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As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2020.

Registration No. 333-239096

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

AMENDMENT NO 1

TO

FORM S-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   6770   83-0974996

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial

Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Telephone: (212) 902-1000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Tom Knott

Chief Executive Officer

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

Telephone: (212) 902-1000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Gregg A. Noel, Esq.

P. Michelle Gasaway, Esq.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

300 South Grand Avenue, Suite 3400

Los Angeles, CA 90071

(213) 687-5000

 

Paul D. Tropp, Esq.

Christopher J. Capuzzi, Esq.

Ropes & Gray LLP

1211 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10036

(212) 596-9000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the following box:  

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of
Security Being Registered
  Amount Being
Registered
 

Proposed Maximum

Offering Price

per Security(1)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate

Offering Price(1)

  Amount of
Registration Fee

Units, each consisting of one share of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and a fraction of one redeemable warrant(2)

  80,500,000 Units   $10.00   $805,000,000   $104,489

Shares of Class A common stock included as part of the units(3)(4)

  80,500,000 Shares       —(5)

Redeemable warrants included as part of the units(3)(4)

  20,125,000 Warrants       —(5)

Total

          $805,000,000   $104,489(6)

 

 

 

(1)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act.

(2)

Includes 10,500,000 units, which may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option to purchase additional units granted to the underwriters.

(3)

Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(4)

Maximum number of shares of Class A common stock and redeemable warrants, as applicable, included in the units described above, including those that may be issued upon exercise of a 45-day option granted to the underwriters described above.

(5)

No fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act.

(6)

Previously paid.

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 24, 2020

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

$700,000,000

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II

70,000,000 Units

 

 

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.

This is an initial public offering of our securities. Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of our Class A common stock and one-quarter of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The warrants will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering, and will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation, as described in this prospectus. Subject to the terms and conditions described in this prospectus, we may redeem the warrants once the warrants become exercisable. We have also granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 10,500,000 units.

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of our Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per share price described herein, payable in cash, subject to the limitations. If we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will redeem 100% of the public shares at a per share price described herein, payable in cash, subject to applicable law and as further described herein.

Our sponsor, GS Sponsor II LLC, is an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a NYSE listed company. Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 warrants (or 9,050,000 warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $2.00 per warrant ($16,000,000 in the aggregate, or $18,100,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus.

As of the date of this prospectus, our initial stockholders hold 20,125,000 shares of Class B common stock (up to 2,625,000 of which are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised). The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to elect all of our directors and may remove members of our board of directors for any reason. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, holders of our Class B common stock and holders of our Class A common stock will vote together as a single class, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rule.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our units, Class A common stock or warrants. We have applied to list our units on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “GSAH.U” on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE. The Class A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day), unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to certain conditions. Once the securities constituting the units begin separate trading, we expect that the Class A common stock and warrants will be listed on the NYSE under the symbols “GSAH” and “GSAH WS,” respectively.

We are an “emerging growth company” and “smaller reporting company” under applicable federal securities laws and will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements. Investing in our securities involves risks. Please see “Risk Factors” on page 39. Investors will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings.

 

 

 

     Price to
Public
     Underwriting
Discounts and
Commissions(1)
     Proceeds, before
expenses, to us
 

Per Share

   $ 10.00      $ 0.55      $ 9.45  

Total

   $ 700,000,000      $ 38,500,000      $ 661,500,000  

 

(1)

Includes $0.35 per unit, or $24,500,000 (or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in the aggregate, payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described herein. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination, in an amount equal to $0.35 multiplied by the number of shares of Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering, as described in this prospectus. Does not include certain fees and expenses payable to the underwriters in connection with this offering. See also “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” for a description of compensation and other items of value payable to the underwriters.

Of the proceeds we receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $700.0 million, or $805.0 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full ($10.00 per unit), will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.

The underwriters are offering the units for sale on a firm commitment basis. Delivery of the units will be made on or about                 , 2020.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers

            Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC                  Citigroup            

 

 

The date of this prospectus is                 , 2020


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We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the units offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of its date.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

SUMMARY

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     39  

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     77  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     78  

DIVIDEND POLICY

     83  

DILUTION

     84  

CAPITALIZATION

     86  

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

     88  

PROPOSED BUSINESS

     95  
     Page  

MANAGEMENT

     139  

PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

     150  

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

     153  

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     157  

UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     176  

UNDERWRITING (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)

     186  

LEGAL MATTERS

     193  

EXPERTS

     193  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     193  

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     F-1  
 

 

Trademarks

This prospectus contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.


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SUMMARY

This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the information under “Risk Factors” and our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before investing.

Unless otherwise stated in this prospectus or the context otherwise requires, references to:

 

   

GSAH II,” “we,” “us,” “our” or the “company” are to GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II, a Delaware corporation;

 

   

“public shares” are to shares of our Class A common stock sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market);

 

   

“warrants” are to our redeemable warrants sold as part of the units in this offering (whether they are purchased in this offering or thereafter in the open market) and the private placement warrants;

 

   

“public stockholders” are to the holders of our public shares, including our sponsor, officers and directors to the extent our sponsor, officers or directors purchase public shares, provided that each of their status as a “public stockholder” shall only exist with respect to such public shares;

 

   

“management” or our “management team” are to our officers and directors;

 

   

“directors” are to our current directors and our director nominees named in this prospectus;

 

   

“sponsor” are to GS Sponsor II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.;

 

   

“Goldman Sachs” are to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (NYSE: GS) and its affiliates, but not the company;

 

   

“GS Accounts” are to Goldman Sachs’ own accounts, accounts in which personnel of Goldman Sachs have an interest, accounts of Goldman Sachs’ clients, and pooled investment vehicles that Goldman Sachs sponsors, manages or advises, including, without limitation, separately managed accounts and pooled investment vehicles such as mutual funds, collective trusts and alternative investment funds that are sponsored, managed or advised by GSAM (as defined below); provided, however, that we are not a GS Account;

 

   

“initial stockholders” are to our sponsor and our independent directors, which collectively hold all of our founder shares immediately prior to this offering;

 

   

“founder shares” are to shares of our Class B common stock and the shares of our Class A common stock issued upon the conversion thereof;

 

   

“common stock” are to our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock;

 

   

“private placement warrants” are to the warrants issued to our sponsor in a private placement simultaneously with the closing of this offering;

 

   

“specified future issuance” are to any issuance by us of equity or equity-linked securities following this offering to raise additional capital to complete our initial business combination,



 

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which issuances may be made to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates; provided that no such securities will have rights to any funds held in the trust account established in connection with this offering;

 

   

“equity-linked securities” are to any debt or equity securities that are convertible, exercisable or exchangeable for shares of our Class A common stock issued in a financing transaction in connection with our initial business combination, including but not limited to a private placement of equity or debt;

 

   

“amended and restated certificate of incorporation” are to our certificate of incorporation to be in effect upon the completion of this offering; and

 

   

“letter agreement” refers to the letter agreement, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Unless we tell you otherwise, the information in this prospectus assumes that the underwriters will not exercise their option to purchase additional units and the forfeiture by our sponsor of 2,625,000 founder shares.



 

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General

We are a blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target.

Our sponsor is controlled by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs and will be managed by the Permanent Capital Strategies team within Goldman Sachs Asset Management (“GSAM”), a business within the Consumer and Investment Management Division (“CIMD”). GSAH II will employ Goldman Sachs’ full range of resources to pursue opportunities across a variety of industries. Specifically, the Permanent Capital Strategies team will use the broad relationships and sourcing capabilities of Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, GSAM’s Alternative Investment and Manager Selection (“AIMS”) group, GSAM’s Private Credit Group, Goldman Sachs’ Private Wealth Management (“PWM”) group, AYCO as well as third-party Investment Banks and other counterparties to identify potential opportunities for an initial business combination. We believe access to these differentiated channels provides us with best-in-class sourcing capabilities for GSAH II’s multi-sector mandate. While we plan to evaluate opportunities in many sectors, we believe particularly attractive opportunities exist in the Diversified Industrial, Healthcare, Technology, Media and Telecom, and Alternative Asset Management sectors.

GSAM, through its Permanent Capital Strategies team, co-founded Goldman Sachs Acquisition Holdings Corp (“GSAH I”), a special purpose acquisition company that completed a $690 million initial public offering in June 2018 and merged in February 2020 with Vertiv Holdings, LLC (“Vertiv”), a global manufacturer of digital infrastructure technology that powers, cools, deploys, secures and maintains datacenters, telecom centers and enterprises’ electronic assets. The transaction valued Vertiv at an Enterprise Value of $5.3 billion and included a $1.23 billion Private Investment in Public Equity, or “PIPE”, which was the largest third-party PIPE ever raised for a SPAC transaction. Investors in GSAH I’s initial public offering who held the stock and warrants through February 10th, 2020, the business day immediately following the closing date of GSAH I’s business combination, saw a total return of approximately 42% and a 1.4x multiple on their invested capital over the eighteen month hold period. The Permanent Capital Strategies team reviewed more than 800 targets within the industrial sector before selecting Vertiv for the initial business combination. The experience gained during the GSAH I process has informed the strategy and structure we will employ for GSAH II.

Mr. Tom Knott will serve as Chief Executive Officer of GSAH II and Mr. Raanan A. Agus will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of GSAH II. Mr. Knott and Mr. Agus were integrally involved in GSAH I. Mr. Knott is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and is the head of GSAM’s Permanent Capital Strategies team. He led the team’s sponsorship of GSAH I from its initial public offering to completion of its initial business combination. Mr. Agus is the global co-head and co-chief investment officer of the AIMS group in GSAM. He served as a Board member of GSAH I through its initial business combination. Mr. Agus’ background in investment and advisory work was built during his more than 25 years at Goldman Sachs.

As demonstrated in GSAH I’s merger with Vertiv, the experience and operating capabilities of an executive partner can be an important component for a successful business combination in certain situations. We intend to recruit an executive who has the specific operating capabilities and experience



 

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needed by the target of the initial business combination to replace Mr. Knott and Mr. Agus. At this time, we believe retaining the flexibility to match the executive partner with the right capabilities and experience to the eventual, specific target company allows us to evaluate opportunities and situations across the broadest range of sectors and will enable us to deliver the best initial business combination for our Investors.

At the time of our initial business combination, we expect our sponsor to agree to vesting or other terms relating to our founder shares that it believes best align our sponsor’s objectives with that of our post-initial business combination stockholders. We believe this alignment is an important evolution in the structure of special purpose acquisition companies and illustrates our commitment to delivering attractive returns to our investors. Please see “Description of Securities—Founder Shares” for more information.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global financial institution that provides a wide range of financial services on behalf of its clients. The firm is headquartered in New York, and maintains offices across the United States and in major financial centers around the world. GSAM was established in 1988 and is one of the world’s leading investment managers, with approximately $1.69 trillion of assets as of December 31, 2019.

We believe the Permanent Capital Strategies team’s ability to leverage the best-in-class relationships and sourcing capabilities from across the Goldman Sachs platform is an advantage that will enable us to assemble a large and differentiated pipeline of potential business combination targets to evaluate for GSAH II’s initial business combination. Specifically, we intend to use the following sourcing channels extensively.

 

   

Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division:    A consistent leader in M&A and capital markets, the Investment Banking Division has deep relationships with private equity and corporate clients in all sectors. We will seek to work directly with the Investment Banking Division to identify opportunities in the areas that we deem appropriate and attractive for our initial business combination.

 

   

GSAM’s AIMS Group:    A GSAM business that provides investors with advisory solutions across leading hedge fund managers, private equity funds, real estate managers, public equity strategies, fixed income strategies and environmental, social and governance integrated and impact investments. AIMS has developed longstanding relationship with key private equity players with over $28 billion of primary capital committed to over 650 private equity funds and over $32 billion of secondary exposure to more than 620 private equity managers, as of December 31, 2019

 

   

Goldman Sachs’ PWM Group:    A network of more than 800 advisors in 26 offices globally that covers more than 12,500 clients and has deep connectivity with CEOs, founders, and family owners of privately held businesses around the world, as of December 31, 2019. We believe the PWM network may provide us with unique access to privately owned businesses that may be considering strategic alternatives.

 

   

GSAM’s Private Credit Group:    A GSAM business that currently manages three business development companies and has strong relationships with private equity sponsors who are focused on investing in middle-market companies. We believe the relationships maintained by the Private Credit Group will be significant as we evaluate private equity owned companies as potential business combination targets.



 

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Ayco:    A business within CIMD that is a leading provider of financial planning solutions to executives, employees and entrepreneurs covering over 20% of Fortune 1,000 companies as of December 31, 2019. We believe Ayco’s reach across a wide variety of businesses and deep relationships with them may provide a pipeline of potential business combination targets that would otherwise be difficult to access.

 

   

Other Investment Banks:    While we believe the Goldman Sachs platform offers access to significant and differentiated deal flow, the Permanent Capital Strategies team maintains strong relationships with other Investment Banking firms and intermediaries. To further bolster our sourcing advantage, we will also work closely with other Investment Banks and intermediaries during the search process to identify as many potential investment opportunities as possible.

In addition to our sourcing advantages, GSAM is a leading investment manager offering investment products across all major asset classes and has extensive experience investing in the private and public markets, including managing $358 billion in equity strategies and $158 billion in alternative investment strategies, as of December 31, 2019. Drawing on these capabilities, the Permanent Capital Strategies team was constructed specifically with the public and private markets investing expertise needed to successfully source, diligence, structure, underwrite and execute an initial business combination. Furthermore, the Permanent Capital Strategies team maintains access to GSAM’s over 680 investment professionals globally who share a disciplined culture focused on rigorous research, supported by extensive risk management infrastructure. Certain of these professionals will be called on to further bolster the Permanent Capital Strategies team’s capabilities when additional expertise and / or support is needed.

