Significant Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

NSM

On August 1, 2022, the NSM Transaction closed. White Mountains received $1.4 billion in net cash proceeds at closing and recognized a net transaction gain of $875.7 million, which was comprised of $886.8 million of net gain from sale of discontinued operations and $2.9 million of comprehensive income related to the recognition of foreign currency translation gains (losses) from the sale, partially offset by $14.0 million of compensation and other costs related to the transaction recorded in Other Operations.

Ark

On October 1, 2020, White Mountains entered into a subscription and purchase agreement (the “Ark SPA”) with Ark and certain selling shareholders (collectively with Ark, the “Ark Sellers”). Under the terms of the Ark SPA, White Mountains agreed to contribute $605.4 million of equity capital to Ark, at a pre-money valuation of $300.0 million, and to purchase $40.9 million of shares from the Ark Sellers. White Mountains also agreed to contribute up to an additional $200.0 million of equity capital to Ark in 2021. In accordance with the Ark SPA, in the fourth quarter of 2020 White Mountains pre-funded/placed in escrow a total of $646.3 million in preparation for closing the transaction, including $280.0 million funded directly to Lloyd’s on behalf of Ark under the terms of a credit facility agreement and $366.3 million placed in escrow, which is reflected on the balance sheet within Other Operations as of December 31, 2020.

On January 1, 2021, White Mountains completed the Ark Transaction in accordance with the terms of the Ark SPA. As of December 31, 2021, White Mountains owned 72.0% of Ark on a basic shares outstanding basis (63.0% after taking account of management’s equity incentives). The remaining shares are owned by employees. In the future, management rollover shareholders could earn additional shares in Ark if and to the extent that White Mountains achieves certain multiple of invested capital return threshold. If fully earned, these additional shares would represent 12.5% of the shares outstanding at closing.

White Mountains recognized total assets acquired related to the Ark Transaction of $2.5 billion, including goodwill and other intangible assets of $292.5 million, and total liabilities of $1.7 billion, including contingent consideration of $22.5 million and non-controlling interest of $220.2 million. Ark incurred transaction costs of $25.3 million in the first quarter of 2021.

In the third quarter of 2021, Ark issued $163.3 million of floating rate unsecured subordinated notes (the “Ark 2021 Subordinated Notes”) in three separate transactions. See Note 7 — “Debt”. In connection with the issuance of the Ark 2021 Subordinated Notes, White Mountains and Ark terminated White Mountains’s commitment to provide up to $200.0 million of additional equity capital to Ark in 2021.

The following presents additional details of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the January 1, 2021 acquisition date:


Millions	As of January 1, 2021
Investments	$	594.3
Cash	52.0		(1)
Reinsurance recoverables	433.4
Insurance premiums receivable	236.7
Ceded unearned premiums	170.2
Value of in-force business acquired	71.7
Other assets	88.9
Loss and loss adjustment expense reserves	(696.0)
Unearned insurance premiums	(326.1)
Debt	(46.4)

Ceded reinsurance payable	(528.3)
Other liabilities	(25.9)
Net tangible assets acquired	24.5
Goodwill	116.8
Other intangible assets - syndicate underwriting capacity	175.7
Deferred tax liability on other intangible assets	(33.4)
Net assets acquired	$	283.6

(1) Cash excludes the White Mountains cash contribution of $605.4 as part of the Ark Transaction.

The values of net tangible assets acquired and the resulting goodwill, other intangible assets and contingent consideration were recorded at fair value using Level 3 inputs. The majority of the tangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed were recorded at their carrying values, as their carrying values approximated their fair values due to their short-term nature. The fair values of other intangible assets and the contingent consideration liability were estimated primarily based on the income approach. The income approach estimates fair value based on the present value of the cash flows that the assets are expected to generate in the future. White Mountains developed internal estimates for the expected future cash flows and discount rates used in the present value calculations.

The value of in-force business acquired represents the estimated profits relating to the unexpired contracts, net of related prepaid reinsurance, at the acquisition date through the expiration date of the contracts. During 2022 and 2021, Ark recognized $7.5 million and $64.2 million of amortization expense on the value of in-force business acquired. The value of the syndicate underwriting capacity intangible asset was estimated using net cash flows attributable to Ark’s rights to write business in the Lloyd’s market. The value of the in-force business acquired and the syndicate underwriting capacity were estimated using a discounted cash flow method. Significant inputs to the valuation models include estimates of growth in premium revenues, investment returns, claim costs, expenses and discount rates based on a weighted average cost of capital.

