Acquisition and Goodwill

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Acquisition and Goodwill

11. Acquisition and Goodwill

On April 15, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of Boost, a U.K. and Jersey based ETP sponsor, now known as WisdomTree Europe, as part of the Company’s strategy to expand internationally. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company owns 75% of WisdomTree Europe and the former Boost shareholders own 25%. The Company will acquire the remaining 25% ownership interest on or about March 31, 2018 using a predefined formula based on the 180-day average of European AUM at December 31, 2017 and will be tied to the Company’s enterprise value over the 180-day average of global AUM at December 31, 2017, and affected by profitability of the European business. No consideration was transferred on the acquisition date. The ultimate payout will be made in cash over the two years subsequent to December 31, 2017.

Two shareholders of Boost, who owned 88% of Boost prior to the acquisition, became co-CEOs of WisdomTree Europe and are guaranteed a minimum payment of $1,757 for their interest if they terminate their employment without good reason or they are terminated for cause prior to December 31, 2017. The Company determined that this minimum payment represents consideration transferred and was recognized and measured at acquisition-date fair value to determine the purchase price. Any future payments made to the co-CEOs in excess of the minimum payments is accounted for separately from the business combination as acquisition contingent payment on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income and represents compensation for post-acquisition services, which will be recognized through December 31, 2017. The obligation to mandatorily redeem the remaining 12% minority shareholders’ interest in Boost is measured at the fair value of the amount of cash that would be paid under the conditions specified in the agreement. Any change in the carrying amount of the liability will be recognized as an expense.

For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company incurred $997 of compensation expense and $1,188 of interest expense, which represents contingent consideration due to the co-CEOs and non-employee shareholders, respectively. These amounts have both been recorded in acquisition contingent payment on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Because the Company is required to redeem the shares from the former Boost shareholders on or about March 31, 2018 using a predefined formula, under U.S. GAAP, the Company does not reflect the 25% interest held by the former Boost shareholders in WisdomTree Europe as non-controlling interest.

The Company recorded goodwill of $1,676 in connection with this acquisition. Goodwill represents the excess value of the purchase price over the $81 fair value of the net assets acquired, consisting primarily of accounts receivable, accounts payable and fixed assets. While the Company paid no consideration up front to the former Boost shareholders, under the terms of the acquisition agreement, $1,757 was deemed to represent the purchase price. Goodwill is not expected to be tax deductible.

The following table summarizes the activity of goodwill:

Balance at January 1, 2014	$	—
Goodwill acquired during the period		1,676
Balance at December 31, 2014		1,676
Goodwill acquired during the period		—
Balance at December 31, 2015	$	1,676