GSAM’s Permanent Capital Strategies team brings together access to best-in-class sourcing across the Goldman Sachs platform and the purpose-built investing capabilities necessary for a successful initial business combination.

Business Strategy

Our objective is to generate attractive returns for shareholders by selecting a high quality target, negotiating favorable acquisition terms at an attractive valuation, and creating the foundation for improved operational performance of the acquired company. Our strategy is to identify and complete our initial business combination with certain industry and business characteristics. We expect to distinguish ourselves with our ability to:

 

   

Leverage Best-in-class Sourcing Capabilities of the Goldman Sachs Platform.    We believe our ability to access the best-in-class sourcing capabilities of the Goldman Sachs platform is a significant advantage. The multiple sourcing vectors available to us through Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, AIMS, the Private Credit Group, PWM and AYCO result in a preeminent network of relationships with CEOs, founders, family owners and private equity sponsors that we can use to identify and evaluate suitable target businesses that could benefit from our experience in structuring complex transactions, accessing capital for growth, deleveraging and operational and strategic expertise.

 

   

Bring Unique Rigor to the Process of Identifying and Structuring an Acquisition that will be Positioned to be Well Received in the Public Markets.    The Permanent Capital Strategies team has the investment capabilities and experience necessary to consummate a successful business combination. The team’s demonstrated ability to identify, value and close large, complex transactions is a distinct advantage that is further bolstered by Goldman Sachs’ reputation and GSAM’s global footprint and significant investing capabilities.



 

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Evaluate a Wide Range of Targets due to our Access to Capital.    With Goldman Sachs’ extensive access to institutional and high net worth investors, we are uniquely positioned to evaluate large opportunities that many other special purpose acquisition companies may be unable to pursue. For example, in February 2020, as part of GSAH I, the Permanent Capital Strategies team raised a $1.23 billion PIPE, the largest third-party PIPE ever raised for a SPAC’s business combination transaction, as a part of the initial business combination.

 

   

Identify and Attract an Executive Partner to Create Value for Stockholders Following a Business Combination.     We are committed to identifying and recruiting the right executive with the capabilities and experience uniquely needed by the business we choose for the initial business combination. We have strong relationships with executives across industries and are confident in our ability to recruit an executive partner that has the capabilities needed to create value after the initial business combination.

We believe the diversified industrial, healthcare, technology, media and telecom, and alternative asset management sectors present particularly attractive investment opportunities for us. Specifically, many companies in these sectors tend to be cash generative businesses that are growing at rates higher than U.S. gross domestic product. In addition to these fundamentals, the sectors are fragmented and contain a large number of privately-held and sponsor-owned businesses that we believe could benefit from deleveraging, accelerating revenue growth, expanding margins, and improving capital allocation decision-making. In addition to independent privately- and sponsor-held middle market businesses, we believe many larger companies in the sector are in the process of evaluating their portfolios of businesses and reviewing candidates for potential divestitures, which we believe may also prove to be attractive business combination targets.

Competitive Strengths

We believe GSAM’s reputation, sourcing, valuation, diligence and execution capabilities will provide us with a significant pipeline of opportunities from which to evaluate and select a business that will benefit from our expertise. Our competitive strengths include the following:

 

   

Purpose Built Sponsor.    We believe the Permanent Capital Strategies’ track record and association with Goldman Sachs will be viewed favorably by target businesses in need of recapitalization, professionalized management, improved operating processes and controls, better access to industry relationships and strategic planning.

 

   

Proprietary Sourcing Channels and Leading Industry Relationships.    We believe the broad reach and deep relationships of IBD, Ayco, the Private Credit Group and AIMS, along with GSAM’s and PWM’s reach to their clients, some of whom own or are associated with potential acquisition targets, will provide us with a differentiated pipeline of acquisition opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the market to replicate. We expect these sourcing capabilities will be further bolstered by Goldman Sachs’ reputation and track record. Goldman Sachs’ extensive network of senior level operating contacts will also allow us to identify and attract additional executive resources if the target requires additional managerial capabilities.

 

   

Investing Experience.    We believe GSAM’s deep experience investing in private and public markets, combined with Permanent Capital Strategies’ track record of identifying and sourcing a significant number of potential targets for GSAH I before ultimately finalizing its initial business combination, positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential transactions and select one that will be well received by the public markets.



 

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Access to Goldman Sachs’ Capabilities Post-Initial Business Combination.    We believe that potential sellers will be interested in a relationship with the Goldman Sachs platform and will look favorably upon Goldman Sachs’ involvement in a transaction, including as a significant investor after an initial business combination. Potential sellers may also have longstanding relationships with Goldman Sachs advisors and, therefore, may seek to engage with us following a business combination to focus on value creation and to potentially facilitate access to capital markets for further growth and provide acquisition advice to implement roll-up strategies.

Investment Criteria

We have developed the following high level, non-exclusive investment criteria that we will use to screen for and evaluate target businesses. We will seek to acquire a business that:

 

   

Has a Leading Position in an Attractive Industry.    We will seek to acquire a business that holds a leading position in an industry with attractive characteristics. Specifically, we will seek to exclude businesses that (i) do not hold a strong position in the markets they serve, (ii) do not have a differentiated product or service in a well-defined market, and (iii) are extremely sensitive to macroeconomic conditions.

 

   

Generates Stable Free Cash-Flow.    We will seek to acquire a business that has historically generated, or has the near-term potential to generate, strong and sustainable free cash flow.

 

   

Has Opportunities for High Returns on Incremental Invested Capital.    We will seek to acquire a business with high returns on incremental invested capital. In addition to indicating a potentially attractive competitive position, a business with opportunities for high returns on invested capital may be able to grow more quickly when prudently capitalized.

 

   

Has Differentiation.    We will seek to acquire a business with a differentiated product or service. Sources of differentiation can include, but are not limited to: patents, brands, customer reputation or other Intellectual Property (IP), unique technical expertise and or personnel, innovative processes or proprietary sourcing and distribution/customer access.

 

   

Has Long Term Growth Prospects.    We will seek to acquire a business that has the potential to grow both organically and through acquisitions and strategic transactions. We will seek out opportunities in businesses that have multiple, diverse potential drivers of revenue growth and in segments of established markets with attractive, long term growth potential supported by secular tailwinds. We will seek to acquire a business that also has the potential to grow inorganically in order to participate in industry consolidation, expand product/geographic range and/or improve competitive position.

 

   

Has a Committed and Capable Management Team.    We will seek to acquire a business with a professional management team whose interests are aligned with those of our investors. Where necessary, we will enhance the capabilities of the target business’s management team by recruiting additional talent through Goldman Sachs’ network of contacts.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as on other considerations, factors and criteria that our board of directors may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business



 

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combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.

Our Acquisition Process

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, nor are we prohibited from doing so with a business that is affiliated with any GS Account. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, or from an independent accounting firm, that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

Mr. Agus, Mr. Knott, other members of our management team and Goldman Sachs are from time to time made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction with us. Please see “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” for additional information regarding limitations on our access to investment opportunities sourced by GSAM and other business units of Goldman Sachs. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.

As described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets”).



 

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While Goldman Sachs will not have any duty to offer acquisition opportunities to us, Goldman Sachs may become aware of a potential transaction that may be an attractive opportunity for us, which it may or may not decide to share with us. Goldman Sachs is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, Goldman Sachs provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net-worth individuals. Goldman Sachs acts as an investment banker, research provider, investment adviser, financier, adviser, market maker, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent, principal and investor. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises clients in all major markets and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for its own account and for the accounts of clients, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises. Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets, and the securities and issuers, in which we and GS Accounts may directly and indirectly invest. Additionally, we may, but are not required to, engage Goldman Sachs for services as a financial advisor in connection with identifying and investigating potential targets for our business combination. Conflicts may arise from Goldman Sachs’ sponsorship of our company, its provision of services both to us (including as a financial advisor) and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by Goldman Sachs for its own account. In performing services for other clients and also when acting for its own account, Goldman Sachs may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us. Any of Goldman Sachs’ financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on us, and the interests of Goldman Sachs or its clients or counterparties may at times be adverse to ours. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs.

We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or Goldman Sachs, or policies applicable to Goldman Sachs, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

Initial Business Combination

The NYSE rules require that an initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount). We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own or acquire shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding



 

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equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target, or issue a substantial number of new shares to third-parties in connection with financing our initial business combination. In such cases, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and the two director designees of our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination.

Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

U.S. Bank Holding Company Act and Related Matters

Background.    Goldman Sachs is regulated as a bank holding company, or BHC, under the U.S. Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, or the BHCA, which generally restricts BHCs from engaging in business activities other than the business of banking and certain closely related activities. Goldman Sachs has elected to become a financial holding company, or FHC, under the BHCA and, as such, may engage in a broader range of financial and related activities (e.g., securities underwriting, asset management, insurance and merchant banking). The ability to elect and maintain FHC status is subject to certain conditions.

Business Combination Targets’ Activities.    As described above, we have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. It is contemplated, however, that any business combination target will not be a financial services-related company, or any other company predominantly engaged in financial activities, which limits the types of business combination



 

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targets that we can acquire. As a result, upon consummation of a transaction with a business combination target, it is contemplated that Goldman Sachs will hold its indirect investment in the post-transaction company pursuant to the merchant banking authority of the BHCA. The merchant banking authority of the BHCA will impose a maximum ten-year holding period on Goldman Sachs’ investment in the post-transaction company. In addition, the merchant banking authority of the BHCA will restrict employees of Goldman Sachs from participating in the routine management and operations of the post-transaction company.

Covered Transactions.    For various reasons, we may be an “affiliate” of Goldman Sachs Bank USA for purposes of Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. As a result, Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act would limit the amount of any covered transactions (e.g., extensions of credit) between Goldman Sachs Bank USA, on the one hand, and us, on the other hand, and would require all covered transactions between Goldman Sachs Bank USA and us to be on terms and conditions consistent with safe and sound banking practices. Furthermore, any extensions of credit from Goldman Sachs Bank USA to us would have to be secured by a statutorily defined amount of collateral. Finally, Section 23B of the Federal Reserve Act would require that certain transactions, including all covered transactions, between Goldman Sachs Bank USA and us be on arm’s length market terms and conditions.

The Volcker Rule.    Section 619 of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Volcker Rule”) added a new Section 13 to the BHCA that restricts banking entities, such as Goldman Sachs, absent an applicable exclusion or exemption, from acquiring or retaining any equity, partnership or other ownership interests in, or sponsoring, a hedge fund or a private equity fund that would be an investment company, as defined in the Investment Company Act, but for Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act (such fund, a “covered fund”). We do not believe that our anticipated activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act and, therefore, it is not expected that we will rely on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act to be exempt from registration as an investment company. Accordingly, we do not expect that we will be treated as a covered fund under the Volcker Rule. Further, upon consummation of a transaction with a business combination target, it is contemplated that Goldman Sachs will hold its investment in the post-transaction company pursuant to the merchant banking authority of the BHCA. Therefore, we do not expect that the post-transaction company will be a “banking entity” as defined in the Volcker Rule. Accordingly, we do not expect that the post-transaction company will be subject to the restrictions of the Volcker Rule.

Corporate Information

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.



 

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In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

Our executive offices are located at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282 and our telephone number is (212) 902-1000. Upon completion of this offering, our corporate website address will be                 . Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to invest in our securities.



 

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The Offering

In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the backgrounds of the members of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company and the fact that this offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section below entitled “Risk Factors.”

 

Securities offered

   70,000,000 units (or 80,500,000 units if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), at $10.00 per unit, each unit consisting of:
  

•  one share of Class A common stock; and

  

•  one-quarter of one redeemable warrant to purchase one share of Class A common stock.

NYSE symbols

   Units: “GSAH.U”
   Class A Common Stock: “GSAH”
   Warrants: “GSAH WS”

Trading commencement and separation of Class A common stock and warrants

  



The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Class A common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Class A common stock and warrants. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

 

Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination.

Separate trading of the Class A common stock and warrants is prohibited until we have filed a Current Report on Form 8-K

  




In no event will the Class A common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet of our company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after



 

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   the closing of this offering. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

Units:

  

Number outstanding before this offering

  


0

Number outstanding after this offering

  


70,000,000(1)

Common stock:

  

Number outstanding before this offering

  


20,125,000(2)(4)

Number outstanding after this offering

  


87,500,000(1)(3)(4)

Warrants:

  

Number of private placement warrants to be sold in a private placement simultaneously with this offering

  




8,000,000(1)

Number of warrants to be outstanding after this offering and the sale of private placement warrants

  




25,500,000(1)

Exercisability

  

Each whole warrant offered in this offering is exercisable to purchase one share of our Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided herein, and only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.

 

We structured each unit to contain one-quarter of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock, as compared to units issued by some other similar blank check companies which contain whole warrants exercisable for one whole share, in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of our initial business combination as compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses.

 

(1)

Assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units and the forfeiture by our sponsor of 2,625,000 founder shares.

(2)

Consists solely of founder shares and includes up to 2,625,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised.

(3)

Includes 70,000,000 public shares and 17,500,000 founder shares.

(4)

Founder shares are classified as shares of Class B common stock, which shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as described below adjacent to the caption “Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights.”



 

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Exercise price

   $11.50 per share of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as described herein.

Exercise period

   The warrants will become exercisable on the later of:
  

•  30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; and

  

•  12 months from the closing of this offering;

   provided in each case that we have an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating to them is available and such shares are registered, qualified or exempt from registration under the securities, or blue sky, laws of the state of residence of the holder (or we permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis under the circumstances specified in the warrant agreement).
   We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, and within 60 business days following our initial business combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed; provided that, if our Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement.
   The warrants will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of our initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. The private placement warrants purchased by our sponsor will not be exercisable more than five years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(i), as long as our sponsor or any of its related persons beneficially own such private placement warrants. On the exercise of any warrant, the warrant exercise price will be paid directly to us and not placed in the trust account.


