publication which the Delaware Court of Chancery deems advisable. The costs of any such notice are borne by the surviving corporation.

After notice to dissenting stockholders as required by the court, at the hearing on such petition, the Delaware Court of Chancery will determine the stockholders who have complied with Section 262 and who have become entitled to appraisal rights thereunder. The Delaware Court of Chancery may require the stockholders who demanded appraisal for their shares to submit their stock certificates to the Register in Chancery for notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal proceedings. If any stockholder fails to comply with the direction, the Delaware Court of Chancery may dismiss the proceedings as to such stockholder.

Pursuant to Section 262(g) of the DGCL, the Delaware Court of Chancery will dismiss appraisal proceedings as to all of our stockholders who assert appraisal rights unless (1) the total number of shares entitled to appraisal exceeds one percent of the outstanding shares of our common stock as measured in accordance with Section 262(g) of the DGCL; or (2) the value of the merger consideration in respect of such shares exceeds $1 million.

 

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Determination of Fair Value

Where proceedings are not dismissed, the appraisal proceeding will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the Delaware Court of Chancery, including any rules specifically governing appraisal proceedings. Through such proceeding, the Delaware Court of Chancery will determine the “fair value” of the shares of our common stock, exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with interest, if any, to be paid upon the amount determined to be the fair value. In determining fair value, the Delaware Court of Chancery will take into account all relevant factors. Unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown, interest from the effective date of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment will be compounded quarterly and will accrue at five percent over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the effective date of the merger and the date of payment of the judgment. However, the surviving corporation has the right, at any time prior to the Delaware Court of Chancery’s entry of judgment in the proceedings, to make a voluntary cash payment to each stockholder seeking appraisal. If the surviving corporation makes a voluntary cash payment pursuant to subsection (h) of Section 262, interest will accrue thereafter only on the sum of (1) the difference, if any, between the amount paid by the surviving corporation in such voluntary cash payment and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery; and (2) interest accrued before such voluntary cash payment, unless paid at that time. In Weinberger v. UOP, Inc., the Supreme Court of Delaware discussed the factors that could be considered in determining fair value in an appraisal proceeding, stating that “proof of value by any techniques or methods which are generally considered acceptable in the financial community and otherwise admissible in court” should be considered, and that “[f]air price obviously requires consideration of all relevant factors involving the value of a company.” The Delaware Supreme Court stated that, in making this determination of fair value, the court must consider market value, asset value, dividends, earnings prospects, the nature of the enterprise and any other facts that could be ascertained as of the date of the merger that throw any light on future prospects of the merged corporation. Section 262 provides that fair value is to be “exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger.” In Cede & Co. v. Technicolor, Inc., the Delaware Supreme Court stated that such exclusion is a “narrow exclusion [that] does not encompass known elements of value,” but which rather applies only to the speculative elements of value arising from such accomplishment or expectation. In Weinberger, the Supreme Court of Delaware also stated that “elements of future value, including the nature of the enterprise, which are known or susceptible of proof as of the date of the merger and not the product of speculation, may be considered.”

Stockholders considering seeking appraisal should be aware that the fair value of their shares as so determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery could be more than, the same as or less than the consideration they would receive pursuant to the merger if they did not seek appraisal of their shares and that an opinion of an investment banking firm as to the fairness from a financial point of view of the consideration payable in a merger is not an opinion as to, and may not in any manner address, fair value under Section 262. No representation is made as to the outcome of the appraisal of fair value as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery, and stockholders should recognize that such an appraisal could result in a determination of a value higher or lower than, or the same as, the per share price. Neither Twitter nor Parent anticipates offering more than the per share price to any stockholder exercising appraisal rights, and each of Twitter and Parent reserves the rights to make a voluntary cash payment pursuant to subsection (h) of Section 262 and to assert, in any appraisal proceeding, that for purposes of Section 262, the “fair value” of a share of our common stock is less than the per share price. The costs of the appraisal proceedings (which do not include attorneys’ fees or the fees and expenses of experts) may be determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery and taxed upon the parties as the Delaware Court of Chancery deems equitable under the circumstances. Upon application of a stockholder, the Delaware Court of Chancery may also order that all or a portion of the

 

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expenses incurred by any stockholder in connection with the appraisal proceeding, including, without limitation, reasonable attorney’s fees and the fees and expenses of experts, be charged pro rata against the value of all the shares entitled to an appraisal. In the absence of such determination or assessment, each party bears its own expenses.

If any stockholder who demands appraisal of his, her or its shares of our common stock under Section 262 fails to perfect, or loses or validly withdraws, such holder’s right to appraisal, the stockholder’s shares of our common stock will be deemed to have been converted at the effective time of the merger into the right to receive the per share price as provided in the merger agreement.

From and after the effective time of the merger, no stockholder who has demanded appraisal rights in compliance with Section 262 will be entitled to vote such shares of our common stock for any purpose or to receive payment of dividends or other distributions on the stock (except dividends or other distributions payable to stockholders of record at a date which is prior to the effective date of the merger).

Failure to comply strictly with all of the procedures set forth in Section 262 may result in the loss of a stockholder’s statutory appraisal rights. In that event, you will be entitled to receive the per share price for your dissenting shares in accordance with the merger agreement, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. Consequently, any stockholder wishing to exercise appraisal rights is encouraged to consult legal counsel before attempting to exercise those rights.

Accounting Treatment

The merger is expected to be accounted for as a “purchase business combination” for financial accounting purposes.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

The following discussion is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger that may be relevant to U.S. Holders and Non-U.S. Holders (each as defined below) of shares of our common stock whose shares are converted into the right to receive cash pursuant to the merger. This discussion is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (which we refer to as the “Code”). Treasury Regulations promulgated under the Code, court decisions, published positions of the Internal Revenue Service (which we refer to as the “IRS”) and other applicable authorities, all as in effect on the date of this proxy statement and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. This discussion is limited to holders who hold their shares of our common stock as “capital assets” within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment purposes).

This discussion is for general information only and does not address all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to holders in light of their particular circumstances. For example, this discussion does not address:

 

   

tax consequences that may be relevant to holders who may be subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws, such as financial institutions; tax-exempt organizations; S corporations, partnerships and any other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership or pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes; insurance companies; mutual funds; dealers in stocks and securities; traders in securities that elect to use the mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities; regulated investment companies; real estate investment trusts; entities subject to the U.S. anti-inversion rules; holders who hold their common stock as “qualified small business stock” for purposes of Sections 1045 and 1202 of the Code; or certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

 

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tax consequences to holders holding the shares as part of a hedging, constructive sale or conversion, straddle or other risk reduction transaction;

 

   

tax consequences to holders who received their shares of our common stock in a compensatory transaction or pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants or whose common stock is subject to employment-based vesting;

 

   

tax consequences to U.S. Holders whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar;

 

   

tax consequences to holders who hold their common stock through a bank, financial institution or other entity, or a branch thereof, located, organized or resident outside the United States;

 

   

tax consequences arising from the Medicare tax on net investment income;

 

   

tax consequences to holders subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of any item of gross income with respect to the shares of our common stock being taken into account in an “applicable financial statement” (as defined in the Code);

 

   

the U.S. federal estate, gift or alternative minimum tax consequences, if any;

 

   

any territory, state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences; or

 

   

tax consequences to holders that do not vote in favor of the merger and who properly demand appraisal of their shares under Section 262 of the DGCL.

If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement, domestic or foreign, treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock, then the tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partner and the partnership. Partnerships holding shares of our common stock and partners therein should consult their tax advisors regarding the consequences of the merger.

No ruling has been or will be obtained from the IRS regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger described below. If the IRS contests a conclusion set forth herein, no assurance can be given that a holder would ultimately prevail in a final determination by a court.

THIS DISCUSSION IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE TO ANY HOLDER. A HOLDER SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISORS CONCERNING THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES RELATING TO THE MERGER IN LIGHT OF ITS PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND ANY CONSEQUENCES ARISING UNDER FEDERAL NON-INCOME TAX LAWS OR THE LAWS OF ANY TERRITORY, STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION.

U.S. Holders

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;

 

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an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust that (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and the control of one or more United States persons as defined in section 7701(a)(30) of the Code; or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

The receipt of cash by a U.S. Holder in exchange for shares of our common stock pursuant to the merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, such U.S. Holder’s gain or loss will be equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares surrendered pursuant to the merger. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis generally will equal the amount that such U.S. Holder paid for the shares. Such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if such U.S. Holder’s holding period in such shares is more than one year at the time of the completion of the merger. A reduced tax rate on capital gain generally will apply to long-term capital gain of a non-corporate U.S. Holder (including individuals). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. If a U.S. Holder acquired different blocks of shares of our common stock at different times and different prices, such holder must determine its adjusted tax basis and holding period separately with respect to each block of our common stock.

Non-U.S. Holders

General

For purposes of this discussion, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock that is neither a U.S. Holder nor a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Subject to the discussion below relating to FATCA, any gain realized by a Non-U.S. Holder pursuant to the merger generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with a trade or business of such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), in which case such gain generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at rates generally applicable to U.S. persons, and, if the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, such gain may also be subject to the branch profits tax at a rate of 30 percent (or a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty);

 

   

such Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the completion of the merger, and certain other specified conditions are met, in which case such gain will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30 percent (or a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty); or

 

   

Twitter is or has been a “United States real property holding corporation” as such term is defined in Section 897(c) of the Code (which we refer to as “USRPHC”), at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the merger or such Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period with respect to the applicable shares of our common stock (which we refer to as the “relevant period”) and, if shares of our common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market (within the meaning of Section 897(c)(3) of the Code), such Non-U.S. Holder owns (directly, indirectly or constructively) more than five percent of our common stock at any time during the relevant period, in which case such gain will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at

 

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rates generally applicable to U.S. persons (as described in the first bullet point above), except that the branch profits tax will not apply. Generally, a corporation is a USRPHC if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests (as defined in the Code) equals or exceeds 50 percent of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. For this purpose, U.S. real property interests generally include land, improvements and associated personal property. Although there can be no assurances in this regard, we believe that we are not, and have not been, a USRPHC at any time during the five-year period preceding the merger. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible consequences to them if we are a USRPHC.

Withholding on Foreign Entities

Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, and the Treasury regulations and administrative guidance issued thereunder (which we refer to as “FATCA”), impose a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30 percent on certain payments made to a “foreign financial institution” (as specially defined under these rules) unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to withhold on certain payments and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding certain U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners) or an exemption applies. FATCA also generally will impose a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30 percent on certain payments made to a non-financial foreign entity unless such entity provides the withholding agent a certification identifying certain direct and indirect U.S. owners of the entity or an exemption applies. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. Under certain circumstances, a Non-U.S. Holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. The Treasury Department recently released proposed regulations which, if finalized in their present form, would eliminate the federal withholding tax of 30 percent applicable to the gross proceeds of a sale or other disposition of our common stock. In its preamble to such proposed regulations, the U.S. Treasury Department stated that taxpayers may generally rely on the proposed regulations until final regulations are issued.

