COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

As of September 30, 2024, the Company had open commitments related to construction contracts of approximately $660.1 million, substantially all of which is reimbursable by the customer.

On July 5, 2024, the Company entered into a purchase agreement with Block, Inc. for the purchase of 3 nanometer Application Specific Integrated Circuits chips (“ASIC chips”) representing approximately 15 EH/s of hash rate. On July 12, 2024, the Company paid a $10.0 million deposit which will be applied evenly towards the ASIC chips. Payments are due in installments, starting six months prior to delivery. Delivery of the ASIC chips is expected to begin by the end of 2025.

Legal Proceedings—The Company is subject to legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues losses for a legal proceeding when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. However, the uncertainties inherent in legal proceedings make it difficult to reasonably estimate the costs and effects of

resolving these matters. Accordingly, actual costs incurred may differ materially from amounts accrued and could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, cash flows, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. Unless otherwise indicated, the Company is unable to estimate reasonably possible losses in excess of any amounts accrued.

Purported Shareholder Class Action (“Pang”)

On November 14, 2022, Plaintiff Mei Pang filed a purported class-action complaint against Core Scientific, Inc., its former chief executive officer, Michael Levitt, and others in the United States District Court, Western District (Austin) of Texas asserting that the Company violated the Securities and Exchange Act by allegedly failing to disclose to investors that among other things the Company was vulnerable to litigation given its decision to pass power costs to its customers, that certain clients had breached their contracts, and that this impacted the Company’s profitability and ability to continue as a going concern. The complaint seeks monetary damages. Core filed a notice of suggestion of bankruptcy stating that its petition for bankruptcy—filed on December 21, 2022—operates as a stay to the continuation of this matter. Plaintiff subsequently withdrew its claims against Core. A lead plaintiff was appointed in April 2023 and proofs of claim were filed in the Company’s Chapter 11 Cases. After the Company filed its motion to dismiss and a subsequent motion for consideration with respect to remaining claims not dismissed, all remaining claims in the complaint against the individual defendants were subsequently dismissed without prejudice in April 2024.

On December 7, 2023, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston, sustained the Company’s objection to the filed class proof of claim without prejudice to re-file a proof of claim on an individual basis by December 20, 2023; and denied plaintiff’s Motion for Class Treatment under Fed. R. Bankr. P. 7023. No individual proof of claim was filed by any of the class representatives of the purported class action by December 20, 2023, and a separately filed objection to confirmation of Debtors’ Fourth Amended Chapter 11 Plan and Disclosure Statement was overruled by the Bankruptcy Court on January 16, 2024. On January 29, 2024, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal of the order confirming the Company’s Plan of Reorganization.

On June 7, 2024, Plaintiff refiled its complaint asserting that the individual defendants violated the Securities Exchange Act by allegedly failing to disclose to investors that among other things the Company failed to disclose known trends or uncertainties that would have an impact on the Company’s financial performance. The Company’s motion to dismiss the refiled complaint is pending with the United States District Court in Austin, Texas.

Purported Shareholder Class Action (“Ihle”)

On July 24, 2023, Plaintiff Brad Ihle filed a purported class action complaint against certain officers and directors of Power & Digital Infrastructure Acquisition Corp. (the former name of the current corporate entity operating our business, or “XPDI”) and XMS Sponsor LLC et al, in the Court of Chancery State of Delaware. The complaint alleges breach of fiduciary duties arising out of the merger of XPDI and the entity that conducted our business operations prior to the merger (“Legacy Core”) and the marketing and solicitation of shareholders pursuant to that merger agreement dated July 20, 2021. Certain of the defendants have notified the Company of their intention to seek defense and indemnification in this matter pursuant to Delaware law and the Company’s bylaws.

Employment Claim

On September 30, 2022, Harlin Dean, a former executive of Blockcap, Inc. (n/k/a Core Scientific Acquired Mining, LLC) sent a demand letter to the Company, seeking approximately $9.8 million. Along with the demand letter, Mr. Dean enclosed a complaint that had been filed in the 419th Judicial District Court, Travis County, Texas, which asserted the following causes of action: (1) breach of employment agreement; (2) quantum meruit; (3) promissory estoppel; (4) conversion; (5) declaratory relief; (6) equitable relief/specific performance; (7) imposition of constructive trust; (8) accounting; and (9) attorneys’ fees and costs. According to Mr. Dean, the Company failed to honor the terms of his employment agreement upon his resignation.

Following the Company’s filing of the Chapter 11 Cases, Mr. Dean filed proofs of claim in the Chapter 11 Cases alleging the Company breached Mr. Dean’s employment agreement and various equity award agreements. Mr. Dean seeks a total recovery of approximately $8 million. The Debtors filed an objection to Mr. Dean’s proofs of claim on September 19, 2023. Mr. Dean filed a reply in support of his claim and moved for summary judgment on October 19. Adjudication of the validity and value of Mr. Dean’s proof of claim is pending. As a general unsecured creditor under the Plan of Reorganization, any amount determined to be owed to plaintiff will be paid in common shares of the Company as provided in the Plan of Reorganization.

Contract Claims

GEM Mining 1, LLC, GEM Mining 2, LLC, GEM Mining 2B, LLC, and GEM Mining 4, LLC (together “GEM”) have filed proofs of claim in the Chapter 11 Cases alleging the Company breached its hosting agreements with GEM and are seeking to recover approximately $4.1 million. The Debtors filed an initial objection to GEM’s proofs of claim on May 4, 2023, and filed a supplemental objection on May 6, 2023. GEM filed a response in opposition to Debtors’ objections on September 6, 2023. Additionally, GEM 1 and GEM 4 filed proofs of claim in the Chapter 11 Case asserting approximately $8 million in rejection damages. The Debtors are currently preparing an objection to these claims along with a reply to GEM’s response to the Debtors’ earlier filed objections. As a general unsecured creditor under the Plan of Reorganization, any amount determined to be owed to plaintiff will be paid in common shares of the Company as provided in the Plan of Reorganization.

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were no other material loss contingency accruals for legal matters.

Leases—See Note 5 — Leases for additional information.