 

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Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00

  




Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

  

•  in whole and not in part;

  

•  at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

  

•  upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, which we refer to as the 30-day redemption period; and

  

•  if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

   We will not redeem the warrants for cash unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of common stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00

  




Commencing ninety days after the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

  

•  in whole and not in part;

  

•  at a price of $0.10 per warrant provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares of Class A common stock determined by reference to the table set forth under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (as defined below) except as otherwise described in “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants”;

  

•  upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption;



 

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•  if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and

  

•  if, and only if, there is an effective registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating thereto available throughout the 30-day period after written notice of redemption is given.

   The “fair market value” of our Class A common stock shall mean the average last reported sale price of our Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. This redemption feature differs from the typical warrant redemption features used in many other blank check offerings.
   No fractional shares of Class A common stock will be issued upon redemption. If, upon redemption, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the holder. Please see “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” for additional information.
   Pursuant to the warrant agreement, references above to Class A common stock shall include a security other than Class A common stock into which the Class A common stock has been converted or exchanged for in the event we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination.

Cashless Exercise

   If we call the warrants for redemption as described above under “Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00,” our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (defined above) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.365. Please see “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” for additional information.


 

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   None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.

Election and removal of directors; voting rights

  


Prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to vote on the election of directors. Holders of the Class A common stock will not be entitled to vote on the election of directors during such time. In addition, prior to our initial business combination, holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove a member of our board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting. With respect to any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including any vote in connection with our initial business combination, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, holders of our Class A common stock and holders of our Class B common stock will vote together as a single class, with each share entitling the holder to one vote.

Founder shares

   In July 2018, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 575 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000. In April 2020 and June 2020, we conducted stock splits, resulting in our sponsor holding 20,125,000 founder shares, resulting in an effective purchase price per founder share of approximately $0.0003. The number of founder shares issued in the stock split was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon the completion of this offering. Prior to the initial investment in the company of $5,000 by our sponsor, we had no assets, tangible or intangible. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to us by the number of founder shares issued. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 2,625,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised.
   The founder shares are identical to the shares of Class A common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that:
  

•  prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the Class B common stock have the right to vote on the election of directors and holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove members of our board of directors for any reason;



 

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•  our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive: (1) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them, as applicable, in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (2) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any extended time that we have to consummate a business combination beyond 24 months as a result of a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (an “Extension Period”) (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame). If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need 26,250,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), or 4,375,001, or 6.25% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), of the 70,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction, in order to have such initial business combination approved;

  

•  the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below;

  

•  the founder shares are automatically convertible into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the



 

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holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described in more detail below; and

  

•  the holders of the founder shares are entitled to registration rights.

Transfer restrictions on founder shares

  


Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any founder shares held by them until the earlier to occur of: (1) one year after the completion of our initial business combination; and (2) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination (except as described herein under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares. We refer to such transfer restrictions throughout this prospectus as the lock-up.

 

In addition, at the time of our initial business combination, we expect our sponsor to agree to vesting or other terms relating to our founder shares that it believes best align our sponsor’s objectives with that of our post-initial business combination stockholders. For example, in connection with initial business combinations, sponsors of other blank check companies have, in the recent past, subjected a certain number of their founder shares to vesting conditions based on the stock price of the blank check companies’ public stock, which our sponsor may elect to pursue if they believe it will help effectuate a business combination, although our sponsor has no obligation or other duty to do so.

Founder shares conversion and anti-dilution rights

  


The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding



 

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   shares of our Class B common stock agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination (net of the number of shares of Class A common stock redeemed in connection with our initial business combination), excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in our initial business combination.

Underwriting conflicts of interest

  


Because our sponsor, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, an underwriter of this offering, beneficially owns substantially all of our outstanding common stock prior to the consummation of this offering, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is deemed to have a “conflicts of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. FINRA Rule 5121 prohibits Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC from making sales to discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the account holder and requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in FINRA Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the registration statement and exercise its usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is acting as “qualified independent underwriter” for this offering. Please see “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” for more information.

Private placement warrants

   Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 private placement warrants (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at a price of $2.00 per warrant ($16,000,000 in the aggregate or $18,100,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or following any Extension Period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants will not be redeemable


 

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   by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold as part of this offering. Our sponsor, as well as its permitted transferees, have the option to exercise the private placement warrants on a cashless basis. The private placement warrants purchased by our sponsor will not be exercisable more than five years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(i), as long as our sponsor or any of its related persons beneficially own such private placement warrants.

Transfer restrictions on private placement warrants

  


The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except as described below under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants.”

Proceeds to be held in trust account

  


The rules of the NYSE provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds we will receive from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants described in this prospectus, $700.0 million ($10.00 per unit), or $805.0 million ($10.00 per unit) if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, will be deposited into a segregated U.S.-based trust account, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee, and $2.0 million will be used to pay expenses in connection with the closing of this offering and for working capital following this offering. The proceeds to be placed in the trust account include $24,500,000 (or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in deferred underwriting commissions. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries.

   Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our initial business


 

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   combination; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could become subject to the claims of our creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of our public stockholders.

Anticipated expenses and funding sources

  


Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, no proceeds held in the trust account will be available for our use, except the withdrawal of interest to pay taxes or to redeem our public shares in connection with an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as described above. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Based upon current interest rates, we expect the trust account to generate approximately $700,000 of interest annually (assuming an interest rate of 0.10% per year). Unless and until we complete our initial business combination, we may pay our expenses only from:

  

•  the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account, which will be approximately $1,000,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $1,000,000 in expenses relating to this offering; and

  

•  any loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their respective affiliates or other third parties, although they are under no obligation or other duty to loan funds to, or invest in, us, and provided that any such loans will not have any claim on the proceeds held in the trust account unless such proceeds are released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we complete our initial business combination, we expect to repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be



 

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used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender at the time of the business combination. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor.

Conditions to completing our initial business combination

  


There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately (including pursuant to a specified future issuance) or through loans (including from Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates) in connection with our initial business combination. The NYSE rules require that an initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount). We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.

   If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions. We will complete our initial business combination only if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test, provided that in the event that our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities by our affiliates

  



If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our



 

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   sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation or other duty to do so. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase, or any restriction on the price that they may pay. Any such price per share may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such purchases or other transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such purchases or other transactions. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or public warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Please see “Proposed Business—Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how such persons will determine from which stockholders to enter into transactions with.
   We will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to: (1) refrain from purchasing securities during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information; and (2) clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.
   We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules. Our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from making purchases if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.


 

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   We expect that any such purchases will be reported pursuant to Section 13 and Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the extent such purchasers are subject to such reporting requirements.
   The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible. In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination

  




We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Manner of conducting redemptions

  


We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their public shares upon the completion of our initial business combination either: (1) in connection with a



 

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   stockholder meeting called to approve the business combination; or (2) by means of a tender offer. Except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction. Asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would typically require stockholder approval. We intend to conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons.
   If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:
  

•  conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and

  

•  file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

   Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, if we elect to conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market, in order to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.
   In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender


 

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   offer and not complete such initial business combination, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).
   If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will:
  

•  conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and

  

•  file proxy materials with the SEC.

   We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any stockholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration.
   If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors will count towards this quorum and have agreed to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. We expect that at the time of any stockholder vote relating to our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote thereon. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need 26,250,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), or 4,375,001, or 6.25% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), of the 70,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction, in order to have such initial business combination approved. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.


 

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   Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination on such terms or redeem any shares, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination or seek to revise the terms of such business combination.

Tendering share certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights

  



We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve our initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares.

Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold stockholder vote

  





Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and



 

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   restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including all shares held by those stockholders that hold more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering) for or against our initial business combination.

Redemption rights in connection with proposed amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation

  




Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain charter provisions. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination, which require the approval of holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting) related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock. Unless specified in our



 

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   amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders, and, prior to our initial business combination, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock is required to approve the election or removal of directors. Prior to an initial business combination, we may not issue additional securities that can vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our initial stockholders, who will beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they may choose. Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the completion of our initial business combination. Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares.

Release of funds in trust account on closing of our initial business combination

  



On the completion of our initial business combination, all amounts held in the trust account will be disbursed directly by the trustee or released to us to pay amounts due to any public stockholders who properly exercise their redemption rights as described above under “Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination,” to pay the underwriters their



 

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   deferred underwriting commissions, to pay all or a portion of the consideration payable to the target or owners of the target of our initial business combination and to pay other expenses associated with our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

Redemption of public shares and distribution and liquidation if no initial business combination

  



Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such 24-month period or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within such period.

   Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates then hold any public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time frame to complete our initial business


 

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   combination. The underwriters have agreed to waive their rights to their deferred underwriting commission held in the trust account in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, in such event, such amounts will be included with the funds held in the trust account that will be available to fund the redemption of our public shares.
   Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions.

Limited payments to insiders

   There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or our or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:
  

•  repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by an affiliate of our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;

  

•  payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of a total of $10,000 per month, for up to 24 months, for office space, administrative and support services;

  

•  reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination;

  

•  payment to Goldman Sachs of its underwriting commission, fees for any financial advisory, placement agency or other similar investment banking services provided by it to our company, and reimbursement of Goldman Sachs for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Goldman Sachs in connection with the performance of such services; and



 

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•  repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender.

   These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith.
   Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or our or any of their respective affiliates.

Audit Committee

   Prior to the effectiveness of this registration statement, we will have established and will maintain an audit committee to, among other things, monitor compliance with the terms described above and the other terms relating to this offering. If any noncompliance is identified, then the audit committee will be charged with the responsibility to promptly take all action necessary to rectify such noncompliance or otherwise to cause compliance with the terms of this offering. Please see “Management—Committees of the Board of Directors—Audit Committee” for additional information.

Conflicts of Interest

   There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could negatively impact the performance of an investment in us. A number of these potential conflicts of interest, including those that may be associated with the financial or other interests of Goldman Sachs, are discussed in more detail elsewhere in this prospectus. They are not, and are not intended to be, a complete enumeration or explanation of all of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise.
   Our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, which is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, Goldman Sachs provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net-worth individuals. Goldman Sachs acts as an investment banker, research provider, investment adviser, financier, adviser, market maker, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent, principal and investor. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises clients in all major markets and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps,


 

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indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products, for its own account and for the accounts of clients, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises. Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets, and the securities and issuers, in which we and GS Accounts may directly and indirectly invest. As a result, Goldman Sachs’ activities and dealings may affect us in ways that may disadvantage or restrict us and/or benefit Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts. Conflicts may arise from Goldman Sachs’ sponsorship of our company, its provision of services both to us (including as a financial advisor) and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by Goldman Sachs for its own account. In performing services for other clients and also when acting for its own account, Goldman Sachs may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us. Any of Goldman Sachs’ financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on us, and the interests of Goldman Sachs or its clients or counterparties may at times be adverse to ours. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs.

 

Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) manages and advises a substantial number of GS Accounts, including GS Accounts held by Goldman Sachs on a proprietary basis, GS Accounts held by Goldman Sachs personnel or clients and GS Accounts in which Goldman Sachs and Goldman Sachs personnel and clients have an interest. Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that we may target for our initial business combination. If Goldman Sachs or such other GS Accounts decide to pursue any such opportunity or Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) determines in its sole discretion not to offer such opportunity to us, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Goldman Sachs or by persons who may make decisions for us may be suitable for both us and for Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts and may be directed to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or other third parties rather than to us. Prospective investors should note that, although our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, we are not an investment advisory client of GSAM or any other business unit of Goldman Sachs (and we are not a GS Account). As such, none of GSAM, any other business unit of Goldman Sachs or any Goldman Sachs personnel (other than those who are members of our management team in their capacities as such) has any fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to our company, including, without limitation, to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware.



 

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Our management team, in their other endeavors (including any affiliation they may have with Goldman Sachs), may choose or be required to present potential business combinations or other transactions to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us. Please see “Risk Factors—Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity or other transaction should be presented.” In addition, investment opportunities sourced by GSAM or its personnel or presented to GSAM by other business units of Goldman Sachs or their personnel will be made available to us only after such opportunities have been offered to GS Accounts managed or advised by GSAM. To the extent that such GS Accounts decline to pursue any such opportunity, GSAM may in its sole discretion (but is not obligated to) offer all or any portion of such opportunity to us (or may instead offer all or any portion of such opportunity to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or third parties). Investment opportunities that are sourced by business units of Goldman Sachs other than GSAM or the personnel of such business units will not be made available to us, unless such opportunities are first presented to GSAM by such other business units or personnel.

 

As described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described above). These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.

   Goldman Sachs is often engaged as a financial advisor, or to provide financing, to corporations and other entities and their directors and managers in connection with the sale of those entities, their assets or their subsidiaries. Sellers generally require Goldman Sachs to act exclusively on their behalf and/or for other reasons, we may be precluded in many instances from attempting to acquire securities of the business being sold or otherwise participate as a buyer in the transaction. Goldman Sachs also


 

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represents potential buyer’s businesses. Goldman Sachs may be incentivized to direct an opportunity to one of these buyers or to form a consortium with such buyers to bid for the opportunity, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunity available to us.

 

We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or Goldman Sachs, or policies applicable to Goldman Sachs, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

 

In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, we may, at our option, pursue an affiliated joint acquisition (as described under “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs—Affiliated Joint Acquisition”) opportunity with Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates or with other entities to which an officer or director has a fiduciary, contractual or other obligation or duty. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by making a specified future issuance to any such parties, which may give rise to certain conflicts of interest.