Holders of our common stock are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on the disposition of our common stock pursuant to the merger.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Information reporting and backup withholding (at a current rate of 24 percent) may apply to the proceeds received by a holder pursuant to the merger. Backup withholding generally will not apply to (1) a U.S. Holder that furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and certifies that such U.S. Holder is not subject to backup withholding on IRS Form W-9 (or a substitute or successor form); or (2) a Non-U.S. Holder that (a) provides a certification of such Non-U.S. Holder’s non-U.S. status on the appropriate series of IRS Form W-8 (or a substitute or successor form); or (b) otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Regulatory Approvals Required for the Merger

General Efforts

Under the merger agreement, Parent, Acquisition Sub and Twitter agreed to use their respective reasonable best efforts to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by the

 

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merger agreement and to cause the conditions to the merger to be satisfied, including using reasonable best efforts to accomplish the following:

 

   

the obtaining of all necessary actions or non-actions, consents and approvals from governmental authorities necessary in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, and the making of all necessary registrations and filings (including filings with governmental authorities, if any) and the taking of all reasonable steps as may be necessary to obtain an approval from, or to avoid an action or proceeding by, any governmental authority necessary in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger;

 

   

the obtaining of all other necessary consents, approvals or waivers from third parties;

 

   

the defending of any lawsuits or other legal proceedings through the termination date, whether judicial or administrative, challenging the merger agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, performed or consummated by such party in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, including seeking to have any stay or temporary restraining order entered by any court or other governmental authority vacated or reversed; and

 

   

the execution and delivery of any additional instruments reasonably necessary to consummate the merger and any other transactions to be performed or consummated by such party in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement and to carry out fully the purposes of the merger agreement.

Mr. Musk, Parent and Acquisition Sub have further agreed to, subject to the terms of the merger agreement, take promptly any and all steps necessary to avoid or eliminate each and every impediment and obtain all consents, approvals or waivers (or, as applicable, expiration or termination of the waiting periods with respect thereto) under any antitrust laws, foreign investment laws or other law that may be required by any foreign or U.S. federal, state or local governmental authority, in each case, with competent jurisdiction, so as to enable the parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, as promptly as practicable, except that none of Parent, Acquisition Sub or any of their affiliates are obligated under the merger agreement to (i) propose, take, or agree to take any actions that would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the business, assets, or financial condition of Twitter and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (ii) propose, negotiate, effect or agree to, the sale, divestiture, lease, license, hold separate, transfer, or disposition of, or any restriction on the freedom of action with respect to, any assets, business, or equity holdings of, or held or controlled directly or indirectly by, Mr. Musk or any affiliate of Parent (other than Parent, Acquisition Sub or Twitter after giving effect to the merger and subject to the restrictions set forth in this paragraph).

The obligations of Twitter, Parent and Acquisition Sub to consummate the merger are subject to, among other conditions, the expiration of any waiting period (and any extension thereof) applicable to the merger under the HSR Act and the receipt of consents or approvals that are material and required or advisable, in the view of Parent and Twitter, under applicable antitrust laws and foreign investment laws of certain specified jurisdictions (which we collectively refer to as the “specified regulatory laws”) or, as applicable, the waiting periods with respect thereto shall have expired or been terminated, to the extent applicable. In addition, additional consents and approvals under applicable antitrust laws, foreign investment laws and other laws of other jurisdictions may be sought pursuant to the obligations described above if Parent and Twitter determine a filing, submission or notification is material and required or advisable in such jurisdiction or if regulators in such a jurisdiction open an investigation regarding the merger.

 

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HSR Act; Competition Laws and Foreign Investment Laws

HSR Act

Under the HSR Act, the merger cannot be completed until Parent and Twitter file a Notification and Report Form with the Federal Trade Commission (which we refer to as the “FTC”) and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (which we refer to as the “DOJ”), and the applicable waiting period has expired or been terminated. A transaction notifiable under the HSR Act may not be completed until the expiration of a 30-calendar day waiting period following the parties’ filing of their respective HSR Act notification forms or the early termination of the waiting period. The parties filed a notification and report form with the FTC and DOJ pursuant to the HSR Act on May 3, 2022. The waiting period under the HSR Act is set to expire at 11:59 p.m., Eastern time, on June 2, 2022. The DOJ or the FTC may extend the 30 day waiting period by issuing a Request for Additional Information and documentary materials (also known as a “Second Request”). If either agency issues a Second Request, the waiting period is extended until 30 days after the parties substantially comply with the request.

At any time before or after consummation of the merger, notwithstanding the termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act, the FTC or the DOJ could take such action under the antitrust laws as it deems necessary or desirable, including seeking to enjoin the completion of the merger, seeking divestiture of substantial assets of the parties or requiring the parties to license, or hold separate, assets or terminate existing relationships and contractual rights. At any time before or after the completion of the merger, and notwithstanding the termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act, any state or the District of Columbia could take such action under the antitrust laws as it deems necessary or desirable. Such action could include seeking to enjoin the completion of the merger or seeking divestiture of substantial assets of Twitter or Parent. Private parties may also seek to take legal action under the antitrust laws under certain circumstances.

United Kingdom – Competition Laws

Specifically, the completion of the merger is subject to obtaining a favorable outcome from the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (which we refer to as the “CMA”) either by (i) the CMA indicating that it has no further questions about the merger in response to an informal briefing paper submitted by the parties; or (ii) if the parties file a formal merger notice, the CMA approving the merger (either unconditionally or conditional upon certain remedies). Upon the acceptance by the CMA of a complete merger notice, the CMA has 40 working days in which to complete its initial Phase I review. At the end of Phase I, the CMA must confirm whether it has a reasonable belief that there is a realistic prospect that the merger will lessen competition substantially. If so, the CMA must refer the merger to a Phase II review, unless adequate remedies are offered by the parties within five working days of the CMA’s Phase I decision. Where Phase I remedies are offered, the CMA must decide whether to accept the remedies “in principle” within 10 working days of the Phase I decision and must take a final decision on whether to accept the remedies within 50 working days of the Phase I decision, subject to a possible 40 working day extension at the CMA’s discretion. If a Phase II investigation is launched, the CMA has 24 weeks, extendable by up to eight weeks at the CMA’s discretion if it considers there are special reasons for doing so, to decide if the merger should be prohibited or approved conditional on remedies. The parties submitted an informal briefing paper to the CMA on May 16, 2022.

United Kingdom – Foreign Investment Laws

If the merger is a “notifiable acquisition” under the United Kingdom’s National Security and Investment Act 2021 (which we refer to as the “NSI Act”), the completion of the merger is subject to obtaining a favorable outcome under the NSI Act either by: (i) the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and

 

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Industrial Strategy (who we refer to as the “Secretary of State”) confirming that no further action will be taken in relation to the merger under the NSI Act; or (ii) the Secretary of State making a final order in relation to the merger under the NSI Act that permits the merger to be completed subject to the provisions of such final order (and, to the extent relevant, all conditions, provisions or obligations contained in such final order necessary for completion of the merger having been satisfied or complied with).

Upon the acceptance by the Investment Security Unit within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of an NSI Act notice, the Secretary of State has 30 working days to complete an initial review of the merger. Following the completion of the initial review, the Secretary of State can either notify the parties that no further action will be taken in relation to the merger under the NSI Act or “call-in” the merger for a full national security assessment. If the Secretary of State “calls-in” the merger, they will have an initial review period of 30 working days to review the merger, which the Secretary of State may extend by an additional period of 45 working days. The review period may be further extended for a further period or periods as may be agreed between the Secretary of State and the acquirer. At the conclusion of the assessment period in respect of the call-in notice, the Secretary of State can: (i) notify the parties that no further action will be taken in relation to the merger under the NSI Act; (ii) issue a final order in relation to the merger under the NSI Act that permits the merger to be completed subject to provisions of such final order; or (iii) issue a final order in relation to the merger under the NSI Act that prohibits the parties from completing the merger.

Foreign Competition Laws and Foreign Investment Laws

Under the merger agreement, the merger cannot be completed until all consents, approvals and filings that are mutually agreed by Parent and Twitter, acting reasonably, to be (1) material and (2) required or advisable under specified regulatory laws have been obtained or deemed to be obtained. The parties must observe mandatory waiting periods and/or obtain the necessary approvals, clearance, consents or no-actions (if and when mutually agreed by Parent and Twitter under the criteria set forth above) under the specified regulatory laws.

Beyond the actions required under the specified regulatory laws, the merger agreement states that the parties may make additional regulatory filings that are mutually agreed to by Parent and Twitter, acting reasonably, to be material and either required or advisable under any antitrust laws or foreign investment laws with respect to the merger. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the submission of additional regulatory filings under laws other than the specified regulatory laws will not create additional conditions to the consummation of the merger.

Other Regulatory Approvals

One or more governmental bodies may impose a condition, restriction, qualification, requirement or limitation when it grants the necessary approvals and consents to the merger. Such governmental bodies – including those in jurisdictions outside of those responsible for the specified regulatory laws – may also assert the right to enjoin or nullify certain legal effects of the transaction, both in those cases in which their conditions, restrictions, qualifications, requirements or limitations are not accepted and in other cases. Any one of these requirements, limitations, costs, divestitures or restrictions could jeopardize or delay the completion – or reduce the anticipated benefits – of the merger. Third parties may also seek to intervene in the regulatory process or litigate to enjoin or overturn regulatory approvals, which actions could significantly impede or even preclude obtaining required regulatory approvals. There is currently no way to predict how long it will take to obtain all of the required regulatory approvals or whether such approvals will ultimately be obtained, and there may be a substantial period of time between the approval by our stockholders and the completion of the merger.

 

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Although we expect that all required regulatory clearances and approvals will be obtained, we cannot assure you that these regulatory clearances and approvals will be timely obtained, obtained at all or that the granting of these regulatory clearances and approvals will not involve the imposition of additional conditions on the completion of the merger or require changes to the terms of the merger agreement. These conditions or changes could result in the conditions to the merger not being satisfied.

Limited Guarantee

Pursuant to the limited guarantee, Mr. Musk agreed to guarantee the due, complete and punctual payment, observance, performance and discharge of the payment obligations of Parent under the merger agreement (which we refer to as the “obligations”), including the termination fee payable by Parent, plus amounts in respect of reimbursement, indemnification or other payment obligations of Parent for certain costs, expenses, monetary damages or losses incurred or sustained by Twitter, as specified in the merger agreement, up to a specified amount (which we refer to as the “cap”).