In evaluating the fair value of Ark’s loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, White Mountains determined that the risk-free rate of interest was approximately equal to the risk factor reflecting the uncertainty within the reserves and that no adjustment was necessary. For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, Ark recognized pre-tax expense of $17.3 million and $5.5 million for the change in the fair value of its contingent consideration liabilities. Any future adjustments to contingent consideration liabilities will be recognized through pre-tax income (loss). As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, Ark recognized total contingent consideration liabilities of $45.3 million and $28.0 million.

Ark’s segment income and expenses for 2022 and 2021 are presented in Note 16 — “Segment Information.”

WM Outrigger Re

During the fourth quarter of 2022, Ark sponsored the formation of Outrigger Re Ltd., a Bermuda company registered as a special purpose insurer and segregated accounts company, to provide reinsurance capacity to Ark. On December 20, 2022, Outrigger Re Ltd. issued $250 million of non-voting redeemable preference shares on behalf of four segregated accounts to White Mountains and unrelated third party investors. Upon issuance of the preference shares, Outrigger Re Ltd. entered into collateralized quota share agreements with GAIL to provide reinsurance protection on Ark’s Bermuda global property catastrophe excess of loss portfolio written in calendar year 2023. The proceeds from the issuance of the preference shares were deposited into collateral trust accounts to fund any potential obligations under the reinsurance agreements with GAIL. Outrigger Re Ltd.’s obligations under the reinsurance agreements with GAIL are subject to an aggregate limit equal to the assets in the collateral trusts at any point in time. The terms of the reinsurance agreements are renewable upon the mutual agreement of Ark and the applicable preference shareholder.

White Mountains purchased 100% of the preference shares issued by its segregated account, WM Outrigger Re, for $205.0 million. White Mountains consolidates WM Outrigger Re’s results in its financial statements. WM Outrigger Re’s quota share reinsurance agreement with GAIL will eliminate in White Mountains’s consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2022, short-term investments of $203.7 million were held in a collateral trust, after expenses of $1.3 million.

MediaAlpha

On October 30, 2020, MediaAlpha completed the MediaAlpha IPO. In the offering, White Mountains sold 3.6 million shares at $19.00 per share ($17.67 per share net of underwriting fees) and received total proceeds of $63.8 million. White Mountains also received $55.0 million of net proceeds related to a dividend recapitalization at MediaAlpha.

Subsequent to the MediaAlpha IPO, White Mountains’s investment in MediaAlpha is accounted for at fair value based on the publicly traded share price of MediaAlpha’s common stock, and White Mountains presents its investment in MediaAlpha as a separate line item on the balance sheet.

On March 23, 2021, MediaAlpha completed a secondary offering of 8.05 million shares. In the secondary offering, White Mountains sold 3.6 million shares at $46.00 per share ($44.62 per share net of underwriting fees) for net proceeds of $160.3 million.

As of December 31, 2022, White Mountains owned 16.9 million shares, representing a 27.1% basic ownership interest (25.1% fully-diluted/fully-converted basis). At this current level of ownership, each $1.00 per share increase or decrease in the share price of MediaAlpha will result in an approximate $6.60 per share increase or decrease in White Mountains’s book value per share. At the December 31, 2022 closing price of $9.95 per share, the fair value of White Mountains’s investment in MediaAlpha was $168.6 million. See Note 17 — “Equity-Method Eligible Investments”.

Kudu On May 26, 2022, Kudu raised $114.5 million of equity capital (the “Kudu Transaction”) from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Mass Mutual”), White Mountains and Kudu management. Mass Mutual, White Mountains and Kudu management contributed $64.1 million, $50.0 million and $0.4 million at a pre-money valuation of 1.3x, or $114.0 million, above the December 31, 2021 equity value of Kudu’s go-forward portfolio of participation contracts. Kudu’s go-forward portfolio of participation contracts excluded $54.3 million of enterprise value as of December 31, 2021 relating to two portfolio companies that had announced sales transactions prior to the capital raise. As a result of the Kudu Transaction, White Mountains’s basic ownership of Kudu decreased from 99.1% to 89.3%.