Indemnity

   Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below: (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations.


 

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Risks

We are a company that has conducted no operations and has generated no revenues. Until we complete our initial business combination, we will have no operations and will generate no operating revenues. In making your decision whether to invest in our securities, you should take into account not only the background of our management team, but also the special risks we face as a blank check company. This offering is not being conducted in compliance with Rule 419 promulgated under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors in Rule 419 blank check offerings. Please see “Proposed Business—Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419” for additional information concerning how Rule 419 blank check offerings differ from this offering. You should carefully consider these and the other risks set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus.



 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully all of the risks described below, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before making a decision to invest in our units. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

We have no operating history and no revenues, and you have no basis on which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective.

We have no operating results, and we will not commence operations until obtaining funding through this offering. Because we lack an operating history, you have no basis upon which to evaluate our ability to achieve our business objective of completing our initial business combination with one or more target businesses. We have no plans, arrangements or understandings with any prospective target business concerning a business combination and may be unable to complete our initial business combination. If we fail to complete our initial business combination, we will never generate any operating revenues.

Past performance by Goldman Sachs and members of our management team may not be indicative of future performance of an investment in us.

Information regarding performance by, or businesses associated with, Goldman Sachs and members of our management team, including GSAH I, is presented for informational purposes only. Any past experience and performance, including related to acquisitions, of Goldman Sachs or members of our management team, including GSAH I, is not a guarantee either: (1) that we will be able to successfully identify a suitable candidate for our initial business combination; or (2) of any results with respect to any initial business combination we may consummate. You should not rely on the historical record and performance of Goldman Sachs or members of our management team, including GSAH I, as indicative of the future performance of an investment in us or the returns we will, or are likely to, generate going forward. An investment in us is not an investment in Goldman Sachs.

Potential conflicts of interest with other businesses of Goldman Sachs or Goldman Sachs Accounts could negatively impact the performance of an investment in us.

There are significant potential conflicts of interest that could negatively impact the performance of an investment in us. A number of these potential conflicts of interest, including those that may be associated with the financial or other interests of Goldman Sachs or GS Accounts, are discussed in more detail elsewhere in this prospectus. They are not, and are not intended to be, a complete enumeration or explanation of all of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise.

Our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. In addition, Raanan A. Agus, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Tom Knott, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and one of our directors, are currently associated with Goldman Sachs and will not be independent of Goldman Sachs (although there is no assurance that either of them will remain associated with Goldman Sachs). Goldman Sachs, including its affiliates and personnel, is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, Goldman Sachs provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net-worth individuals. Goldman Sachs acts as an investment banker, research provider, investment adviser, financier, adviser, market maker, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent, principal and investor. In those

 

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and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises clients in all major markets and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products, for its own account and for the accounts of clients, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises. Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets, and the securities and issuers, in which we and GS Accounts may directly and indirectly invest. Conflicts may arise from Goldman Sachs’ sponsorship of our company, its provision of services both to us (including as a financial advisor) and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by Goldman Sachs for its own account. In performing services for other clients and also when acting for its own account, Goldman Sachs may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us. Any of Goldman Sachs’ financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on us, and the interests of Goldman Sachs or its clients or counterparties may at times be adverse to ours. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs.

Our public stockholders may not be afforded an opportunity to vote on our proposed initial business combination, which means we may complete our initial business combination even though a majority of our public stockholders do not support such a combination.

We may not hold a stockholder vote to approve our initial business combination unless the business combination would require stockholder approval under applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements or if we decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons. For instance, the NYSE rules currently allow us to engage in a tender offer in lieu of a stockholder meeting but would still require us to obtain stockholder approval if we were seeking to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares to a target business as consideration in any business combination. Therefore, if we were structuring a business combination that required us to issue more than 20% of our outstanding shares, we would seek stockholder approval of such business combination. However, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or will allow stockholders to sell their shares to us in a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors, such as the timing of the transaction. Accordingly, we may consummate our initial business combination even if holders of a majority of our outstanding public shares do not approve of the business combination we consummate. Please see “Proposed Business—Stockholders May Not Have the Ability to Approve Our Initial Business Combination” for additional information.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed to vote in favor of such initial business combination, regardless of how our public stockholders vote.

Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees will agree) to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need 26,250,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), or 4,375,001, or 6.25% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), of the 70,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction, in order to have such initial business combination approved. We expect that our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees will own at least 20% of our outstanding shares of common stock at the time of any such stockholder vote. Accordingly, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, it is more likely that the necessary stockholder approval will be received than would be

 

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the case if our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees agreed to vote their founder shares in accordance with the majority of the votes cast by our public stockholders.

Your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination will be limited to the exercise of your right to redeem your shares from us for cash, unless we seek stockholder approval of such business combination.

At the time of your investment in us, you will not be provided with an opportunity to evaluate the specific merits or risks of any target businesses. Additionally, since our board of directors may complete a business combination without seeking stockholder approval, public stockholders may not have the right or opportunity to vote on the business combination. Accordingly, if we do not seek stockholder approval, your only opportunity to affect the investment decision regarding a potential business combination may be limited to exercising your redemption rights within the period of time (which will be at least 20 business days) set forth in our tender offer documents mailed to our public stockholders in which we describe our initial business combination.

The ability of our public stockholders to redeem their shares for cash may make our financial condition unattractive to potential business combination targets, which may make it difficult for us to enter into a business combination with a target.

We may seek to enter into a business combination transaction agreement with a prospective target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights, we would not be able to meet such closing condition and, as a result, would not be able to proceed with the business combination. The amount of the deferred underwriting commissions payable to the underwriters will not be adjusted for any shares that are redeemed in connection with a business combination and such amount of deferred underwriting discount is not available for us to use as consideration in an initial business combination. Furthermore, in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. Consequently, if accepting all properly submitted redemption requests would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 or such greater amount necessary to satisfy a closing condition as described above, we would not proceed with such redemption and the related business combination and may instead search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target). Prospective targets will be aware of these risks and, thus, may be reluctant to enter into a business combination transaction with us. If we are able to consummate an initial business combination, the per-share value of shares held by non-redeeming stockholders will reflect our obligation to pay the deferred underwriting commissions.

The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares may not allow us to complete the most desirable business combination or optimize our capital structure.

At the time we enter into an agreement for our initial business combination, we will not know how many stockholders may exercise their redemption rights and, therefore, we will need to structure the transaction based on our expectations as to the number of shares that will be submitted for redemption. If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, we will need to reserve a portion of the cash in the trust account to meet such requirements or arrange for third-party financing. In addition, if a larger number of shares is submitted for redemption than we initially expected, we may need to restructure the transaction to reserve a greater portion of the cash in the trust account or arrange for third-party financing. Raising additional third-party financing

 

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may involve dilutive equity issuances or the incurrence of indebtedness at higher than desirable levels. The above considerations may limit our ability to complete the most desirable business combination available to us or optimize our capital structure.

The ability of our public stockholders to exercise redemption rights with respect to a large number of our shares could increase the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful and that you would have to wait for liquidation in order to redeem your stock.

If our initial business combination agreement requires us to use a portion of the cash in the trust account to pay the purchase price, or requires us to have a minimum amount of cash at closing, the probability that our initial business combination would be unsuccessful increases. If our initial business combination is unsuccessful, you would not receive your pro rata portion of the trust account until we liquidate the trust account. If you are in need of immediate liquidity, you could attempt to sell your stock in the open market; however, at such time our stock may trade at a discount to the pro rata amount per share in the trust account. In either situation, you may suffer a material loss on your investment or lose the benefit of funds expected in connection with our redemption until we liquidate or you are able to sell your stock in the open market.

The requirement that we complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame may give potential target businesses leverage over us in negotiating a business combination and may limit the time we have in which to conduct due diligence on potential business combination targets, in particular as we approach our dissolution deadline, which could undermine our ability to complete our initial business combination on terms that would produce value for our stockholders.

Any potential target business with which we enter into negotiations concerning a business combination will be aware that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. Consequently, such target business may obtain leverage over us in negotiating a business combination, knowing that if we do not complete our initial business combination with that particular target business, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination with any target business. This risk will increase as we get closer to the end of the timeframe described above. In addition, we may have limited time to conduct due diligence and may enter into our initial business combination on terms that we would have rejected upon a more comprehensive investigation.

We may not be able to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame, in which case we would cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up and we would redeem our public shares and liquidate, in which case our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed that we must complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. We may not be able to find a suitable target business and complete our initial business combination within such time period. Our ability to complete our initial business combination may be negatively impacted by general market conditions, volatility in the capital and debt markets and the other risks described herein, including as a result of terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of infectious diseases. For example, the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally and, while the extent of the impact of the outbreak on us will depend on future developments, it could limit our ability to complete our initial business combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to us or at all. Additionally, the outbreak of COVID-19 and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases) may negatively impact businesses we may seek to acquire. It

 

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may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this ‘‘Risk Factors’’ section, such as those related to the market for our securities and cross-border transactions.

If we have not completed our initial business combination within such time period or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. In such case, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less than $10.00 per share, on the redemption of their shares, and our warrants will expire worthless. Please see “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into certain transactions, including purchasing shares or warrants from the public, which may influence the outcome of our proposed business combination and reduce the public “float” of our securities.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or public warrants or a combination thereof in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination, although they are under no obligation or other duty to do so. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such public stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights, such selling public stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. Please see “Proposed Business—Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how such persons will determine from which stockholders to enter into transactions with. The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where

 

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it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our Class A common stock or warrants and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, possibly making it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

If a stockholder fails to receive notice of our offer to redeem our public shares in connection with our initial business combination, or fails to comply with the procedures for tendering its shares, such shares may not be redeemed.

We will comply with the tender offer rules or proxy rules, as applicable, when conducting redemptions in connection with our initial business combination. Despite our compliance with these rules, if a stockholder fails to receive our tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, such stockholder may not become aware of the opportunity to redeem its shares. In addition, the tender offer documents or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will describe the various procedures that must be complied with in order to validly tender or redeem public shares. For example, we may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer or proxy materials documents mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the initial business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically. In the event that a stockholder fails to comply with these procedures, its shares may not be redeemed. Please see “Proposed Business—Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights.”

You will not have any rights or interests in funds from the trust account, except under certain limited circumstances. To liquidate your investment, therefore, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

Our public stockholders will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination, and then only in connection with those shares of Class A common stock that such stockholder properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described herein; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law and as further described herein. In addition, if we have not completed an initial business combination within the required time period for any reason, compliance with Delaware law may require that we submit a plan of dissolution to our then-existing stockholders for approval prior to the distribution of the proceeds held in our trust account. In that case, public stockholders may be forced to wait beyond the end of such period before they receive funds from our trust account. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind in or to the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any right to the proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants. Accordingly, to liquidate your investment, you may be forced to sell your public shares or warrants, potentially at a loss.

 

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The NYSE may delist our securities from trading on its exchange, which could limit investors’ ability to make transactions in our securities and subject us to additional trading restrictions.

We have applied to have our units listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the date of this prospectus and our Class A common stock and warrants on or promptly after their date of separation. Although after giving effect to this offering we expect to meet the minimum initial listing standards set forth in the NYSE listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will be, or will continue to be, listed on the NYSE in the future or prior to our initial business combination. In order to continue listing our securities on the NYSE prior to our initial business combination, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and stock price levels. In general, we must maintain a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 300 public stockholders). Additionally, in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to demonstrate compliance with the NYSE’s initial listing requirements, which are more rigorous than the NYSE’s continued listing requirements, in order to continue to maintain the listing of our securities on the NYSE. For instance, in order for our Class A common stock to be listed upon the consummation of our initial business combination, at such time, our stock price would generally be required to be at least $4.00 per share, our global market capitalization would be required to be at least $200,000,000, the aggregate market value of publicly-held shares would be required to be at least $100,000,000 and we would be required to have at least 400 round lot holders. We cannot assure you that we will be able to meet those initial listing requirements at that time.

If the NYSE delists any of our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

 

   

a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

   

reduced liquidity for our securities;

 

   

a determination that our Class A common stock is a “penny stock” which will require brokers trading in our Class A common stock to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;

 

   

a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and

 

   

a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

The National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, which is a federal statute, prevents or preempts the states from regulating the sale of certain securities, which are referred to as “covered securities.” Because we expect that our units and eventually our Class A common stock and warrants will be listed on the NYSE, our units, Class A common stock and warrants will qualify as covered securities under such statute. Although the states are preempted from regulating the sale of covered securities, the federal statute does allow the states to investigate companies if there is a suspicion of fraud, and, if there is a finding of fraudulent activity, then the states can regulate or bar the sale of covered securities in a particular case. While we are not aware of a state having used these powers to prohibit or restrict the sale of securities issued by blank check companies, other than the State of Idaho, certain state securities regulators view blank check companies unfavorably and might use these powers, or threaten to use these powers, to hinder the sale of securities of blank check companies in their states. Further, if we were no longer listed on the NYSE, our securities would not qualify as covered securities under such statute and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities.

 

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You will not be entitled to protections normally afforded to investors of many other blank check companies.