Subject to specified exceptions, the limited guarantee will terminate upon the earliest of:

 

   

the closing of the merger in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement;

 

   

subject to the cap, payment in full pursuant to the limited guarantee of all amounts payable with respect to the obligations;

 

   

the termination of the merger agreement by mutual written consent of Twitter and Parent pursuant to Section 8.1(a) of the merger agreement; and

 

   

sixty days after the valid termination of the merger agreement in accordance with its terms (other than a termination for which the prior bullet point applies), unless (1) a notice of a claim for payment of any obligation is presented in writing by Twitter to Parent or Mr. Musk or (2) Twitter shall have commenced a legal proceeding against Mr. Musk or Parent alleging that Parent is liable for payment obligations under the merger agreement or against Mr. Musk that amounts are due and owing from him pursuant to the limited guarantee, in each of the cases of clauses (1) or (2), on or prior to such sixty-day period.

Financing of the Merger

The total amount of funds necessary to consummate the merger and related transactions, including payment of related fees and expenses, will be approximately $46.5 billion.

Equity Commitment

In connection with the merger agreement, Parent has obtained equity financing on the terms and conditions set forth in the equity commitment letter, pursuant to which Mr. Musk initially provided a commitment to contribute or otherwise provide equity capital to Parent in an aggregate amount of $21.0 billion, in U.S. dollars in immediately available funds, as necessary to fully discharge, when taken together with the aggregate proceeds of the debt financing (or, if applicable, alternative financing) actually funded at the closing, the amounts required to be funded by Parent in connection with the merger agreement, including (1) the aggregate consideration required to be paid by Parent and/or Acquisition Sub under the merger agreement and (2) the aggregate of all other amounts, costs, fees and expenses required to be paid by Parent in connection with the transactions pursuant to and in accordance with the merger agreement.

The obligation of Mr. Musk to fund his equity commitment is subject to the satisfaction of each of the following conditions: (1) the terms of the equity commitment letter, (2) the satisfaction or waiver of the

 

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conditions to Parent’s obligation to consummate the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement as set forth in the merger agreement (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied by the taking of actions or delivery of documents at the closing, but subject to the prior or substantially contemporaneous satisfaction or waiver of such conditions at the closing) and (3) the substantially contemporaneous receipt by Parent or Acquisition Sub of the cash proceeds of the debt financing contemplated by the debt commitment letters in accordance with the terms and conditions of such debt commitment letters or any alternative financing that Parent accepts from alternative providers of debt financing pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement (subject only to the funding of Mr. Musk’s equity commitment contemplated by the equity commitment letter).

On May 4, 2022, the equity commitment letter was amended and restated to increase Mr. Musk’s financing commitment thereunder (which we refer to as the “equity financing”) to $27.25 billion.

Debt Commitments

Bank Debt Financing

In connection with the merger agreement, Parent has received a debt commitment letter, dated as of April 25, 2022, among Parent, Acquisition Sub, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., and the other financial institutions party thereto, pursuant to which, and subject to the terms and conditions therein, the financing sources party thereto have committed to provide to Acquisition Sub (which we collectively refer to as the “bank debt financing”):

 

   

a senior secured term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $6.5 billion;

 

   

a senior secured revolving facility in an aggregate committed amount of $500.0 million;

 

   

up to $3.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of senior secured bridge commitments (which commitments may be replaced by the proceeds of the issuance of one or more series of senior secured notes (in escrow or otherwise) pursuant to a Rule 144A offering or other private placement, as contemplated by the debt commitment letter); and

 

   

up to $3.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured bridge commitments (which commitments may be replaced by the proceeds of the issuance of one or more series of senior unsecured notes (in escrow or otherwise) pursuant to a Rule 144A offering or other private placement, as contemplated by the debt commitment letter).

The proceeds of the bank debt financing would be used at the closing of the merger, together with the proceeds of the equity financing, for the purposes of (1) financing the consummation of the merger, paying fees and expenses incurred in connection with the merger and (2) the refinancing.

The initial borrowing under the bank debt financing is subject to the satisfaction (or waiver by the bank debt financing sources) of a number of limited conditions, including, without limitation:

 

   

consummation of the merger in all material respects in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement (without giving effect to any modifications, amendments or express waivers or consents by Parent or Acquisition Sub (or one of their affiliates) thereto that are materially adverse to the lenders without the consent of the lenders holding a majority of the aggregate amount of the bank debt financing commitments) immediately prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the initial borrowings under the bank debt financing;

 

   

consummation of an equity contribution in an amount not less than an agreed minimum amount to Parent or Acquisition Sub by Mr. Musk and other investors arranged by and designated by Mr. Musk prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the initial borrowings under the bank debt financing;

 

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since April 25, 2022, no Company Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred;

 

   

consummation of the refinancing prior to, or substantially simultaneously with, the initial borrowings under the bank debt financing;

 

   

payment of required fees prior to, or substantially simultaneously with, the initial borrowings under the bank debt financing;

 

   

delivery of certain historical financial statements of Twitter;

 

   

engagement of investment banks reasonably satisfactory to the lenders to privately place the secured notes and unsecured notes anticipated to be issued to replace the commitments under the bridge facilities;

 

   

delivery of certain documentation required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations;

 

   

subject to certain exceptions, delivery of certain documents required to create and perfect the security interests granted to the agents under the bank debt financing in the collateral provided thereunder; and

 

   

subject to certain exceptions, delivery of definitive documentation with respect to the bank debt financing, including customary closing documents, certificates and legal opinions.

Commitments in respect of the bank debt financing commitment letter shall terminate on the earliest to occur of (1) the termination of the merger agreement in accordance with its terms prior to the consummation of the merger, (2) the consummation of the merger with or without the funding of the bank debt financing and (3) 11:59 p.m. New York City time on April 25, 2023.

Margin Loan Financing

In connection with the merger agreement, Parent has received a margin loan commitment letter, dated as of April 25, 2022 (which we refer to as the “margin loan commitment letter”), among Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc., the other financial institutions party thereto and X Holdings III pursuant to which, and subject to the terms and conditions therein, the financing sources party thereto have committed to provide $12.5 billion (which we refer to as the “margin loan financing”) to X Holdings III, to be used, together with the proceeds of the equity financing and the bank debt financing, for the purpose of financing the consummation of the merger and paying fees and expenses incurred in connection with the merger.

The initial borrowing under the margin loan financing is subject to the satisfaction (or waiver by the margin loan financing sources) of a number of limited conditions, including, without limitation: (1) consummation of the merger in all material respects in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement (without giving effect to any modifications, amendments or express waivers or consents by Parent or Acquisition Sub (or one of their affiliates) thereto that are materially adverse to the lenders without the consent of Morgan Stanley) immediately prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the initial borrowings under the margin loan financing; (2) delivery of certain documentation with respect to X Holdings III and the guarantor required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations; (3) subject to certain exceptions, delivery of (a) all documents required to create or perfect the security interests granted to the agents under the margin loan financing in the collateral provided thereunder and (b) definitive documentation with respect to the margin loan financing, including customary closing documents and certificates (including

 

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a customary solvency certificate) and an opinion of counsel; (4) establishment of collateral accounts and crediting of the common stock of Tesla, Inc. as collateral shares to such collateral accounts; (5) payment of required fees prior to, or substantially simultaneously with, the initial borrowings under the margin loan financing; (6) the accuracy in all material respects of the specified representations set forth in the margin loan financing commitment letter; (7) delivery of a borrowing notice by X Holdings III at least three business days prior to the initial funding date; (8) immediately after giving effect to the advances under the margin loan financing, the loan-to-value ratio not exceeding 20 percent; (9) no collateral shortfall occurring, or default, event of default, potential adjustment event or mandatory prepayment event, in each case, that is continuing; and (10) the initial funding date occurring no later than April 24, 2023.

The margin loan financing commitment letter terminates on the earliest to occur of (1) the initial funding date of the margin loan financing, (2) the consummation of the merger with or without the funding of the margin loan financing, (3) the termination by Mr. Musk of the merger and (4) April 24, 2023.

On May 4, 2022, the aggregate principal amount of the commitments available to X Holdings III under the margin loan commitment letter was reduced to an aggregate principal amount of $6.25 billion.

Delisting and Deregistration of Our Common Stock

If the merger is completed, our common stock will no longer be traded on the NYSE and will be deregistered under the Exchange Act. We will no longer be required to file periodic reports, current reports and proxy and information statements with the SEC on account of our common stock.

Litigation Relating to the Merger

As of the date of this proxy statement, we are aware of one complaint related to the merger agreement having been filed: Orlando Police Pension Fund v. Twitter, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 2022-0396-KSJM (Del. Ch.) (which we refer to as the “Delaware Complaint”). The Delaware Complaint, which was filed on May 6, 2022 in the Delaware Court of Chancery, is a purported class action complaint brought by a putative Twitter stockholder against Twitter, members of the Twitter Board, and Mr. Musk. The Delaware Complaint alleges that Mr. Musk reached an “agreement, arrangement or understanding,” as those terms are defined in Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, with certain other Twitter stockholders prior to the Twitter Board’s approval of the merger, pursuant to which the shares of Twitter owned by these other stockholders would be voted in favor of the merger, thereby triggering Section 203’s requirement that at least 66 and 2/3 percent of Twitter’s outstanding stock unaffiliated with Mr. Musk vote in favor of the merger. The Delaware Complaint seeks, among other things, (1) an order declaring that the merger is subject to Section 203’s supermajority voting requirement and (2) a finding that the members of the Twitter Board breached their fiduciary duties by entering into the merger agreement without providing for a supermajority stockholder vote contemplated by Section 203.

Twitter disputes the Delaware Complaint’s allegations, including the allegation that Section 203’s supermajority voting requirement applies to the merger. Additional lawsuits arising out of the merger may be filed in the future.

 

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PROPOSAL 1: ADOPTION OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT

We are asking you to approve the adoption of the merger agreement. For a summary of and detailed information regarding this proposal, see the information about the merger agreement throughout this proxy statement, including the information set forth in the sections of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger” and “The Merger Agreement.” A copy of the merger agreement is attached as Annex A to this proxy statement. You are urged to read the merger agreement carefully and in its entirety.

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” this proposal.

 

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PROPOSAL 2: APPROVAL, ON A NON-BINDING, ADVISORY BASIS, OF CERTAIN MERGER-RELATED EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Section 14A of the Exchange Act, which was enacted as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, requires that we provide stockholders with the opportunity to vote, on a non-binding, advisory basis, on the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger, as disclosed in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger—Golden Parachute Compensation,” including the additional disclosures referenced therein that otherwise are disclosed in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger.”

We are asking our stockholders to approve the compensation that will or may become payable by Twitter to our named executive officers in connection with the merger. These payments are set forth in the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger—Golden Parachute Compensation” and the accompanying footnotes and additional disclosures referenced therein. The various plans and arrangements pursuant to which these compensation payments may be made generally have previously formed part of Twitter’s overall compensation program for our named executive officers and previously have been disclosed to stockholders as part of the Compensation Discussion and Analysis and related sections of our annual proxy statements. These historical arrangements were adopted and approved by the Compensation Committee of the Twitter Board, which is composed solely of non-employee directors, and are believed to be reasonable and in line with marketplace norms.

