Table of Contents has control over all of the affairs and decision making of the We Company Partnership. Furthermore, the general partner of the We Company Partnership cannot be removed as general partner of the We Company Partnership without the approval of The We Company. On the basis of The We Company’s control over the We Company Partnership, we believe that the indirect interest of The We Company in the We Company Partnership is not an “investment security” within the meaning of the 1940 Act. If The We Company were to cease participation in the management of the We Company Partnership, however, its interest in the We Company Partnership could be deemed an “investment security,” which could result in The We Company being required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act and becoming subject to the registration and other requirements of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act and the rules thereunder contain detailed parameters for the organization and operations of investment companies. Among other things, the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder limit or prohibit transactions with affiliates, impose limitations on the issuance of debt and equity securities, prohibit the issuance of stock options and impose certain governance requirements. We intend to conduct our operations so that The We Company will not be deemed to be an investment company under the 1940 Act. However, if anything were to happen which would require The We Company to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act, requirements imposed by the 1940 Act, including limitations on our capital structure, ability to transact business with affiliates and ability to compensate key employees, could make it impractical for us to continue our business as currently conducted, impair the agreements and arrangements between and among The We Company, the We Company Partnership, members of our management team and related entities (including WE Holdings LLC) or any combination thereof and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Risks Relating to This Offering and Ownership of Our Class A Common Stock The multiple-class structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with holders of our high-vote stock and limiting your ability to influence corporate matters. Shares of our Class B common stock and Class C common stock have twenty votes per share, whereas shares of our Class A common stock being offered by us in this offering have one vote per share. When this offering is completed, our outstanding high-vote stock will represent % of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock (or % of the total voting power of our outstanding capital stock if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares of our Class A common stock). Due to the twenty-to-one voting ratio between our high-vote stock and Class A common stock, the holders of our high-vote stock collectively will continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our capital stock, until such time that the aggregate number of outstanding shares of Class B common stock and Class C common stock owned by Adam and certain of his permitted transferees represents less than 5% of the aggregate number of then-outstanding shares of Class A common stock, Class B common stock and Class C common stock. In addition, in the event of his death, the shares of high-vote stock that Adam owns will transfer to the persons or entities that he designates. In the event the designated persons or entities are permitted transferees (as defined in the certificate of incorporation), such shares of high-vote stock will not be subject to automatic conversion. Holders of shares of our high-vote stock will be able to significantly influence matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election of directors, amendments of our organizational documents and any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets or other major corporate transaction. This concentrated control will significantly limit your ability to influence corporate matters. In addition, if in the future we issue additional shares of high-vote stock, which carry twenty votes per share, holders of shares of Class A common stock carrying one vote per share will have their voting interests diluted disproportionate to their economic dilution. Future transfers by holders of our Class B common stock will generally result in those shares converting to Class A common stock, and transfers of partnership interests in the We Company Partnership will generally result in nineteen twentieths of the corresponding shares of our Class C common stock being cancelled, in each case subject to certain exceptions including (i) transfers to affiliates (including immediate family members), (ii) transfers to other holders of Class B common stock, (iii) transfers by certain entities controlled by our co-founders to their partners, members or stockholders, (iv) transfers of membership or other ownership interests in WE Holdings LLC to affiliates (including immediate family members) or to another stockholder, employee or former employee of The We Company, (v) transfers to certain qualified charitable organizations and (vi) transfers approved by our board of directors. The conversion of Class B common stock to Class A common stock over time, while increasing the absolute voting power of holders of our Class A common stock, may have the effect of increasing the relative voting power of those holders of 45
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