Since the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants are intended to be used to complete an initial business combination with a target business that has not been selected, we may be deemed to be a “blank check” company under the U.S. securities laws. However, because we will have net tangible assets in excess of $5,000,000 upon the successful completion of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants and will file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including an audited balance sheet of our company demonstrating this fact, we are exempt from rules promulgated by the SEC to protect investors in blank check companies, such as Rule 419. Accordingly, investors will not be afforded the benefits or protections of those rules. Among other things, this means our units will be immediately tradable and we will have a longer period of time to complete our initial business combination than do companies subject to Rule 419. Moreover, if this offering were subject to Rule 419, that rule would prohibit the release of any interest earned on funds held in the trust account to us unless and until the funds in the trust account were released to us in connection with our completion of our initial business combination. Please see “Proposed Business—Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419” for a more detailed comparison of our offering to offerings that comply with Rule 419.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, and if you or a “group” of stockholders are deemed to hold in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock, you will lose the ability to redeem all such shares in excess of 15% of our Class A common stock.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not restrict our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Your inability to redeem the Excess Shares will reduce your influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and you could suffer a material loss on your investment in us if you sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, you will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete our initial business combination. And as a result, you will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose of such shares, would be required to sell your stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

Because of our limited resources and the significant competition for business combination opportunities, it may be more difficult for us to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on our redemption of their stock, and our warrants will expire worthless.

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, including, without limitation, Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire. Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to

 

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various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there will be numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. Our sponsor or any of its affiliates (including Goldman Sachs) may make additional investments in us, although our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation or other duty to do so. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for a discussion on certain limitations related to other resources Goldman Sachs may, but is under no obligation or other duty to, provide us. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating and completing an initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. Please see “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

If the funds not being held in the trust account are insufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of this offering, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

The funds available to us outside of the trust account may not be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of this offering, assuming that our initial business combination is not completed during that time. We expect to incur significant costs in pursuit of our acquisition plans. Management’s plans to address this need for capital through this offering and potential loans from certain of our affiliates are discussed in the section of this prospectus titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” However, our affiliates are not obligated to make loans to us in the future, and we may not be able to raise additional financing from unaffiliated parties necessary to fund our expenses. Any such event in the future may negatively impact the analysis regarding our ability to continue as a going concern at such time.

We believe that, upon the closing of this offering, the funds available to us outside of the trust account will be sufficient to allow us to operate for at least the 24 months following the closing of this offering; however, we cannot assure you that our estimate is accurate. Of the funds available to us, we could use a portion of the funds available to us to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business and were subsequently required to forfeit such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise), we might not have sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conduct due diligence with respect to, a prospective target business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. Please see “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held

 

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in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not being held in the trust account are insufficient, it could limit the amount available to fund our search for a target business or businesses and complete our initial business combination and we will depend on loans from our sponsor or management team to fund our search, to pay our taxes and to complete our initial business combination. If we are unable to obtain such loans, we may be unable to complete our initial business combination.

Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, only approximately $1,000,000 will be available to us initially outside the trust account to fund our working capital requirements. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount. If we are required to seek additional capital, we would need to borrow funds from our sponsor, management team or other third parties to operate or may be forced to liquidate. Neither our sponsor, members of our management team nor any of their respective affiliates is under any obligation or other duty to loan funds to, or invest in, us in such circumstances. Any such loans may be repaid only from funds held outside the trust account or from funds released to us upon completion of our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination because we do not have sufficient funds available to us, we will be forced to cease operations and liquidate the trust account. In such case, our public stockholders may receive only $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, and our warrants will expire worthless. Please see “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

Subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination, we may be required to subsequently take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and the price of our securities, which could cause you to lose some or all of your investment.

Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business with which we combine, we cannot assure you that this diligence will identify all material issues that may be present with a particular target business, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through a customary amount of due diligence, or that factors outside of the target business and outside of our control will not later arise. As a result of these factors, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in our reporting losses. Even if our due diligence successfully identifies certain risks, unexpected risks may arise and previously known risks may materialize in a manner not consistent with our preliminary risk analysis. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our securities. In addition, charges of this nature may cause us to violate net worth or other covenants to which we may be subject as a result of assuming pre-existing debt held by a target business or by virtue of our obtaining post-combination debt financing. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a stockholder or warrant holder following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

 

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If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share.

Our placing of funds in the trust account may not protect those funds from third-party claims against us. Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, such parties may not execute such agreements, or even if they execute such agreements they may not be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account, including, but not limited to, fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Making such a request of potential target businesses may make our acquisition proposal less attractive to them and, to the extent prospective target businesses refuse to execute such a waiver, it may limit the field of potential target businesses that we might pursue. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. Upon redemption of our public shares, if we have not completed our initial business combination within the prescribed timeframe, or upon the exercise of a redemption right in connection with our initial business combination, we will be required to provide for payment of claims of creditors that were not waived that may be brought against us within the 10 years following redemption. Accordingly, the per-share redemption amount received by public stockholders could be less than the $10.00 per share initially held in the trust account, due to claims of such creditors.

Our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below: (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company. Our sponsor may not have sufficient funds available to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations, and therefore, no funds are currently set aside to cover any such obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in

 

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connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

Our independent directors may decide not to enforce the indemnification obligations of our sponsor, resulting in a reduction in the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below the lesser of: (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in certain instances. For example, the cost of such legal action may be deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or the independent directors may determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. If our independent directors choose not to enforce these indemnification obligations, the amount of funds in the trust account available for distribution to our public stockholders may be reduced below $10.00 per share.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.

If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. In addition, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or having acted in bad faith by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors, thereby exposing itself and us to claims of punitive damages.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the claims of creditors in such proceeding may have priority over the claims of our stockholders and the per share amount that would otherwise be received by our stockholders in connection with our liquidation may be reduced.

If, before distributing the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, the per share amount that would otherwise be received by our public stockholders in connection with our liquidation would be reduced.

 

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If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we may be required to institute burdensome compliance requirements and our activities may be restricted, which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

If we are deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, our activities may be restricted, including:

 

   

restrictions on the nature of our investments; and

 

   

restrictions on the issuance of securities;

each of which may make it difficult for us to complete our initial business combination.

In addition, we may have imposed upon us burdensome requirements, including:

 

   

registration as an investment company with the SEC;

 

   

adoption of a specific form of corporate structure; and

 

   

reporting, record keeping, voting, proxy and disclosure requirements and compliance with other rules and regulations that we are currently not subject to.

In order not to be regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, unless we can qualify for an exclusion, we must ensure that we are engaged primarily in a business other than investing, reinvesting or trading of securities and that our activities do not include investing, reinvesting, owning, holding or trading “investment securities” constituting more than 40% of our total assets (exclusive of U.S. government securities and cash items) on an unconsolidated basis. Our business will be to identify and complete a business combination and thereafter to operate the post-transaction business or assets for the long term. We do not plan to buy businesses or assets with a view to resale or profit from their resale. We do not plan to buy unrelated businesses or assets or to be a passive investor.

We do not believe that our anticipated principal activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act. To this end, the proceeds held in the trust account may only be invested in United States “government securities” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(16) of the Investment Company Act having a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act which invest only in direct U.S. government treasury obligations. Pursuant to the trust agreement, the trustee is not permitted to invest in other securities or assets. By restricting the investment of the proceeds to these instruments, and by having a business plan targeted at acquiring and growing businesses for the long term (rather than on buying and selling businesses in the manner of a merchant bank or private equity fund), we intend to avoid being deemed an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act. This offering is not intended for persons who are seeking a return on investments in government securities or investment securities. The trust account is intended as a holding place for funds pending the earliest to occur of: (i) the completion of our primary business objective, which is a business combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (iii) absent a business combination, our return of the funds held in the trust account to our public stockholders as part of our redemption of the public shares. If we do not invest the proceeds as discussed above, we may be deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act. If we were deemed to be subject to the Investment Company Act, compliance with these additional regulatory burdens would require additional expenses for which we have not allotted funds

 

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and may hinder our ability to consummate our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless. In certain circumstances, our public stockholders may receive less than $10.00 per share on the redemption of their shares. Please see “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

Changes in laws or regulations, or a failure to comply with any laws and regulations, may adversely affect our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

We are subject to laws and regulations enacted by national, regional and local governments. In particular, we will be required to comply with certain SEC and other legal requirements. Compliance with, and monitoring of, applicable laws and regulations may be difficult, time consuming and costly. Those laws and regulations and their interpretation and application may also change from time to time and those changes could have a material adverse effect on our business, investments and results of operations. In addition, a failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations, as interpreted and applied, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our ability to negotiate and complete our initial business combination, and results of operations.

Our stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against us to the extent of distributions received by them upon redemption of their shares.

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If a corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. However, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the 24th month from the closing of this offering (or the end of any Extension Period) in the event we do not complete our initial business combination and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with the foregoing procedures.

Because we do not intend to comply with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the 10 years following our dissolution. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, consultants, etc.) or prospective target businesses. If our plan of distribution complies with Section 281(b) of the DGCL, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would likely be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution. We cannot assure you that we will properly assess all claims that may be potentially brought against us. As

 

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such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend beyond the third anniversary of such date. Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution.

We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our initial business combination and you will not be entitled to any of the corporate protections provided by such a meeting.

We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders until after we consummate our initial business combination (unless required by the NYSE) and thus may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting of stockholders be held for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with a company’s bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to our consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL. Until we hold an annual meeting of stockholders, public stockholders may not be afforded the opportunity to discuss company affairs with management. In addition, prior to our business combination (a) as holders of our Class A common stock, our public stockholders will not have the right to vote on the appointment of our directors and (b) holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove a member of our board of directors for any reason.

We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time, and such registration may not be in place when an investor desires to exercise warrants, thus precluding such investor from being able to exercise its warrants except on a “cashless basis” and potentially causing such warrants to expire worthless.

We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants under the Securities Act or any state securities laws at this time. However, under the terms of the warrant agreement, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, and within 60 business days following our initial business combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed. We cannot assure you that we will be able to do so if, for example, any facts or events arise which represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement or prospectus, the financial statements contained or incorporated by reference therein are not current, complete or correct or the SEC issues a stop order. If the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered under the Securities Act, we will be required to permit holders to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis, in which case, the number of Class A ordinary shares that you will receive upon cashless exercise will be based on a formula subject to a maximum amount of shares equal to 0.365 shares of Class A common stock per warrant (subject to adjustment). However, no warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder or an exemption from registration is available. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A common stock is at the time of any

 

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exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant, or issue securities or other compensation in exchange for the warrants in the event that we are unable to register or qualify the shares underlying the warrants under applicable state securities laws and no exemption is available. If the issuance of the shares upon exercise of the warrants is not so registered or qualified or exempt from registration or qualification, the holder of such warrant shall not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In such event, holders who acquired their warrants as part of a purchase of units will have paid the full unit purchase price solely for the shares of Class A common stock included in the units. There may be a circumstance where an exemption from registration exists for holders of our private placement warrants to exercise their warrants while a corresponding exemption does not exist for holders of the public warrants included as part of units sold in this offering. In such an instance, our sponsor and its permitted transferees (which may include our directors and officers) would be able to exercise their warrants and sell the shares of Class A common stock underlying their warrants while holders of our public warrants would not be able to exercise their warrants and sell the underlying shares of Class A common stock. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying shares of Class A common stock for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem warrants even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise their warrants.

The grant of registration rights to our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees may make it more difficult to complete our initial business combination, and the future exercise of such rights may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.

Pursuant to an agreement to be entered into on or prior to the closing of this offering, at or after the time of our initial business combination, our initial stockholders and their permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of their founder shares after those shares convert to shares of our Class A common stock. In addition, our sponsor and its permitted transferees can demand that we register the resale of the private placement warrants and the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants, and holders of warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans may demand that we register the resale of such warrants or the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants. We will bear the cost of registering these securities. The registration and availability of such a significant number of securities for trading in the public market may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock. In addition, the existence of the registration rights may make our initial business combination more costly or difficult to complete. This is because the stockholders of the target business may increase the equity stake they seek in the combined entity or ask for more cash consideration to offset the negative impact on the market price of our Class A common stock that is expected when the common stock owned by our initial stockholders or their permitted transferees, the private placement warrants or warrants issued in connection with working capital loans are registered for resale.

Because we are neither limited to evaluating target businesses in a particular industry, sector or geographic area nor have we selected any specific target businesses with which to pursue our initial business combination, you will be unable to ascertain the merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations.

We may seek to complete a business combination with an operating company in any industry, sector or geographic area. However, we will not, under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank

 

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check company or similar company with nominal operations. Because we have not yet selected or approached any specific target business with respect to a business combination, there is no basis to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any particular target business’s operations, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, financial condition or prospects. To the extent we complete our initial business combination, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the business operations with which we combine. For example, if we combine with a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by the risks inherent in the business and operations of a financially unstable or a development stage entity. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors or that we will have adequate time to complete due diligence. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business. We also cannot assure you that an investment in our units will ultimately prove to be more favorable to investors than a direct investment, if such opportunity were available, in a business combination target. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a stockholder or warrant holder following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

We may seek acquisition opportunities in acquisition targets that may be outside of our management’s areas of expertise.

We will consider a business combination outside of our management’s areas of expertise if such business combination candidate is presented to us and we determine that such candidate offers an attractive acquisition opportunity for our company. In the event we elect to pursue an acquisition outside of the areas of our management’s expertise, our management’s expertise may not be directly applicable to its evaluation or operation, and the information contained in this prospectus regarding the areas of our management’s expertise would not be relevant to an understanding of the business that we elect to acquire. As a result, our management may not be able to adequately ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors relevant to such acquisition. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a stockholder or warrant holder following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines that we believe are important in evaluating prospective target businesses, we may enter into our initial business combination with a target that does not meet such criteria and guidelines, and as a result, the target business with which we enter into our initial business combination may not have attributes entirely consistent with our general criteria and guidelines.