Accordingly, we are seeking approval of the following resolution at the special meeting:

“RESOLVED, that the stockholders of Twitter, Inc. approve the compensation that will or may become payable to Twitter’s named executive officers in connection with the merger as disclosed pursuant to Item 402(t) of Regulation S-K in the section captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger—Golden Parachute Compensation” in Twitter’s proxy statement for the special meeting.”

This proposal is not a condition to completion of the merger, and as a non-binding, advisory vote, the result will not be binding on Twitter, the Twitter Board or Parent. Further, the underlying plans and arrangements are contractual in nature and not, by their terms, subject to stockholder approval. Accordingly, regardless of the outcome of the advisory vote, if the merger is consummated our named executive officers will be eligible to receive the compensation that is based on or that otherwise relates to the merger in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable to those payments.

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” this proposal.

 

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PROPOSAL 3: ADJOURNMENT OF THE SPECIAL MEETING

We are asking you to approve a proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting. If stockholders approve this proposal, we can adjourn the special meeting and any adjourned session of the special meeting and use the additional time to solicit additional proxies, including soliciting proxies from stockholders that have previously returned properly signed proxies voting against adoption of the merger agreement. Among other things, approval of the proposal to adjourn the special meeting, from time to time, to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the merger agreement at the time of the special meeting could mean that, even if we received proxies representing a sufficient number of votes against adoption of the merger agreement such that the proposal to adopt the merger agreement would be defeated, we could adjourn the special meeting without a vote on the adoption of the merger agreement and seek to convince the holders of those shares to change their votes to votes in favor of adoption of the merger agreement. Additionally, we may seek stockholder approval to adjourn the special meeting if a quorum is not present. Finally, the chairperson of the special meeting is permitted by our bylaws to adjourn the special meeting even if our stockholders have not approved this proposal.

The Twitter Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” this proposal.

 

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THE MERGER AGREEMENT

The following summary describes the material provisions of the merger agreement. The descriptions of the merger agreement in this summary and elsewhere in this proxy statement are not complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the merger agreement, a copy of which is attached to this proxy statement as Annex A and incorporated into this proxy statement by reference. We encourage you to carefully read and consider the merger agreement, which is the legal document that governs the merger, and in its entirety because this summary may not contain all the information about the merger agreement that is important to you. The rights and obligations of the parties are governed by the express terms of the merger agreement, and not by this summary or any other information contained in this proxy statement.

The representations, warranties, covenants and agreements described below and included in the merger agreement (1) were made only for purposes of the merger agreement and as of specific dates; (2) were made solely for the benefit of the parties to the merger agreement; (3) may be subject to important qualifications, limitations and supplemental information agreed to by Twitter, Parent, Acquisition Sub and Mr. Musk in connection with negotiating the terms of the merger agreement; and (4) may also be subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from those generally applicable to reports and documents filed with the SEC and in some cases were qualified by confidential matters disclosed to Parent and Acquisition Sub by Twitter in connection with the merger agreement. In addition, the representations and warranties may have been included in the merger agreement for the purpose of allocating contractual risk between Twitter and Parent, Acquisition Sub and Mr. Musk rather than to establish matters as facts, and may be subject to standards of materiality applicable to such parties that differ from those applicable to investors. Further, the representations and warranties were negotiated with the principal purpose of establishing the circumstances in which a party to the merger agreement may have the right not to consummate the merger if the representations and warranties of the other party prove to be untrue due to a change in circumstance or otherwise. Our stockholders are not generally third-party beneficiaries under the merger agreement and should not rely on the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of Twitter, Parent or Acquisition Sub or any of their respective affiliates or businesses. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the merger agreement. None of the representations and warranties will survive the closing of the merger, and, therefore, they will have no legal effect under the merger agreement after the effective time of the merger. In addition, you should not rely on the covenants in the merger agreement as actual limitations on the respective businesses of Twitter, Parent and Acquisition Sub because the parties may take certain actions that are either expressly permitted in the confidential disclosure letter to the merger agreement or as otherwise consented to by the appropriate party, which consent may be given without prior notice to the public. The merger agreement is described below, and included as Annex A, only to provide you with information regarding its terms and conditions, and not to provide you with any other factual information regarding Twitter, Parent, Acquisition Sub, Mr. Musk or their respective businesses. Accordingly, the representations, warranties, covenants and other agreements in the merger agreement should not be read alone, and you should read the information provided elsewhere in this document and in our filings with the SEC regarding Twitter and our business.

Closing and Effective Time of the Merger

The closing of the merger will take place as soon as possible in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, but no later than the second business day after the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions to closing of the merger, other than conditions that by their terms are to be satisfied at the closing of the merger, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver of such conditions at the closing, unless another time, date or place is agreed to in writing by the parties. On the closing date of the

 

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merger, the parties will file a certificate of merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as provided under the applicable law of the State of Delaware. The merger will become effective on the date and time at which the certificate of merger has been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or such other date and time as may be agreed to by Twitter and Parent and set forth in such certificate of merger in accordance with the DGCL.

Effects of the Merger; Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws; Directors and Officers

The merger agreement provides that, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, and in accordance with the DGCL, at the effective time of the merger: (1) Acquisition Sub will be merged with and into Twitter; (2) the separate existence of Acquisition Sub will cease; and (3) Twitter will continue as the surviving corporation in the merger. From and after the effective time of the merger, all the property, rights, privileges, immunities, powers, franchises and liabilities of Twitter and Acquisition Sub are vested in the surviving corporation and Twitter will continue to be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.

The parties will take all necessary actions so that, at the effective time of the merger, the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of Acquisition Sub, each as in effect immediately prior to the effective time of the merger, will be the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws, respectively, of Twitter as the surviving corporation (except that the titles thereof will read “Certificate of Incorporation of Twitter, Inc.” and “Bylaws of Twitter, Inc.,” respectively) until thereafter amended in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL and the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving corporation.

The board of directors of the surviving corporation as of, and immediately following, the effective time of the merger, will consist of the directors of Acquisition Sub as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger, each to serve in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving corporation until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the surviving corporation. From and after the effective time of the merger, the officers of Twitter at the effective time of the merger will be the officers of the surviving corporation, until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified in accordance with applicable law.

Conversion of Shares

Common Stock

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the merger agreement, at the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of our common stock (other than shares: (1) held by Twitter or any of its subsidiaries immediately prior to the effective time of the merger; (2) held, directly or indirectly, by Mr. Musk, Parent or Acquisition Sub immediately prior to the effective time of the merger; or (3) held by stockholders who have properly exercised and perfected, and not withdrawn or otherwise lost, their demand for appraisal or dissenters’ rights under the DGCL or other applicable law) will be automatically canceled and will cease to exist and will be converted into the right to receive the per share price in cash, without interest.

At the effective time of the merger, each outstanding share of our common stock that is (1) held by Twitter or any of its subsidiaries; or (2) held, directly or indirectly, by Mr. Musk, Parent or Acquisition Sub immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will automatically be canceled and retired and will cease to exist as issued or outstanding shares, and no consideration or payment will be delivered in exchange therefor or in respect thereof.

 

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At the effective time of the merger, by virtue of the merger and without any action on the part of the holder thereof, each share of common stock of Acquisition Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be converted into and become one fully paid share of common stock of the surviving corporation and constitute the only issued or outstanding shares of capital stock of the surviving corporation.

Equity Awards; ESPP

The merger agreement provides that Twitter’s equity awards that are outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be subject to the following treatment at the effective time of the merger:

Treatment of Twitter Equity-based Awards

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter equity-based award (other than a vested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such vested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any vested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the level of performance at which such equity-based award vested in accordance with its terms).

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter equity-based award (other than an unvested Twitter option) outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the per share price and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such unvested Twitter equity-based award (and with respect to any unvested equity-based awards subject to performance vesting conditions, calculated based on the achievement of the applicable performance metrics at the target level of performance), which amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter equity-based award for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter equity-based award immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (other than performance-based vesting conditions, which will not apply following the effective time of the merger).

Treatment of Twitter Options

At the effective time of the merger, each vested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option.

At the effective time of the merger, each unvested Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger will be canceled and converted into the right to receive an amount in cash, without interest and less any required withholding taxes, equal to the product of (1) the excess, if any, of the per share price less the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter option, and (2) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such Twitter option, which cash amount will, subject to the holder’s continued service with Parent and its affiliates (including

 

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the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries) through the applicable vesting dates, vest and be payable at the same time as the unvested Twitter option for which such cash amount was exchanged would have vested pursuant to its terms and will otherwise remain subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to the unvested Twitter option immediately prior to the effective time of the merger.

At the effective time of the merger, any Twitter option outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger and for which the exercise price per share of our common stock underlying such Twitter options is equal to or greater than the per share price will be canceled without any cash payment or other consideration being made in respect of such Twitter option.

Treatment of the ESPP

The Twitter Board has adopted resolutions that provide that (1) the current offering period under the ESPP will be the final offering period and no further offering period will commence pursuant to the ESPP after the date of the merger agreement, and (2) except as may be required by law, each individual participating in the final offering period as of the date of the merger agreement will not be permitted to (a) increase his or her payroll contribution rate pursuant to the ESPP from the rate in effect when the final offering period commenced or (b) make separate non-payroll contributions to the ESPP on or following the date of the merger agreement. Prior to the effective time of the merger, Twitter will take all actions that may be necessary to give effect to the treatment described above and to (i) cause the final offering period, to the extent that it would otherwise be outstanding at the effective time, to be terminated no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs; (ii) make any pro rata adjustments that may be necessary to reflect the final offering period, but otherwise treat the final offering period as a fully effective and completed offering period for all purposes pursuant to the ESPP; and (iii) cause the exercise (as of no later than 10 business days prior to the date on which the effective time of the merger occurs) of each outstanding purchase right pursuant to the ESPP. On such exercise date, Twitter will apply the funds credited as of such date pursuant to the ESPP within each participant’s payroll withholding account to the purchase of whole shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the ESPP, and such shares of our common stock will be entitled to the per share price. Immediately prior to and effective as of the effective time of the merger (but subject to the consummation of the merger), Twitter will terminate the ESPP.

Paying Agent, Exchange Fund and Exchange and Payment Procedures

Prior to the closing of the merger, Parent will designate a reputable bank or trust company (which we refer to as the “paying agent”), the identity and terms of appointment of which to be reasonably acceptable to Twitter to make payments of the merger consideration to our stockholders. At or prior to the effective time of the merger, Parent will deposit (or cause to be deposited) with the paying agent cash constituting an amount equal to the aggregate merger consideration in accordance with the merger agreement.