Although we have identified general criteria and guidelines for evaluating prospective target businesses, it is possible that a target business with which we enter into our initial business combination will not have all of these positive attributes. If we complete our initial business combination with a target that does not meet some or all of these criteria and guidelines, such combination may not be as successful as a combination with a business that does meet all of our general criteria and guidelines. In addition, if we announce a prospective business combination with a target that does not meet our general criteria and guidelines, a greater number of stockholders may exercise their redemption rights, which may make it difficult for us to meet any closing condition with a target business that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. In addition, if stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, it may be more difficult for us to attain stockholder approval of our initial business combination if the target business does not meet our

 

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general criteria and guidelines. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We may seek acquisition opportunities with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of revenue or earnings, which could subject us to volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel.

To the extent we complete our initial business combination with an early stage company, a financially unstable business or an entity lacking an established record of sales or earnings, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in the operations of the business with which we combine. These risks include investing in a business without a proven business model and with limited historical financial data, volatile revenues or earnings, intense competition and difficulties in obtaining and retaining key personnel. Although our officers and directors will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we may not be able to properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors. Furthermore, some of these risks may be outside of our control and leave us with no ability to control or reduce the chances that those risks will adversely impact a target business.

We are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or from an independent accounting firm regarding fairness. Consequently, you may have no assurance from an independent source that the price we are paying for the business is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Unless we complete our initial business combination with an affiliated entity, we are not required to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm that the price we are paying is fair to our company from a financial point of view. If no opinion is obtained, our stockholders will be relying on the judgment of our board of directors, who will determine fair market value based on standards generally accepted by the financial community. Such standards used will be disclosed in our tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, related to our initial business combination.

We may issue additional shares of Class A common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon the conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions described herein. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 50,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share and 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. Immediately after this offering, there will be 404,500,000 and 29,875,000 (assuming in each case, that the underwriters have not exercised their option to purchase additional units) authorized but unissued shares of Class A and Class B common stock available, respectively, for issuance, which amount takes into account shares reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants but not upon the conversion of the Class B common stock. Shares of Class B common stock are automatically convertible into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, initially at a one-for-one ratio but subject to adjustment as set forth herein. Immediately after this offering, there will be no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.

 

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We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock, and may issue shares of preferred stock, in order to complete our initial business combination (including pursuant to a specified future issuance) or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock to redeem the warrants as described in “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants—Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00” or upon conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions described herein. However, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. The issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock:

 

   

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B common stock resulted in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock;

 

   

may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

 

   

could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock is issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors;

 

   

may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us;

 

   

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants; and

 

   

may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants.

Resources could be wasted in researching acquisitions that are not completed, which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less than such amount in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire worthless.

We anticipate that the investigation of each specific target business and the negotiation, drafting and execution of relevant agreements, disclosure documents and other instruments will require substantial management time and attention and substantial costs for accountants, attorneys and others. If we decide not to complete a specific initial business combination, the costs incurred up to that point for the proposed transaction likely would not be recoverable. Furthermore, if we reach an agreement relating to a specific target business, we may fail to complete our initial business combination for any number of reasons including those beyond our control. Any such event will result in a loss to us of the related costs incurred which could materially adversely affect subsequent attempts to locate and acquire or merge with another business. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account and our warrants will expire

 

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worthless. Please see “—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors herein.

Our officers and directors will allocate their time to other businesses thereby causing conflicts of interest in their determination as to how much time to devote to our affairs. This conflict of interest could have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination.

Our officers and directors are not required to, and will not, commit their full time to our affairs, which may result in a conflict of interest in allocating their time between our operations and our search for a business combination and their other responsibilities. We do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our business combination. Each of our officers and directors is engaged in several other business endeavors for which he or she may be entitled to substantial compensation and our officers and directors are not obligated to contribute any specific number of hours per week to our affairs. In particular, Raanan A. Agus, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Tom Knott, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and one of our directors, are currently associated with Goldman Sachs (although there is no assurance that either of them will remain associated with Goldman Sachs), which sponsors, manages and advises GS Accounts that make, or may in the future make, investments in securities or other interests of or relating to companies in industries we may target for our initial business combination. Our independent directors also serve as officers and/or board members for other entities. If our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs require them to devote substantial amounts of time to such affairs in excess of their current commitment levels, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs which may have a negative impact on our ability to complete our initial business combination. Please see “Management—Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers” for a discussion of our officers’ and directors’ other business affairs.

We are dependent upon our officers and directors and their departure could adversely affect our ability to operate.

Our operations are dependent upon a relatively small group of individuals. We believe that our success depends on the continued service of our officers and directors, at least until we have completed our initial business combination. We do not have an employment agreement with, or key-man insurance on the life of, any of our directors or officers. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more of our directors or officers could have a detrimental effect on us.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination and to be successful thereafter will be dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, some of whom may join us following our initial business combination. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Our ability to successfully effect our initial business combination is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. The role of our key personnel in the target business, however, cannot presently be ascertained. Although some of our key personnel may remain with the target business in senior management or advisory positions following our initial business combination, we do not currently expect that any of them will do so. In addition, the merchant banking authority of the BHCA will restrict employees of Goldman Sachs from participating in the routine management and operations of us after our initial business combination. While we intend to closely scrutinize any individuals we engage after our initial business combination, we cannot assure you that our assessment of these individuals will prove to be correct. These individuals may be unfamiliar with the requirements of operating a company regulated by the SEC, which could cause us to have to expend time and resources helping them become familiar with such requirements.

 

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In addition, the officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place. The loss of key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business.

Goldman Sachs’ engagement with other entities may limit its ability to participate in certain transactions on our behalf or preclude us from taking certain actions.

We may, but are not required to, engage Goldman Sachs for services as a financial advisor in connection with identifying and investigating potential targets for our business combination, or for other services in connection with our initial business combination, such as placement agent, or financing or capital markets advisor. Goldman Sachs is often engaged as a financial advisor, or to provide financing, to corporations and other entities and their directors and managers in connection with the sale of those entities, their assets or their subsidiaries, and Goldman Sachs’ compensation in connection with these engagements may be substantial. Sellers generally require Goldman Sachs to act exclusively on their behalf and Goldman Sachs may be precluded in many instances from participating in our initial business combination with such a target business. Additionally, for these reasons and/or for other reasons, we may be precluded in many instances from attempting to acquire securities of the business being sold or otherwise participate as a buyer in the transaction. Goldman Sachs also represents potential buyer’s businesses. Goldman Sachs may be incentivized to direct an opportunity to one of these buyers or to form a consortium with such buyers to bid for the opportunity, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunity available to us.

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination, and a particular business combination may be conditioned on the retention or resignation of such key personnel. These agreements may cause our key personnel to have conflicts of interest in determining whether to proceed with a particular business combination. However, we do not expect that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination.

Our key personnel may be able to remain with our company after the completion of our initial business combination only if they are able to negotiate employment or consulting agreements in connection with the business combination. Such negotiations would take place simultaneously with the negotiation of the business combination and could provide for such individuals to receive compensation in the form of cash payments and/or our securities for services they would render to us after the completion of the business combination. Such negotiations also could make such key personnel’s retention or resignation a condition to any such agreement. The personal and financial interests of such individuals may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business. However, we believe the ability of such individuals to remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination will not be the determining factor in our decision as to whether or not we will proceed with any potential business combination, as we do not expect that any of our key personnel will remain with us after the completion of our initial business combination. In addition, the merchant banking authority of the BHCA will restrict employees of Goldman Sachs from participating in the routine management and operations of the post-transaction company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with us will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

 

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We may have a limited ability to assess the management of a prospective target business and, as a result, may effect our initial business combination with a target business whose management may not have the skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company.

When evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with a prospective target business, our ability to assess the target business’s management may be limited due to a lack of time, resources or information. Our assessment of the capabilities of the target’s management, therefore, may prove to be incorrect and such management may lack the skills, qualifications or abilities we suspected. Should the target’s management not possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to manage a public company, the operations and profitability of the post-combination business may be negatively impacted. Accordingly, any stockholders or warrant holders who choose to remain a stockholder or warrant holder following our initial business combination could suffer a reduction in the value of their securities. Such stockholders or warrant holders are unlikely to have a remedy for such reduction in value.

The officers and directors of an acquisition candidate may resign upon completion of our initial business combination. The departure of a business combination target’s key personnel could negatively impact the operations and profitability of our post-combination business. The role of an acquisition candidate’s key personnel upon the completion of our initial business combination cannot be ascertained at this time. Although we contemplate that certain members of an acquisition candidate’s management team will remain associated with the acquisition candidate following our initial business combination, it is possible that members of the management of an acquisition candidate will not wish to remain in place. In addition, the merchant banking authority of the BHCA will restrict employees of Goldman Sachs from participating in the routine management and operations of the post-transaction company. As a result, we may need to reconstitute the management team of the post-transaction company in connection with our initial business combination, which may adversely impact our ability to complete an acquisition in a timely manner or at all.

Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity or other transaction should be presented.

Following the completion of this offering and until we consummate our initial business combination, we intend to engage in the business of identifying and combining with one or more businesses. Our sponsor and officers and directors are, or may in the future become, affiliated with entities (such as operating companies or investment vehicles) that are engaged in a similar business. We do not have employment contracts with our officers and directors that will limit their ability to work at other businesses.

As described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets”). These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide

 

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that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

Please see “Management—Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers,” “Management—Conflicts of Interest” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for a discussion of our officers’ and directors’ business affiliations and potential conflicts of interest.

Our officers, directors, security holders and their respective affiliates may have competitive pecuniary interests that conflict with our interests.

We have not adopted a policy that expressly prohibits our directors, officers, security holders or affiliates from having a direct or indirect pecuniary or financial interest in any investment to be acquired or disposed of by us or in any transaction to which we are a party or have an interest. In fact, we may enter into a business combination with a target business that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, our directors or officers or a GS Account, or we may pursue an affiliated joint acquisition opportunity with any such persons. We do not have a policy that expressly prohibits any such persons from engaging for their own account in business activities of the types conducted by us. Accordingly, such persons or entities may have a conflict between their interests and ours.

In particular, affiliates of our sponsor (including Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts) have invested, and may in the future invest, in a broad array of sectors, including those in which our company may invest. As a result, there may be substantial overlap between companies that would be a suitable business combination for us and companies that would make an attractive target for such other affiliates. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs—Goldman Sachs May Act in Multiple Commercial Capacities” for additional information.

We may engage in a business combination with one or more target businesses that have relationships with entities that may be affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors which may raise potential conflicts of interest.

In light of the involvement of our sponsor, officers and directors with other businesses, we may decide to acquire one or more businesses affiliated with or competitive with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers and directors, GS Accounts and their respective affiliates. Our directors also serve as officers and/or board members for other entities, including, without limitation, those described under “Management—Conflicts of Interest.” Such entities may compete with us for business combination opportunities. Our sponsor, officers and directors are not currently aware of any specific opportunities for us to complete our initial business combination with any entities with which they are affiliated, and there have been no substantive discussions concerning a business combination with any such entity or entities. Although we will not be specifically focusing on, or targeting, any transaction with any affiliated entities, we would pursue such a transaction if we determined that such affiliated entity met our criteria for a business combination as set forth in “Proposed Business—Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination” and such transaction was approved by a majority of our independent and disinterested directors. Despite our agreement to obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm, regarding the fairness to our company from a financial point of view of a business combination with one or more domestic or international businesses affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, potential conflicts of interest still may exist and, as a result, the terms of the business combination may not be as advantageous to our public stockholders as they would be absent any conflicts of interest.

 

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Moreover, we may, at our option, pursue an affiliated joint acquisition opportunity with Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates or with other entities to which an officer or director has a fiduciary, contractual or other obligation or duty. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by making a specified future issuance to any such parties, which may give rise to certain conflicts of interest.

Since our initial stockholders will lose their entire investment in us if our initial business combination is not completed (other than with respect to any public shares they may hold), a conflict of interest may arise in determining whether a particular business combination target is appropriate for our initial business combination.

In July 2018, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 575 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000. In April 2020 and June 2020, we conducted stock splits, resulting in our sponsor holding 20,125,000 founder shares (up to 2,625,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised), resulting in an effective purchase price per founder share of approximately $0.0003. The number of founder shares issued in the stock split was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon the completion of this offering. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of the outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. The founder shares will be worthless if we do not complete an initial business combination. Additionally, members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, including founder shares, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Please see “Principal Stockholders.”

In addition, our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants for a purchase price of $16,000,000 (or $18,100,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), or $2.00 per warrant, that will also be worthless if we do not complete our initial business combination. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein.

The founder shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: (1) prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the Class B common stock have the right to vote on the election of directors and holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove members of our board of directors for any reason; (2) our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive: (a) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (b) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (I) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (II) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (c) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from

 

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the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame); (3) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described under “Description of Securities—Founder Shares”; (4) the founder shares are automatically convertible into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein; and (5) the holders of founder shares are entitled to registration rights.

The personal and financial interests of our sponsor, officers and directors may influence their motivation in identifying and selecting a target business combination, completing an initial business combination and influencing the operation of the business following the initial business combination. This risk may become more acute as the deadline for completing our initial business combination nears.

We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.

Although we have no commitments as of the date of this prospectus to issue any notes or other debt securities, or to otherwise incur outstanding debt following this offering, we may choose to incur substantial debt (including from Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates) to complete our initial business combination. We have agreed that we will not incur any indebtedness unless we have obtained from the lender a waiver of any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to the monies held in the trust account. As such, no issuance of debt will affect the per share amount available for redemption from the trust account. Nevertheless, the incurrence of debt could have a variety of negative effects, including:

 

   

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

 

   

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

 

   

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;

 

   

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;

 

   

our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;

 

   

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

 

   

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

 

   

increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and

 

   

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

 

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We may only be able to complete one business combination with the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, which will cause us to be solely dependent on a single business which may have a limited number of products or services. This lack of diversification may materially negatively impact our operations and profitability.

The net proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will provide us with $701,000,000 (or $806,000,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) that we may use to complete our initial business combination (which includes $24,500,000 or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full, of deferred underwriting commissions being held in the trust account, and excludes estimated offering expenses of $1,000,000).

We may effectuate our initial business combination with a single target business or multiple target businesses simultaneously or within a short period of time. However, we may not be able to effectuate our initial business combination with more than one target business because of various factors, including the existence of complex accounting issues and the requirement that we prepare and file pro forma financial statements with the SEC that present operating results and the financial condition of several target businesses as if they had been operated on a combined basis. By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

 

   

solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset; or

 

   

dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.

This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.

We may attempt to simultaneously complete business combinations with multiple prospective targets, which may hinder our ability to complete our initial business combination and give rise to increased costs and risks that could negatively impact our operations and profitability.

If we determine to simultaneously acquire several businesses that are owned by different sellers, we will need for each of such sellers to agree that our purchase of its business is contingent on the simultaneous closings of the other business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us, and delay our ability, to complete our initial business combination. With multiple business combinations, we could also face additional risks, including additional burdens and costs with respect to possible multiple negotiations and due diligence investigations (if there are multiple sellers) and the additional risks associated with the subsequent assimilation of the operations and services or products of the acquired companies in a single operating business. If we are unable to adequately address these risks, it could negatively impact our profitability and results of operations.

We may attempt to complete our initial business combination with a private company about which little information is available, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

In pursuing our acquisition strategy, we may seek to effectuate our initial business combination with a privately held company. Very little public information generally exists about private companies,

 

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and we could be required to make our decision on whether to pursue a potential initial business combination on the basis of limited information, which may result in a business combination with a company that is not as profitable as we suspected, if at all.

Our management may not be able to maintain control of a target business after our initial business combination. We cannot provide assurance that, upon loss of control of a target business, new management will possess the skills, qualifications or abilities necessary to profitably operate such business.

We may structure our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own or acquire shares will own less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for us not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We will not consider any transaction that does not meet such criteria. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post business combination company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares of common stock in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target, or issue a substantial number of new shares to third-parties in connection with financing our initial business combination. In such cases, we would acquire a 100% interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares of common stock, our stockholders immediately prior to such transaction could own less than a majority of our outstanding shares of common stock subsequent to such transaction. In addition, other minority stockholders may subsequently combine their holdings resulting in a single person or group obtaining a larger share of the company’s stock than we initially acquired. Accordingly, this may make it more likely that our management will not be able to maintain our control of the target business.

We do not have a specified maximum redemption threshold. The absence of such a redemption threshold may make it possible for us to complete our initial business combination with which a substantial majority of our stockholders do not agree.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will not provide a specified maximum redemption threshold, except that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. As a result, we may be able to complete our initial business combination even though a substantial majority of our public stockholders do not agree with the transaction and have redeemed their shares or, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, have entered into privately negotiated agreements to sell their shares to our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their respective affiliates. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).

 

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The exercise price for the public warrants is higher than in some other blank check company offerings, and, accordingly, the warrants are more likely to expire worthless.

The exercise price of the public warrants is higher than in some other blank check companies. For example, historically, the exercise price of a warrant was often a fraction of the purchase price of the units in the initial public offering. The exercise price for our public warrants is $11.50 per share, subject to adjustments as provided herein. As a result, the warrants are less likely to ever be in the money and more likely to expire worthless.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and the two director designees of our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination, which may have the effect of delaying or preventing a business combination that our public stockholders would consider favorable.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and the two director nominees of our sponsor, initially Raanan A. Agus and Tom Knott, to approve our initial business combination. Accordingly, it is unlikely that we will be able to enter into an initial business combination unless our sponsor finds the target and the business combination attractive. This may make it more difficult for us to approve and enter into an initial business combination than other blank check companies and could result in us not pursuing an acquisition target or other board or corporate action that our public stockholders would find, favorable.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or governing instruments, including our warrant agreement, in a manner that will make it easier for us to complete our initial business combination that some of our stockholders or warrant holders may not support.

In order to effectuate an initial business combination, blank check companies have, in the recent past, amended various provisions of their charters and modified governing instruments, including their warrant agreements. For example, blank check companies have amended the definition of business combination, increased redemption thresholds, extended the time to consummate an initial business combination and, with respect to their warrants, amended their warrant agreements to require the warrants to be exchanged for cash and/or other securities. We cannot assure you that we will not seek to amend our charter or governing instruments or extend the time to consummate an initial business combination in order to effectuate our initial business combination. To the extent any such amendment would be deemed to fundamentally change the nature of any of the securities offered through the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we would register, or seek an exemption from registration for, the affected securities.

Certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that relate to our pre-business combination activity (and corresponding provisions of the agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account) may be amended with the approval of holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock, which is a lower amendment threshold than that of some other blank check companies. It may be easier for us, therefore, to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and the trust agreement to facilitate the completion of an initial business combination that some of our stockholders may not support.

Some other blank check companies have a provision in their charter which prohibits the amendment of certain of its provisions, including those which relate to a company’s pre-business

 

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combination activity, without approval by holders of a certain percentage of the company’s stockholders. In those companies, amendment of these provisions typically requires approval by holders holding between 90% and 100% of the company’s public shares. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that any of its provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination, which require the approval by holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting) related to pre-business combination activity (including the requirement to deposit proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants into the trust account and not release such amounts except in specified circumstances and to provide redemption rights to public stockholders as described herein) may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock, and corresponding provisions of the trust agreement governing the release of funds from our trust account may be amended if approved by holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders, and, prior to our initial business combination, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock is required to approve the election or removal of directors. We may not issue additional securities that can vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our initial stockholders, who will beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and/or trust agreement and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. As a result, we may be able to amend the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation which will govern our pre-business combination behavior more easily than some other blank check companies, and this may increase our ability to complete our initial business combination with which you do not agree.

Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. These agreements are contained in a letter agreement that we have entered into with our sponsor, officers and directors. Our public stockholders are not parties to, or third-party beneficiaries of, these agreements and, as a result, will not have the ability to pursue remedies against our sponsor, officers or directors for any breach of these agreements. As a result, in the event of a breach, our public stockholders would need to pursue a stockholder derivative action, subject to applicable law.

Certain agreements related to this offering may be amended without stockholder approval.

Certain agreements, including the letter agreement among us and our sponsor, officers and directors, and the registration rights agreement among us and our initial stockholders, may be amended without stockholder approval. These agreements contain various provisions, including transfer restrictions on our founder shares, that our public stockholders might deem to be material. While we do not expect our board of directors to approve any amendment to any of these agreements prior to our initial business combination, it may be possible that our board of directors, in exercising its business judgment and subject to its fiduciary duties, chooses to approve one or more amendments to

 

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any such agreement in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Any such amendments would not require approval from our stockholders, may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible, and may have an adverse effect on the value of an investment in our securities.

We may be unable to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination or to fund the operations and growth of a target business, which could compel us to restructure or abandon a particular business combination.

Although we believe that the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be sufficient to allow us to complete our initial business combination, because we have not yet selected any target business we cannot ascertain the capital requirements for any particular transaction. If the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants prove to be insufficient, either because of the size of our initial business combination, the depletion of the available net proceeds in search of a target business, the obligation to redeem for cash a significant number of shares from stockholders who elect redemption in connection with our initial business combination or the terms of negotiated transactions to purchase shares in connection with our initial business combination, we may be required to seek additional financing (including pursuant to a specified future issuance or otherwise from Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates) or to abandon the proposed business combination. We cannot assure you that such financing will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. None of Goldman Sachs, the GS Accounts or their respective affiliates is obligated to provide, or seek, any such financing or, except as expressly set forth herein, to provide any other services to us. To the extent that additional financing proves to be unavailable when needed to complete our initial business combination, we would be compelled to either restructure the transaction or abandon that particular business combination and seek an alternative target business candidate. In addition, even if we do not need additional financing to complete our initial business combination, we may require such financing to fund the operations or growth of the target business. The failure to secure additional financing could have a material adverse effect on the continued development or growth of the target business. None of our officers, directors or stockholders is required to provide any financing to us in connection with or after our initial business combination. If we are unable to complete our initial business combination, our public stockholders may receive only approximately $10.00 per share, or less in certain circumstances, on the liquidation of our trust account, and our warrants will expire worthless.

Our initial stockholders will control the election of our board of directors until consummation of our initial business combination and will hold a substantial interest in us. As a result, they will elect all of our directors prior to our initial business combination and may exert a substantial influence on actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support.

Upon the closing of this offering, our initial stockholders will own 20% of our outstanding common stock (assuming they do not purchase any units in this offering). In addition, prior to our initial business combination, holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to appoint all of our directors and may remove members of our board of directors for any reason. Holders of our public shares will have no right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended by holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting. As a result, you will not have any influence over the election of directors prior to our initial business combination.

Neither our initial stockholders nor, to our knowledge, any of our officers or directors, have any current intention to purchase additional securities, other than as disclosed in this prospectus. Factors that would be considered in making such additional purchases would include consideration of the

 

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current trading price of our Class A common stock. In addition, as a result of their substantial ownership in our company, our initial stockholders may exert a substantial influence on other actions requiring a stockholder vote, potentially in a manner that you do not support, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of major corporate transactions. If our initial stockholders purchase any additional shares of common stock in the aftermarket or in privately negotiated transactions, this would increase their influence over these actions. Accordingly, our initial stockholders will exert significant influence over actions requiring a stockholder vote. Please see “Proposed Business—Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities.”

Our sponsor paid an aggregate of $5,000, or approximately $0.0003 per founder share (after giving effect to the stock split described herein), and, accordingly, you will experience immediate and substantial dilution from the purchase of our Class A common stock.

The difference between the public offering price per share (allocating all of the unit purchase price to the common stock and none to the warrant included in the unit) and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to you and the other investors in this offering. Our sponsor acquired the founder shares at a nominal price, significantly contributing to this dilution. Upon the closing of this offering, and assuming no value is ascribed to the warrants included in the units, you and the other public stockholders will incur an immediate and substantial dilution of approximately 97.5% (or $9.75 per share, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units), the difference between the pro forma net tangible book value per share of $0.25 and the initial offering price of $10.00 per unit. This dilution would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B common stock result in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock at the time of our initial business combination and would become exacerbated to the extent that public stockholders seek redemptions from the trust. In addition, because of the anti-dilution protection in the founder shares, any equity or equity-linked securities issued in connection with our initial business combination would be disproportionately dilutive to our Class A common stock.

We may amend the terms of the warrants in a manner that may be adverse to holders of public warrants with the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants. As a result, the exercise price of your warrants could be increased, the warrants could be converted into cash or stock (at a ratio different than initially provided), the exercise period could be shortened and the number of shares of our Class A common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant could be decreased, all without your approval.

Our warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. The warrant agreement provides that (a) the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or defective provision or (ii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants and (b) all other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, at least 50% of the then outstanding private placement warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the public warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants approve of such amendment. Although our ability to amend the terms of the public warrants with the consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants is unlimited, examples of such amendments could be amendments to,

 

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among other things, increase the exercise price of the warrants, convert the warrants into cash or stock (at a ratio different than initially provided), shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of shares of our common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant.

We may redeem your unexpired warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous to you, thereby making your warrants worthless.

We have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant if, among other things, the last reported sales price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30 trading-day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the public warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding warrants could force you to: (1) exercise your warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so; (2) sell your warrants at the then-current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your warrants; or (3) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, we expect would be substantially less than the market value of your warrants.

In addition, we have the ability to redeem outstanding warrants commencing ninety days after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.10 per warrant if, among other things, the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. In such a case, the holders will be able to exercise their warrants for cash or on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares of Class A common stock determined by reference to the table set forth under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (as defined below) except as otherwise described in “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” Any such redemption may have similar consequences to a cash redemption described above. In addition, such redemption may occur at a time when the warrants are “out-of-the-money,” in which case you would lose any potential embedded value from a subsequent increase in the value of the Class A common stock had your warrants remained outstanding.

None of the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees.

Our warrants and founder shares may have an adverse effect on the market price of our Class A common stock and make it more difficult to effectuate our initial business combination.

We will be issuing warrants to purchase 17,500,000 shares of our Class A common stock (or up to 20,125,000 shares of our Class A common stock if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), at a price of $11.50 per whole share (subject to adjustment as provided herein), as part of the units offered by this prospectus and, simultaneously with the closing of this offering, we will be issuing in a private placement an aggregate of 8,000,000 (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Our initial stockholders currently hold 20,125,000 founder shares (up to 2,625,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the

 

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underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised). The founder shares are convertible into shares of Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as set forth herein. In addition, if our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors make any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be converted into warrants, at the price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.

To the extent we issue shares of Class A common stock to effectuate our initial business combination, the potential for the issuance of a substantial number of additional shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of these warrants or conversion rights could make us a less attractive acquisition vehicle to a target business. Any such issuance will increase the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and reduce the value of the Class A common stock issued to complete the business combination. Therefore, our warrants and founder shares may make it more difficult to effectuate a business combination or increase the cost of acquiring the target business.

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees: (1) they will not be redeemable by us; (2) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; (3) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; (4) the holders thereof (including with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights; and (5) they will not be exercisable more than five years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(i), as long as our sponsor or any of its related persons beneficially own such private placement warrants.

Because each unit contains one-quarter of one redeemable warrant and only a whole warrant may be exercised, the units may be worth less than units of other blank check companies.