As promptly as reasonably practicable (and in any event not later than two business days) following the effective time of the merger, the surviving corporation will cause the paying agent to mail to each holder of record of a certificate that immediately prior to the effective time of the merger represented outstanding shares of our common stock (1) a letter of transmittal, which will specify that delivery will be effected, and risk of loss and title to the certificates will pass, only upon proper delivery of the certificates (or affidavits of loss in lieu thereof) to the paying agent, and which will be in the form and have such other provisions as Parent and Twitter may reasonably specify and (2) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the certificates in exchange for merger consideration. Any holder of book-entry shares will not be required to deliver a certificate or an executed letter of transmittal to receive the

 

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merger consideration with respect to such book-entry shares. Upon surrender of a certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof) or book-entry share for cancellation to the paying agent, together with, in the case of certificates, a letter of transmittal duly completed and validly executed in accordance with the instructions thereto, or, in the case of book-entry shares, receipt of an “agent’s message” by the paying agent (it being understood that holders of book-entry shares will be deemed to have surrendered such book-entry shares upon receipt of an “agent’s message” with respect to such book-entry shares), and such other customary evidence of surrender as the paying agent may reasonably require, the holder of such certificate or book-entry share will be entitled to receive in exchange therefor the merger consideration for each share of our common stock formerly represented by such certificate or book-entry share on the later to occur of (a) the effective time of the merger or (b) the paying agent’s receipt of such certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof) or book-entry share, and the certificate (or affidavit of loss in lieu thereof) or book-entry share so surrendered will be canceled. The amount of any per share price paid to our stockholders will not include interest and may be reduced by any applicable withholding taxes.

Any cash deposited with the paying agent that remains undistributed to the holders of the certificates or book-entry shares for one year following the effective time of the merger will be returned to the surviving corporation upon written demand, and any of our stockholders as of immediately prior to the merger who have not theretofore complied with the exchange procedures in the merger agreement will thereafter look only to the surviving corporation as a general creditor thereof for payment of their claims for the merger consideration in respect thereof (subject to abandoned property, escheat or similar laws). None of the paying agent, Parent, Acquisition Sub, Twitter or the surviving corporation will be liable to any person with respect to any cash amounts held by the paying agent delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar laws.

In the event that any share certificates have been lost, stolen or destroyed, then upon the making of an affidavit, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Parent, of that fact by the person claiming such certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed, the paying agent will issue, in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, the per share price to such holder.

Representations and Warranties

The merger agreement contains representations and warranties of Twitter, Parent and Acquisition Sub.

Some of the representations and warranties in the merger agreement made by Twitter are qualified as to “materiality” or “Company Material Adverse Effect.” For purposes of the merger agreement, “Company Material Adverse Effect” means, with respect to Twitter, any change, event, effect or circumstance which, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in or would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition or results of operations of Twitter and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Changes, events, effects or circumstances, to the extent they directly or indirectly relate to or result from the following, will be excluded from, and not taken into account in, the determination of Company Material Adverse Effect:

 

   

any condition, change, effect or circumstance generally affecting any of the industries or markets in which Twitter or its subsidiaries operate;

 

   

any change in any law or GAAP (or changes in interpretations of any law or GAAP);

 

   

general economic, regulatory or political conditions (or changes therein) or conditions (or changes therein) in the financial, credit or securities markets (including changes in interest or currency exchange rates) in the United States or any other country or region in the world;

 

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any acts of God, force majeure events, natural disasters, terrorism, cyberattack, data breach, armed hostilities, sabotage, war or any escalation or worsening of any of the foregoing;

 

   

any epidemics, pandemics or contagious disease outbreaks (including COVID-19) and any political or social conditions, including civil unrest, protests and public demonstrations or any other quarantine, “shelter in place,” “stay at home,” workforce reduction, social distancing, shut down, closure, sequester, safety or similar laws, directives, restrictions, guidelines, responses or recommendations of or promulgated by any governmental authority, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, or other reasonable actions taken in response to the foregoing or otherwise, in each case, in connection with or in response to COVID-19 and any evolutions, variants or mutations thereof or related or associated epidemic, pandemics or disease outbreaks (which we collectively refer to as “COVID-19 measures”) that relate to, or arise out of, an epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including COVID-19) or any change in such COVID-19 measures, directive, pronouncement or guideline or interpretation thereof, or any continuation of any of the foregoing, in the United States or any other country or region in the world;

 

   

the negotiation, execution, announcement, performance, consummation or existence of the merger agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby, including by reason of the identity of Mr. Musk, Parent or any of their affiliates or their respective financing sources, or any communication by Parent or any of its affiliates or their respective financing sources, including regarding their plans or intentions with respect to the conduct of the business of Twitter or any of its subsidiaries, and any litigation, claim or legal proceeding threatened or initiated against Parent, Acquisition Sub, Twitter or any of their respective affiliates, officers or directors, in each case, arising out of or relating to the merger agreement or the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and including the impact of any of the foregoing on any relationships with customers, suppliers, vendors, collaboration partners, employees, unions or regulators;

 

   

any action taken pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement or with the consent or at the direction of Parent or Acquisition Sub (or any action not taken as a result of the failure of Parent to consent to any action requiring Parent’s consent under the merger agreement);

 

   

any changes in the market price or trading volume of our common stock, any failure by Twitter or its subsidiaries to meet internal, analysts’ or other earnings estimates or financial projections or forecasts for any period, any changes in credit ratings and any changes in any analysts’ recommendations or ratings with respect to Twitter or any of its subsidiaries; and

 

   

any matter disclosed in the SEC filings made by Twitter prior to the date of the merger agreement (other than any disclosures set forth under the headings “Risk Factors” or “Forward-Looking Statements”).

In addition, for purposes of the merger agreement, “Parent Material Adverse Effect” means any change, effect or circumstance which, individually or in the aggregate, has prevented or materially delayed or materially impaired, or would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or materially impair, the ability of Parent or Acquisition Sub to consummate the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

In the merger agreement, Twitter has made customary representations and warranties to Parent and Acquisition Sub that are subject, in some cases, to specified exceptions and qualifications contained in the merger agreement and Twitter’s confidential disclosure letter to the merger agreement. These representations and warranties relate to, among other things:

 

   

organization and qualification of Twitter and its subsidiaries;

 

   

Twitter’s capitalization and ownership of its subsidiaries;

 

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corporate power and authority;

 

   

the nature of the required approval of our stockholders;

 

   

the approval of the Twitter Board;

 

   

the absence of conflicts with applicable laws, organizational documents and certain agreements;

 

   

required consents and regulatory filings and approvals in connection with the merger agreement;

 

   

permits and compliance with laws;

 

   

Twitter’s SEC reports and financial statements;

 

   

the accuracy of the information supplied by or on behalf of Twitter or any of its subsidiaries for inclusion in this proxy statement;

 

   

Twitter’s disclosure controls and procedures;

 

   

absence of certain changes;

 

   

no undisclosed liabilities;

 

   

litigation;

 

   

employee plans;

 

   

labor matters;

 

   

intellectual property matters;

 

   

tax matters;

 

   

material contracts;

 

   

the inapplicability of anti-takeover statutes to the merger;

 

   

brokers;

 

   

opinions of financial advisors; and

 

   

the inapplicability of Twitter’s stockholder rights plan to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

Under the merger agreement, Parent and Acquisition Sub acknowledge that Twitter has not made any representations or warranties other than those expressly set forth in the merger agreement, and expressly disclaim reliance on any representation, warranty or other information regarding Twitter, other than those expressly set forth in the merger agreement.

 

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In the merger agreement, Parent and Acquisition Sub have made customary representations and warranties to Twitter that are subject, in some cases, to specified exceptions and qualifications contained in the merger agreement and Parent’s confidential disclosure letter to the merger agreement. These representations and warranties relate to, among other things:

 

   

organization and qualification of Parent and Acquisition Sub;

 

   

ownership of Parent and Acquisition Sub capital stock;

 

   

corporate power and authority;

 

   

the approval of the board of directors of Parent and the board of directors of Acquisition Sub;

 

   

the absence of conflicts with applicable laws, organizational documents and certain agreements;

 

   

required consents and regulatory filings and approvals in connection with the merger agreement;

 

   

financing;

 

   

the accuracy of the information supplied by or on behalf of Parent or any of its representatives for inclusion in this proxy statement;

 

   

brokers;

 

   

compliance with laws and absence of legal proceedings or orders;

 

   

ownership of Twitter capital stock;

 

   

solvency; and

 

   

the limited guaranty.

Under the merger agreement, Twitter acknowledges that Parent and Acquisition Sub have not made any representations or warranties other than those expressly set forth in the merger agreement and expressly disclaims reliance on any representation, warranty or other information regarding Parent and Acquisition Sub, other than those expressly set forth in the merger agreement.

The representations and warranties of each of Twitter, Parent and Acquisition Sub contained in the merger agreement will not survive the consummation of the merger.

Conduct of Business Pending the Merger

Other than as contemplated by the merger agreement, set forth in Twitter’s confidential disclosure letter to the merger agreement or agreed to in writing by Parent or as may be required by law, from the date of the merger agreement to the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed to use its commercially reasonable efforts to conduct its business and the business of its subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business (except with respect to actions or omissions that constitute COVID-19 measures), and to the extent consistent therewith, use its commercially reasonable efforts to preserve substantially intact the material components of its current business organization, and to preserve in all material respects its present

 

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relationships with key customers, suppliers and other persons with which it has material business relations; provided, that, no action by Twitter or its subsidiaries with respect to the matters specifically addressed below will be deemed to be a breach of such obligation unless such action would constitute a breach of the relevant provision below.

In particular, subject to certain specified exceptions, Twitter has agreed that it will not, and will not permit any of its subsidiaries to (except for actions or omissions that constitute COVID-19 measures, following reasonable prior consultation with Parent):

 

   

amend or otherwise change, in any material respect, Twitter’s charter or bylaws (or, except in the ordinary course of business, any other similar organizational document of any of its subsidiaries);

 

   

split, combine, reclassify, redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or amend the terms of any capital stock or other equity interests or rights (except in connection with (1) the acceptance of shares of our common stock as payment for the per share exercise price of Twitter options or as payment for taxes incurred in connection with the exercise, vesting and/or settlement of Twitter equity-based awards, in each case, in accordance with the applicable Twitter benefit plan, (2) the forfeiture of Twitter equity-based awards, (3) pursuant to the exercise of purchase rights under the ESPP or (4) pursuant to certain specified agreements in effect on the date of the merger agreement);

 

   

except as permitted under the merger agreement, issue, sell, pledge, dispose, encumber or grant any shares of Twitter or its subsidiaries’ capital stock or other equity interests, or any options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights of any kind to acquire any shares of Twitter or its subsidiaries’ capital stock or equity interests except for transactions among Twitter and its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries or among Twitter’s direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries; provided, however, that Twitter may issue shares of our common stock upon the exercise of any vested Twitter option or payment of any other Twitter equity-based award that becomes vested, pursuant to the exercise of purchase rights under the ESPP or to satisfy any obligations under Twitter’s outstanding convertible senior notes;

 

   

other than any shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of any series of Twitter’s outstanding convertible senior notes in accordance with their terms, authorize, declare, pay or make any dividend or other distribution, payable in cash, stock, property or otherwise, with respect to Twitter’s or any of its subsidiaries’ capital stock or other equity interests, other than dividends paid by any subsidiary of Twitter to Twitter or any wholly owned subsidiary of Twitter;

 

   

except as required pursuant to existing Twitter benefit plans, (1) increase the compensation payable or to become payable or benefits provided or to be provided to any current or former director, employee, consultant or independent contractor of Twitter or its subsidiaries (which we refer to as a “company service provider”) except for increases in cash compensation or benefits to company service providers in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (2) grant or provide any severance or termination payments or benefits to any company service provider other than the payment of severance amounts or benefits in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and subject to the execution and non-revocation of a release of claims in favor of Twitter and its subsidiaries, (3) provide any obligation to gross-up, indemnify or otherwise reimburse any company service provider for any tax incurred by any such individual, including under Section 409A or 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (4) accelerate the time of payment or vesting of, or the lapsing of restrictions related to, or fund or otherwise secure the payment of, any compensation or benefits (including any equity or equity-based awards) to any company service provider, or

 

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(5) establish, amend or terminate any Twitter benefit plan (or any plan, program, arrangement or agreement that would be a Twitter benefit plan if it were in existence on the date of the merger agreement) other than (a) entry into, amendment or termination of any Twitter benefit plan in a manner that would not materially increase costs to Twitter, Parent or the surviving corporation or any of their affiliates, or materially increase the benefits provided under any Twitter benefit plan or (b) new hire offer letters entered into in the ordinary course and consistent with past practices;

 

   

except in the ordinary course of business and consistent with past practice (including with regard to aggregate grant date value, terms and allocation) or as may be required by the terms of a Twitter benefit plan in effect as of the date of the merger agreement, grant, confer or award any Twitter equity-based awards, convertible securities or any other rights to acquire any of Twitter’s or its subsidiaries’ capital stock, whether settled in cash or shares of our common stock;

 

   

unless required by law or pursuant to existing written Twitter benefit plans, (1) enter into or materially amend any collective bargaining or other labor agreement with any labor organization or (2) recognize or certify any labor organization or group of employees as the bargaining representative for any employees of Twitter or any of its subsidiaries;

 

   

(1) acquire (including by merger, consolidation, or acquisition of stock or assets), except in respect of any merger, consolidation, business combination among Twitter and its wholly owned subsidiaries or among Twitter’s wholly owned subsidiaries, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, other business organization or any division or material amount of assets thereof, or (2) sell, lease, license, abandon or otherwise subject to a lien other than a permitted lien or otherwise dispose of any material properties, rights or assets of Twitter or its subsidiaries other than (a) sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business, (b) licenses of Twitter intellectual property in the ordinary course of business, or (c) pursuant to agreements existing as of the date of the merger agreement or entered into after the date of the merger agreement in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement;

 

   

incur, or amend in any material respect the terms of, any indebtedness for borrowed money for any of Twitter’s subsidiaries, or assume or guarantee any such indebtedness for any person (other than a subsidiary), except for indebtedness incurred (1) under Twitter’s existing credit facilities or incurred to replace, renew, extend, refinance or refund any existing indebtedness of Twitter or its subsidiaries on terms and conditions not materially less favorable to Twitter and its subsidiaries than, taken as a whole, the terms or conditions of the replaced, renewed, extended, refinanced or refunded debt or otherwise are not inconsistent with prevailing market conditions for substantially similar indebtedness at such time, as determined by Twitter in good faith, (2) pursuant to other agreements in effect prior to the execution of the merger agreement, (3) under capital leases, purchase money financing, equipment financing and letters of credit in the ordinary course of business, (4) between or among Twitter and/or any of its subsidiaries or (5) otherwise in the ordinary course of business;

 

   

enter into, or amend in any material respect, any material contract of Twitter with a term longer than one year which cannot be terminated without material penalty upon notice of 90 days or less other than (1) in the ordinary course of business or (2) which would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;

 

   

make any material change to Twitter’s methods of accounting in effect at December 31, 2021, except (1) as required by GAAP (or any interpretation thereof), Regulation S-X or a governmental authority or quasi-governmental authority (including the Financial Accounting

 

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Standards Board or any similar organization), (2) to permit the audit of Twitter’s financial statements in compliance with GAAP, (3) as required by a change in applicable law, (4) as disclosed in Twitter’s SEC filings filed prior to the date of the merger agreement or (5) to the extent that such change would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;

 

   

make or change any tax election or accounting method, settle or compromise any tax claim or assessment, file any amended tax return, or consent to any extension or waiver of any limitation period with respect to any tax claim or assessment, except, in each case, that would not have a Company Material Adverse Effect;

 

   

solely with respect to Twitter, adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation or dissolution;

 

   

settle or compromise any litigation other than (1) in the ordinary course of business or (2) settlements or compromises of litigation where the amount paid (less the amount reserved for such matters by Twitter or otherwise covered by insurance) in settlement or compromise, in each case, does not exceed $25 million;

 

   

adopt a stockholder rights plan (or other similar agreement, plan or arrangement having a similar intent, purpose or effect) that would be triggered (or whose rights would be affected in any way) by the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger; or

 

   

enter into any agreement to do any of the foregoing prohibited actions.

Restrictions on Solicitation of Other Acquisition Offers

Under the merger agreement, during the period commencing on the date of the merger agreement and continuing until the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed that it will, and will cause each of its directors, executive officers and subsidiaries to, and will instruct its other representatives to, immediately cease and cause to be terminated any existing solicitation of, or discussions or negotiations with, any third party relating to any competing proposal. Twitter further has agreed that it will promptly request that all non-public information previously provided in the past 12 months by or on behalf of Twitter or any of its subsidiaries to any persons that might reasonably be expected to consider making a competing proposal be promptly returned or destroyed in accordance with the terms of the applicable confidentiality agreement.

Until the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, except as otherwise provided in the relevant provisions of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed that it will not, and will cause each of its directors, executive officers and subsidiaries not to, and it will instruct its other representatives not to:

 

   

solicit, initiate, knowingly encourage or knowingly facilitate, whether publicly or otherwise, any substantive discussion, offer or request that constitutes, or would reasonably be expected to lead to, a competing proposal; or

 

   

engage in negotiations or substantive discussions with, or furnish any material non-public information to, any person relating to a competing proposal or any inquiry or proposal that would reasonably be expected to lead to a competing proposal.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, Twitter is permitted to grant a waiver of or terminate any “standstill” or similar obligation of any person with respect to Twitter or any of its subsidiaries to allow such person to submit a competing proposal.

In addition, until the earlier of the effective time of the merger or the date, if any, of termination of the merger agreement, Twitter has agreed to:

 

   

as promptly as reasonably practicable, and in any event within one business day of receipt by Twitter or any of its directors, executive officers or subsidiaries of any competing proposal or any request that would reasonably be expected to lead to the making of a competing proposal, deliver to Parent a written notice setting forth: (1) the identity of the person making such competing proposal or request and (2) the material terms and conditions of any such competing proposal; and

 

   

keep Parent reasonably informed of any material amendment or other modification of any such competing proposal or request on a prompt basis, and in any event within two business days following Twitter’s receipt in writing of such an amendment or modification.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the merger agreement, at any time prior to obtaining the requisite stockholder approval, in the event that Twitter receives a competing proposal from any person or group of persons, (1) Twitter and its representatives may contact such person to clarify the terms and conditions thereof and (2) Twitter, the Twitter Board and their respective representatives may engage in negotiations or discussions with, or furnish any information and other access to, any person or group of persons making such competing proposal and any of its representatives or potential sources of financing if the Twitter Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its legal counsel and financial advisors) that such competing proposal either constitutes a superior proposal or would reasonably be expected to result in a superior proposal; provided that (a) prior to furnishing any material non-public information concerning Twitter or its subsidiaries, Twitter receives from such person or group, to the extent that such person or group is not already subject to a confidentiality agreement with Twitter, an executed confidentiality agreement containing customary confidentiality terms (it being understood that such confidentiality agreement need not contain a standstill provision or otherwise restrict the making, or amendment, of a competing proposal to Twitter or the Twitter Board) and (b) any such material non-public information so furnished in writing will be promptly made available to Parent to the extent it was not previously made available to Parent or its representatives.

For purposes of this proxy statement and the merger agreement:

 

   

competing proposal” means any proposal or offer made by any person (other than Parent, Acquisition Sub or any affiliate thereof) or group of persons: (1) to purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, in one transaction or a series of transactions, (a) beneficial ownership of 15 percent or more of any class of equity securities of Twitter pursuant to a merger, consolidation or other business combination, sale of shares of capital stock, tender offer, exchange offer or similar transaction, or (b) any one or more assets or businesses of Twitter and its subsidiaries that constitute 15 percent or more of the revenues or assets of Twitter and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (2) with respect to the issuance, sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, to any person (other than Parent, Acquisition Sub or any affiliate thereof) or group of persons of securities (or options, rights, or warrants to purchase, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, such securities) representing 15 percent or more of the voting power of Twitter; or (3) with respect to any merger, consolidation, business combination, recapitalization, reorganization or other transaction involving Twitter or its subsidiaries pursuant to which any person or group of persons would have beneficial ownership of securities representing 15 percent or more of the total outstanding equity securities of Twitter after giving effect to the consummation of such transaction; and

 

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superior proposal” means a competing proposal (with all percentages in the definition of competing proposal increased to 90 percent) made by a third party on terms that the Twitter Board determines in good faith (after consultation with its legal counsel and financial advisors and considering such factors as the Twitter Board considers to be appropriate), are more favorable to Twitter’s stockholders than the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement.

The Twitter Board’s Recommendation; Board Recommendation Change

The Twitter Board has recommended that the holders of shares of our common stock vote “FOR” the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. Under the merger agreement, except as set forth below, the Twitter Board will not:

 

   

publicly recommend that Twitter’s stockholders vote against the adoption of the merger agreement and the approval of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, or make any public statement or knowingly take any action with a similar intent, purpose or effect;

 

   

approve or recommend, or propose publicly to approve or recommend, to Twitter’s stockholders any competing proposal (we refer to the actions described in these two bullets as a “Twitter Board recommendation change”); or

 

   

approve or recommend, or allow Twitter or any of its subsidiaries to execute or enter into, any letter of intent, memorandum of understanding or definitive merger or similar agreement with respect to any competing proposal (other than a confidentiality agreement as described above).

At any time prior to obtaining the requisite stockholder approval, the Twitter Board may: (1) make a Twitter Board recommendation change in response to an intervening event (as defined below) if the Twitter Board has determined in good faith (after consultation with its legal counsel and financial advisors) that the failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with Twitter’s directors’ fiduciary duties under applicable law; or (2) (a) make a Twitter Board recommendation change if Twitter has received a competing proposal that the Twitter Board has determined in good faith (after consultation with its legal counsel and financial advisors) constitutes a superior proposal, and (b) authorize, adopt or approve such superior proposal and cause or permit Twitter to enter into a definitive agreement with respect to such superior proposal substantially concurrently with the termination of the merger agreement; provided, however, that:

 

   

no Twitter Board recommendation change may be made and no termination of the merger agreement may be effected, in each case, until the end of the fourth full business day (which we refer to as the “notice period”) following Parent’s receipt of a written notice from Twitter advising Parent that the Twitter Board intends to make a Twitter Board recommendation change or terminate the merger agreement;

 

   

during the notice period, if requested by Parent, Twitter and its representatives will negotiate with Parent and its representatives in good faith (to the extent Parent so desires to negotiate) to make adjustments to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement so that either the failure to make a Twitter Board recommendation change in response to such intervening event would no longer reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with Twitter’s directors’ fiduciary duties under applicable law or such competing proposal would cease to constitute a superior proposal, as appropriate; and

 

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in determining whether to make such Twitter Board recommendation change or terminate the merger agreement, the Twitter Board will take into account any changes to the terms of the merger agreement timely proposed by Parent in response to such notice from Twitter advising Parent that the Twitter Board intends to make a Twitter Board recommendation change or terminate the merger agreement.

Any material amendment to the financial terms or any other material amendment of such superior proposal will require a new written notice from Twitter to Parent and Twitter will be required to comply again with the requirements described above with respect to such new superior proposal, except that the new notice period will be three business days.

For purposes of this proxy statement and the merger agreement, “intervening event” means an event, occurrence, change, effect, condition, development or state of facts or circumstances (other than related to a competing proposal or superior proposal, or any proposal that constitutes or would reasonably be expected to lead to a competing proposal or superior proposal) that was neither known to, nor reasonably foreseeable by, the Twitter Board as of the date of the merger agreement (or, if known, the consequences of which were not known or reasonably foreseeable to the Twitter Board as of the date of the merger agreement), where, for the avoidance of doubt, (1) the fact, in itself, that Twitter meets or exceeds projections, forecasts or estimates (it being understood that the underlying causes of (or contributors to) such performance that are not otherwise excluded from the definition of intervening event may be taken into account) and (2) changes, in themselves, in the price of our common stock or the trading volume thereof will be considered known and reasonably foreseeable occurrences (it being understood that the underlying causes of (or contributors to) such changes in price or trading volume that are not otherwise excluded from the definition of intervening event may be taken into account).

Nothing in the merger agreement will restrict Twitter or the Twitter Board from taking or disclosing a position contemplated by Rule 14d-9 or Rule 14e-2(a) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise making disclosure to comply with applicable law (it being agreed that a “stop, look and listen” communication by the Twitter Board to Twitter stockholders pursuant to Rule 14d-9(f) under the Exchange Act or a factually accurate public statement by Twitter that describes Twitter’s receipt of a competing proposal and the operation of the merger agreement with respect thereto will not be deemed to be a Twitter Board recommendation change or give rise to Parent’s right to terminate the merger agreement in connection therewith).

Stockholder Meeting

Twitter will, as promptly as practicable following the date on which the SEC confirms that it has no further comments on the proxy statement, (1) establish a record date for and give notice of a meeting of its stockholders, for the purpose of voting upon the approval of the merger and holding the requisite stockholder vote, and (2) duly call, convene and hold the special meeting. Twitter is permitted to postpone or adjourn the special meeting in certain circumstances related to soliciting additional proxies or requirements of applicable law.

Employee Benefits

For a period of one year following the effective time of the merger, Parent will, or will cause the surviving corporation or any of their affiliates to, provide for each continuing employee (1) at least the same base salary and wage rate, (2) short- and long-term target incentive compensation opportunities that are no less favorable in the aggregate than those provided to each such continuing employee immediately prior to the effective time of the merger (provided that Parent will not be obligated to provide such incentives in the form of equity or equity-based awards) and (3) employee benefits

 

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(excluding equity and equity-based awards) which are substantially comparable in the aggregate (including with respect to the proportion of employee cost) to those provided to such continuing employee immediately prior to the effective time of the merger. During the one-year period following the effective time of the merger, Parent will, or will cause the surviving corporation or any of their affiliates to, provide severance payments and benefits to each continuing employee that are no less favorable than those applicable to the continuing employee immediately prior to the effective time of the merger under the Twitter benefit plans

Parent agrees that the surviving corporation will cause the surviving corporation’s employee benefit plans established following the closing of the merger (if any) and any post-closing benefit plans to recognize the service of each continuing employee (to the extent such service was recognized by Twitter) for purposes of eligibility, vesting and determination of the level of benefits (but not for the benefit accrual purposes under a defined benefit pension plan) under the post-closing benefit plans, to the extent such recognition does not result in the duplication of any benefits.

For the calendar year including the effective time of the merger, the continuing employees will not be required to satisfy any deductible, co-payment, out-of-pocket maximum or similar requirements under the post-closing welfare plans to the extent amounts were previously credited for such purposes under comparable Twitter benefit plans that provide medical, dental and other welfare benefits.

As of the effective time of the merger, any waiting periods, pre-existing condition exclusions and requirements to show evidence of good health contained in such post-closing welfare plans will be waived with respect to the continuing employees (except to the extent any such waiting period, pre-existing condition exclusion or requirement to show evidence of good health was already in effect with respect to such employees and has not been satisfied under the applicable Twitter benefit plan in which the participant then participates or is otherwise eligible to participate as of immediately prior to the effective time of the merger).

Efforts to Close the Merger

General

The parties to the merger agreement agreed to use their respective reasonable best efforts to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement and to cause the conditions to the merger to be satisfied, including using reasonable best efforts to accomplish the following:

 

   

the obtaining of all necessary actions or non-actions, consents and approvals from governmental authorities necessary in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, and the making of all necessary registrations and filings (including filings with governmental authorities, if any) and the taking of all reasonable steps as may be necessary to obtain an approval from, or to avoid an action or proceeding by, any governmental authority necessary in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger;

 

   

the obtaining of all other necessary consents, approvals or waivers from third parties;

 

   

the defending of any lawsuits or other legal proceedings, through the termination date, if any, whether judicial or administrative, challenging the merger agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, performed or consummated by such party in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement, including seeking to have any stay or temporary restraining order entered by any court or other governmental authority vacated or reversed; and

 

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the execution and delivery of any additional instruments reasonably necessary to consummate the merger and any other transactions to be performed or consummated by such party in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement and to carry out fully the purposes of the merger agreement.

Mr. Musk, Parent and Acquisition Sub have further agreed to, subject to the terms of the merger agreement, take promptly any and all steps necessary to avoid or eliminate each and every impediment and obtain all consents, actions, non-actions, approvals or waivers (or, as applicable, expiration or termination of the waiting periods with respect thereto) under any antitrust laws, foreign investment laws (or, as applicable, expiration or termination of the waiting periods with respect thereto) or other law that may be required by any foreign or U.S. federal, state or local governmental authority, in each case, with competent jurisdiction, so as to enable the parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger, as promptly as practicable, but prior to the termination date, if any, including committing to or effecting, by consent decree, hold separate orders, trust, or otherwise, (1) the sale or other disposition of such assets or businesses as are required to be divested or (2) the acceptance of restrictions on freedom of action, conduct, or operations with respect to the business of Twitter, in the case of the foregoing clauses (1) or (2) in order to avoid the entry of, or to effect the dissolution of or vacate or lift, any order, that would otherwise have the effect of preventing or materially delaying the consummation of the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement as promptly as practicable. Further, Mr. Musk, Parent and Acquisition Sub will take, subject to the terms of the merger agreement, such actions as are necessary in order to ensure that (a) no requirement for any non-action by, or consent or approval of, any foreign or U.S. federal, state or local governmental authority, (b) no decree, judgment, injunction, temporary restraining order or any other order in any suit or proceeding and (c) no other matter relating to any antitrust laws or foreign investment laws, would preclude consummation of the merger. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in the merger agreement will require or obligate Parent, Acquisition Sub, or any of their respective affiliates to (i) propose, take, or agree to take any actions that would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the business, assets, or financial condition of Twitter and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (ii) propose, negotiate, effect or agree to, the sale, divestiture, lease, license, hold separate, transfer, or disposition of, or any restriction on the freedom of action with respect to, any assets, business, or equity holdings of, or held or controlled directly or indirectly by, Mr. Musk or any affiliate of Parent (other than Parent, Acquisition Sub or Twitter after giving effect to the merger and subject to the restrictions set forth in this paragraph).

HSR Act; Other Antitrust and Foreign Investment Laws

The parties to the merger agreement have agreed to (1) promptly (and in no event later than 10 business days following the date that the merger agreement is executed) make their respective filings under the HSR Act, and (2) as promptly as reasonably practicable, make any other applications and filings as are mutually agreed by Parent and Twitter, acting reasonably, to be (a) material and (b) required or advisable under any antitrust laws or foreign investment laws with respect to the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, including the merger.

Financing

Under the merger agreement, Mr. Musk, Parent and Acquisition Sub have agreed to take (or cause to be taken), and to cause their respective affiliates and its and their respective representatives to take (or cause to be taken), all actions and to do (or cause to be done) all things necessary, proper or advisable to arrange, obtain and consummate the financing at or prior to the closing of the merger on the terms and subject to the conditions described in the commitment letters (including any “flex”

 

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provisions), including executing and delivering all such documents and instruments as may be reasonably required thereunder and:

 

   

complying with and maintaining in full force and effect the financing and commitment letters (and, once entered into, the financing agreements) in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof and negotiating and entering into definitive financing agreements with respect to the debt financing on the terms and conditions set forth in the debt commitment letters (including any “flex” provisions) and containing no (1) conditions to the consummation of all or any portion of the debt financing other than the conditions set forth in the bank debt commitment letter or the margin loan commitment letter, as the case may be, in each case, as in effect on the date of the merger agreement, or (2) provisions that could reasonably be expected to prevent, impede, delay or adversely affect the availability of any of the debt financing or the consummation of the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement so that the financing agreements are in full force and effect no later than the closing of the merger;

 

   

satisfying, or obtaining the waiver of, as promptly as practicable and on a timely basis (and in any event, no later than the closing of the merger) all conditions to the debt financing contemplated by the debt commitment letters and financing agreements that are within its or their control;

 

   

accepting (and complying with) to the fullest extent all “flex” provisions contemplated by the debt commitment letters; and

 

   

causing the financing sources to fund the financing no later than the closing of the merger (including by enforcing their rights under the debt commitment letters and/or financing agreements, as applicable).

None of Mr. Musk, Parent, Acquisition Sub or X Holdings III or any of their respective affiliates may agree to or permit any amendment, supplement, modification or replacement of, or grant any waiver of, any condition, remedy or other provision under any applicable financing commitment or financing agreement, or permit any applicable financing agreement to contain any provision, without the prior written consent of Twitter (and subject to customary limitations), if such amendment, supplement, modification, replacement, waiver or provision would or would reasonably be expected to:

 

   

reduce (or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of reducing) the aggregate amount of the financing (or the cash proceeds available therefrom) from that contemplated by the financing commitments delivered as of the date of the merger agreement;

 

   

impose new or additional conditions or contingencies to the financing or otherwise expand, amend or modify any of the existing conditions to the receipt of the financing, or otherwise add, expand, amend or modify any other provision of, or remedies under, the financing commitments as in effect on the date of the merger agreement, in a manner that would reasonably be expected to delay, impede or prevent the consummation or funding of the financing (or satisfaction of the conditions to obtaining any portion of the financing) at the closing of the merger or impair the ability or likelihood of the closing of the merger or impair the ability of Parent and/or Acquisition Sub to timely consummate the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement;

 

   

make it less likely that any portion of the financing would be funded (including by making the satisfaction of the conditions to obtaining any portion of the financing less likely to occur) or otherwise prevent, impede or delay or impair the availability of any of the financing or impair the ability or likelihood of the closing of the merger or Parent and/or Acquisition Sub to timely

 

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consummate the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement (including by requiring any additional filings, consents or approvals of any governmental authority); or

 

   

adversely impact the ability of Parent, Acquisition Sub or X Holdings III, or any of their respective affiliates, to enforce their respective rights against the other parties to the financing commitments or the financing agreements.

In the event that (1) all or any portion of the debt financing expires, terminates, becomes or could reasonably be expected to become unavailable on the terms and conditions (including any “flex” provisions) or from the sources contemplated in the applicable debt commitment letters or (2) any of the debt commitment letters or the financing agreements will be withdrawn, terminated, repudiated or rescinded, in whole or in part, for any reason, then: (1) Parent will promptly so notify Twitter in writing and (2) Parent and/or its affiliates will use their respective reasonable best efforts to arrange and obtain, as promptly as practicable following the occurrence of such event (and in any event no later than the closing of the merger), and to negotiate and enter into definitive agreements with respect to, alternative financing from the same or alternative sources with terms and conditions (including market flex provisions) not less favorable taken as a whole to Parent than the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable debt commitment letter and which will not include any conditions or contingencies to the financing not otherwise included in the debt commitment letters as of the date of the merger agreement or include any provision that would reasonably be expected to materially delay or prevent the consummation or funding of the financing (or satisfaction of the conditions to obtaining any portion of the financing) at the closing of the merger or materially impair the ability or likelihood of the closing of the merger or Parent and/or Acquisition Sub to timely consummate the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement (which we refer to as the “alternative financing”) in an amount sufficient to consummate the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement (or replace any unavailable portion of the debt financing).

Parent and Mr. Musk have agreed to be fully responsible for the equity financing and to each take (or cause to be taken) all actions, and do (or cause to be done) all things necessary, proper or advisable to obtain the equity financing, including taking all actions necessary to (1) comply with the terms of and maintain in effect the equity commitment letter, (2) satisfy on a timely basis all conditions and obligations in such equity commitment letter and (3) consummate and fund the equity financing at or prior to the closing of the merger. Parent further agrees that it will take (or cause to be taken) all actions, and do (or cause to be done) all things necessary, proper or advisable to fully enforce its rights (including through litigation) under the equity commitment letter.

Under the merger agreement, Twitter agreed to, and to cause its subsidiaries to, and to use its commercially reasonable best efforts to cause each of its representatives to, at Parent’s sole expense, provide any reasonable cooperation reasonably requested by Parent in writing in connection with (1) the arrangement of the bank debt financing and any other debt financing expressly contemplated by the bank debt commitment letter and (2) subject to certain conditions, the payoff, redemption, defeasance, discharge or other satisfaction of Twitter’s existing credit agreement and existing senior notes on or subsequent to the closing of the merger, in each case as is necessary, customary and reasonably requested in writing by Parent, and subject to certain limitations set forth in the merger agreement.

Obtaining the financing or any alternative financing is not a condition to the closing of the merger.

Indemnification and Insurance

In the merger agreement, Parent and Acquisition Sub have agreed that all rights to exculpation and indemnification for acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the effective time of the merger existing as

 

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of the date of the merger agreement in favor of the current or former directors, officers and employees, if any, of Twitter or its subsidiaries (we refer to such persons collectively as the “indemnified persons”) as provided in their respective organizational documents as in effect on the date of the merger agreement, or in any contract, will survive the merger and will continue in full force and effect. The merger agreement provides that the surviving corporation will (and Parent will cause the surviving corporation to) indemnify, defend and hold harmless, and advance expenses to the indemnified persons with respect to all acts or omissions by them in their capacities as such at any time prior to the effective time of the merger (including any matters arising in connection with the merger agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby), to the fullest extent that Twitter or its subsidiaries would be permitted by applicable law and to the fullest extent required by the organizational documents of Twitter or its subsidiaries as in effect on the date of the merger agreement. Parent has agreed to cause the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational documents of the surviving corporation and its subsidiaries to contain provisions with respect to exculpation, indemnification, advancement of expenses and limitation of director, officer and employee liability that are no less favorable to the indemnified persons than those set forth in Twitter’s and its subsidiaries’ organizational documents as of the date of the merger agreement, which provisions thereafter will not, for a period of six years from the effective time of the merger, be amended, repealed or otherwise modified in any manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of the indemnified persons.

Furthermore, to the fullest extent that Twitter would be permitted by applicable law to do so, Parent will or will cause the surviving corporation to: (1) indemnify and hold harmless each indemnified person against and from any costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages, liabilities and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, to the extent such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation arises out of or pertains to (a) any alleged action or omission in such indemnified person’s capacity as a director, officer or employee of Twitter or any of its subsidiaries prior to the effective time of the merger, or (b) the merger agreement or the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and (2) pay in advance of the final disposition of any such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation the expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) of any indemnified person upon confirmation by the indemnified of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification applicable to him or her and a customary written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct for indemnification was not met.

For at least six years after the effective time of the merger, (1) Parent will cause the surviving corporation and its other subsidiaries to maintain in full force and effect the coverage provided by the existing directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and fiduciary insurance in effect as of the date of the merger agreement and maintained by Twitter or any of its subsidiaries, or provide substitute policies for Twitter and its current and former directors and officers who are currently covered by such existing D&O insurance policies, in either case, on terms and conditions no less advantageous to the indemnified persons than the existing D&O insurance policies, covering claims arising from facts, events, acts or omissions that occurred at or prior to the effective time of the merger, including the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, subject to customary limitations on policy premiums, and (2) Parent will not, and will not permit the surviving corporation or its other subsidiaries to, take any action that would prejudice the rights of, or otherwise impede recovery by, the beneficiaries of any such insurance, whether in respect of claims arising before or after the effective time of the merger. In lieu of such insurance, prior to the effective time of the merger, Twitter may purchase a six year “tail” prepaid policy on the terms and conditions described above, in which case Parent will cease to have any obligations to maintain the existing D&O insurance policies.

For more information, refer to the section of this proxy statement captioned “The Merger—Interests of Twitter’s Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger.”

 

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Conditions to the Closing of the Merger

The obligations of Parent, Acquisition Sub and Twitter, as applicable, to consummate the merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including the following:

 

   

the adoption of the merger agreement by the requisite affirmative vote of our stockholders;

 

   

the expiration or termination of the waiting period applicable to the merger under the HSR Act, and, to the extent applicable, each consent or approval required under any antitrust laws or foreign investment laws in certain specified jurisdictions having been made, obtained or received (or, as applicable, the waiting periods, if any, with respect thereto will have expired or been terminated); and

 

   

the absence of any then-effective law or order enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered into by any governmental authority in certain specified jurisdictions which has the effect of restraining, enjoining, rendering illegal or otherwise prohibiting consummation of the merger, or causing the merger to be rescinded following the consummation thereof.

The obligations of Parent and Acquisition Sub to consummate the merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following additional conditions, any of which may be waived by Parent:

 

   

Twitter having performed and complied in all material respects with the obligations required by the merger agreement to be performed or complied with by it on or prior to the closing of the merger;

 

   

the accuracy of the representations and warranties of Twitter in the merger agreement, subject to applicable materiality or other qualifiers, as of the effective time of the merger or the date in respect of which such representation or warranty was specifically made; and

 

   

the absence of any Company Material Adverse Effect having occurred that is continuing.

The obligation of Twitter to consummate the merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following additional conditions, any of which may be waived by Twitter:

 

   

Parent and Acquisition Sub having performed and complied in all material respects with the obligations required by the merger agreement to be performed or complied with by Parent or Acquisition Sub on or prior to the closing of the merger; and

 

   

the accuracy of the representations and warranties of Parent and Acquisition Sub in the merger agreement, subject to applicable materiality or other qualifiers, as of the effective time of the merger or the date in respect of which such representation or warranty was specifically made.

Termination of the Merger Agreement

The merger agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the effective time of the merger, whether before or after the adoption of the merger agreement by our stockholders (except as otherwise provided in the merger agreement), in the following ways:

 

   

by mutual written agreement of Twitter and Parent;

 

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by either Twitter or Parent if:

 

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the merger has not been consummated by 5:00 p.m., Pacific time, on the termination date, except that (1) a party may not terminate the merger agreement pursuant to this provision if such party’s failure to perform or comply with any of its obligations under the merger agreement has been the principal cause of, or resulted in, the failure to consummate the merger by the termination date, and (2) the termination date will be extended for an additional six months if, as of the termination date, the closing condition regarding (a) the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the HSR Act or the receipt of approvals under the other specified antitrust laws or foreign investment laws or (b) the absence of any applicable legal restraint prohibiting the consummation of the merger has not been satisfied;

 

  o

prior to the effective time of the merger, any governmental authority of competent jurisdiction has enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any law or order or taken any other action permanently restraining, enjoining, rendering illegal or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement, and such law or order or other action has become final and non-appealable, except, in each case, that the right to terminate will not be available to any party (1) that has failed to use the efforts required by the merger agreement to remove such law, order or other action, or (2) if the issuance of such law or order or taking of such action was primarily due to the failure of such party, and, in the case of Parent, the failure of Acquisition Sub or Mr. Musk, to perform any of its obligations under the merger agreement; or