Each unit contains one-quarter of one redeemable warrant. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, no fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units, and only whole units will trade. This is different from other offerings similar to ours whose units include one share of Class A common stock and one whole warrant to purchase one whole share. We have established the components of the units in this way in order to reduce the dilutive effect of the warrants upon completion of a business combination since the warrants will be exercisable in the aggregate for a quarter of the number of shares compared to units that each contain a whole warrant to purchase one whole share, thus making us, we believe, a more attractive business combination partner for target businesses. Nevertheless, this unit structure may cause our units to be worth less than if they included a warrant to purchase one whole share.

The determination of the offering price of our units and the size of this offering is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities and size of an offering of an operating company in a particular industry. You may have less assurance, therefore, that the offering price of our units properly reflects the value of such units than you would have in a typical offering of an operating company.

Prior to this offering there has been no public market for any of our securities. The public offering price of the units and the terms of the warrants were negotiated between us and the underwriters. In determining the size of this offering, management held customary organizational meetings with representatives of the underwriters, both prior to our inception and thereafter, with respect to the state of capital markets, generally, and the amount the underwriters believed they reasonably could raise on our behalf. Factors considered in determining the size of this offering, prices and terms of the units, including the Class A common stock and warrants underlying the units, include:

 

   

the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies;

 

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prior offerings of those companies;

 

   

our prospects for acquiring an operating business at attractive values;

 

   

a review of debt to equity ratios in leveraged transactions;

 

   

our capital structure;

 

   

an assessment of our management and their experience in identifying suitable acquisition opportunities;

 

   

general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and

 

   

other factors as were deemed relevant.

Although these factors were considered, the determination of our offering price is more arbitrary than the pricing of securities of an operating company in a particular industry since we have no historical operations or financial results.

There is currently no market for our securities and a market for our securities may not develop, which would adversely affect the liquidity and price of our securities.

There is currently no market for our securities. Stockholders therefore have no access to information about prior market history on which to base their investment decision. Following this offering, the price of our securities may vary significantly due to one or more potential business combinations and general market or economic conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases). Furthermore, an active trading market for our securities may never develop or, if developed, it may not be sustained. You may be unable to sell your securities unless a market can be established and sustained.

Because we must furnish our stockholders with target business financial statements, we may lose the ability to complete an otherwise advantageous initial business combination with some prospective target businesses.

The federal proxy rules require that a proxy statement with respect to a vote on a business combination meeting certain financial significance tests include historical and/or pro forma financial statement disclosure in periodic reports. We will include the same financial statement disclosure in connection with our tender offer documents, whether or not they are required under the tender offer rules. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or GAAP, or international financial reporting standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame.

We are an emerging growth company and a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements

 

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that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of any second quarter of a fiscal year, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the end of such fiscal year. We cannot predict whether investors will find our securities less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result of our reliance on these exemptions, the trading prices of our securities may be lower than they otherwise would be, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the trading prices of our securities may be more volatile.

Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, it may also make comparison of our financial statements with other public companies difficult or impossible.

Compliance obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may make it more difficult for us to effectuate our initial business combination, require substantial financial and management resources, and increase the time and costs of completing an acquisition.

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and report on our system of internal controls beginning with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2021. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. The fact that we are a blank check company makes compliance with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act particularly burdensome on us as compared to other public companies because a

 

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target business with which we seek to complete our initial business combination may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of its internal controls. The development of the internal control of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover of us, which could limit the price investors might be willing to pay in the future for our Class A common stock and could entrench management.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain provisions that may discourage unsolicited takeover proposals that stockholders may consider to be in their best interests. These provisions include two–year director terms and the ability of the board of directors to designate the terms of and issue new series of preferred shares, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

We are also subject to anti-takeover provisions under Delaware law, which could delay or prevent a change of control. Together these provisions may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will designate the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with our company or our company’s directors, officers or other employees.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (1) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (2) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of our company to our company or our stockholders, or any claim for aiding and abetting any such alleged breach, (3) action asserting a claim against our company or any director or officer of our company arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (4) action asserting a claim against us or any director or officer of our company governed by the internal affairs doctrine except for, as to each of (1) through (4) above, any claim (a) as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination) or (b) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or otherwise arising under federal securities laws, for which the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “foreign action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to: (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an “enforcement action”), and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such enforcement action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the foreign action as agent for such stockholder.

 

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This forum selection clause may discourage claims or limit stockholders’ ability to submit claims in a judicial forum that they find favorable and may result in additional costs for a stockholder seeking to bring a claim. While we believe the risk of a court declining to enforce this forum selection clause is low, if a court were to determine the forum selection clause to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs in conjunction with our efforts to resolve the dispute in an alternative jurisdiction, which could have a negative impact on our results of operations and financial condition and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and board of directors.

If our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we may face additional burdens in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing such combination, and if we effect such initial business combination, we would be subject to a variety of additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.

If our management team pursues a company with operations or opportunities outside of the United States for our initial business combination, we would be subject to risks associated with cross-border business combinations, including in connection with investigating, agreeing to and completing our initial business combination, conducting due diligence in a foreign market, having such transaction approved by any local governments, regulators or agencies and changes in the purchase price based on fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

If we effect our initial business combination with such a company, we would be subject to any special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in an international setting, including any of the following:

 

   

costs and difficulties inherent in managing cross-border business operations and complying with commercial and legal requirements of overseas markets;

 

   

rules and regulations regarding currency redemption;

 

   

complex corporate withholding taxes on individuals;

 

   

laws governing the manner in which future business combinations may be effected;

 

   

tariffs and trade barriers;

 

   

regulations related to customs and import/export matters;

 

   

longer payment cycles;

 

   

changes in local regulations as part of a response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases;

 

   

tax consequences;

 

   

currency fluctuations and exchange controls;

 

   

rates of inflation;

 

   

challenges in collecting accounts receivable;

 

   

cultural and language differences;

 

   

employment regulations;

 

   

crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars;

 

   

deterioration of political relations with the United States;

 

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obligatory military service by personnel; and

 

   

government appropriation of assets.

We may not be able to adequately address these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, we may be unable to complete such combination or, if we complete such combination, our operations might suffer, either of which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

If our management following our initial business combination is unfamiliar with U.S. securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws, which could lead to various regulatory issues.

Following our initial business combination, any or all of our management could resign from their positions as officers of the post-business combination company, and the management of the target business at the time of the business combination could remain in place. Management of the target business may not be familiar with U.S. securities laws. If new management is unfamiliar with U.S. securities laws, they may have to expend time and resources becoming familiar with such laws. This could be expensive and time-consuming and could lead to various regulatory issues which may adversely affect our operations.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements contained in this prospectus are forward-looking in nature. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:

 

   

our ability to select an appropriate target business or businesses;

 

   

our ability to complete our initial business combination;

 

   

our expectations around the performance of a prospective target business or businesses;

 

   

our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors following our initial business combination;

 

   

our officers and directors allocating their time to other businesses and potentially having conflicts of interest with our business or in approving our initial business combination;

 

   

actual and potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts;

 

   

our ability to draw from the support and expertise of the Goldman Sachs organization;

 

   

our potential ability to obtain additional financing to complete our initial business combination;

 

   

our pool of prospective target businesses, including the location and industry of such target businesses;

 

   

our ability to consummate an initial business combination due to the uncertainty resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic and other events (such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters or a significant outbreak of other infectious diseases);

 

   

the ability of our officers and directors to generate a number of potential business combination opportunities;

 

   

our public securities’ potential liquidity and trading;

 

   

the lack of a market for our securities;

 

   

the use of proceeds not held in the trust account or available to us from interest income on the trust account balance;

 

   

the trust account not being subject to claims of third parties; or

 

   

our financial performance following this offering.

The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We are offering 70,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit. We estimate that the net proceeds of this offering together with the funds we will receive from the sale of the private placement warrants will be used as set forth in the following table.

 

     Without
Option to Purchase
Additional Units
    Option to
Purchase
Additional Units
Exercised in Full
 

Gross proceeds

    

Gross proceeds from units offered to public(1)

   $ 700,000,000     $ 805,000,000  

Gross proceeds from private placement warrants offered in the private placement

     16,000,000       18,100,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total gross proceeds

   $ 716,000,000     $ 823,100,000  

Estimated offering expenses(2)

    

Underwriting commissions (2.0% of gross proceeds from units offered to public, excluding deferred portion)(3)

   $ 14,000,000     $ 16,100,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     250,000       250,000  

Printing and engraving expenses

     40,000       40,000  

Accounting fees and expenses

     142,500       142,500  

SEC/FINRA Expenses

     225,739       225,739  

Travel and road show

     10,000       10,000  

Directors and officers insurance premiums

     200,000       200,000  

NYSE listing and filing fees

     85,000       85,000  

Miscellaneous expenses(4)

     46,760       46,760  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total estimated offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions)

     1,000,000       1,000,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Proceeds after estimated offering expenses

   $ 701,000,000     $ 806,000,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Held in trust account(3)

   $ 700,000,000     $ 805,000,000  

% of public offering size

     100     100

Not held in trust account

   $ 1,000,000     $ 1,000,000  

The following table shows the use of the approximately $1,000,000 of estimated net proceeds not held in the trust account.(5)

 

     Amount      % of Total  

Legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses in connection with any business combination(6)

   $ 360,000        36.0

Legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting obligations

     200,000        20.0  

Payment for office space, administrative and support services

     240,000        24.0  

Reserve for liquidation expenses

     100,000        10.0  

NYSE continued listing fees

     85,000        8.5  

Working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses (including franchise taxes net of anticipated interest income)

     15,000        1.5  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,000,000        100.0
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

(1)

Includes amounts payable to public stockholders who properly redeem their shares in connection with our successful completion of our initial business combination.

(2)

A portion of the offering expenses have been paid from the proceeds of loans from an affiliate of our sponsor of up to $300,000 as described in this prospectus. As of March 31, 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under such promissory note. Subsequent to March 31, 2020,

 

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  we borrowed $300,000 under such promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account. These expenses are estimated only. In the event that offering expenses are less than as set forth in this table, any such amounts will be used for post-closing working capital expenses. In the event that the offering expenses are more than as set forth in this table, we may fund such excess with funds not held in the trust account.
(3)

The underwriters have agreed to defer underwriting commissions equal to 3.5% of the gross proceeds of this offering. Upon completion of our initial business combination, $24,500,000, which constitutes the underwriters’ deferred commissions (or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) will be paid to the underwriters from the funds held in the trust account and the remaining funds, less amounts used to pay redeeming stockholders, will be released to us and can be used to pay all or a portion of the purchase price of the business or businesses with which our initial business combination occurs or for general corporate purposes, including payment of principal or interest on indebtedness incurred in connection with our initial business combination, to fund the purchases of other companies or for working capital. The underwriters will not be entitled to any interest accrued on the deferred underwriting discounts and commissions.

(4)

Includes organizational and administrative expenses and may include amounts related to above-listed expenses in the event actual amounts exceed estimates.

(5)

These expenses are estimates only. Our actual expenditures for some or all of these items may differ from the estimates set forth herein. For example, we may incur greater legal and accounting expenses than our current estimates in connection with negotiating and structuring a business combination based upon the level of complexity of such business combination. In the event we identify an acquisition target in a specific industry subject to specific regulations, we may incur additional expenses associated with legal due diligence and the engagement of special legal counsel. In addition, our staffing needs may vary and as a result, we may engage a number of consultants to assist with legal and financial due diligence. We do not anticipate any change in our intended use of proceeds, other than fluctuations among the current categories of allocated expenses, which fluctuations, to the extent they exceed current estimates for any specific category of expenses, would not be available for our expenses. The amount in the table above does not include interest available to us from the trust account. Based on current interest rates, we would expect approximately $700,000 to be available to us annually from interest earned on the funds held in the trust account; however, we can provide no assurances regarding this amount. This estimate assumes an interest rate of 0.10% per annum based upon current yields of securities in which the trust account may be invested. In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

(6)

Includes estimated amounts that may also be used in connection with our initial business combination to fund a “no shop” provision and commitment fees for financing.

 

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The rules of the NYSE provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account. Of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, $700,000,000 (or $805,000,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), including $24,500,000 (or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will, upon the consummation of this offering, be placed in a U.S. based trust account, with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Based on current interest rates, we estimate that the interest earned on the trust account will be approximately $700,000 per year, assuming an interest rate of 0.10% per year. We will not be permitted to withdraw any of the principal or interest held in the trust account, except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. Based on current interest rates, we expect that interest earned on the trust account will be sufficient to pay taxes.

The net proceeds held in the trust account may be used as consideration to pay the sellers of a target business with which we ultimately complete our initial business combination. If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital. There is no limitation on our ability to raise funds privately or through loans in connection with our initial business combination.

We believe that amounts not held in trust will be sufficient to pay the costs and expenses to which such proceeds are allocated. This belief is based on the fact that while we may begin preliminary due diligence of a target business in connection with an indication of interest, we intend to undertake in-depth due diligence, depending on the circumstances of the relevant prospective acquisition, only after we have negotiated and signed a letter of intent or other preliminary agreement that addresses the terms of a business combination. However, if our estimate of the costs of undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating a business combination is less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may be required to raise additional capital, the amount, availability and cost of which is currently unascertainable. If we are required to seek additional capital, we could seek such additional capital through loans or additional investments from our sponsor, members of our management team or any of their respective affiliates, but such persons are not under any obligation or other duty to loan funds to, or invest in, us.

We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

 

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Prior to the closing of this offering, an affiliate of our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of March 31, 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under such promissory note. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we borrowed $300,000 under such promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2020 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.

In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may also purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Please see “Proposed Business—Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities” for a description of how such persons will determine from which stockholders to seek to acquire shares. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. However, such persons have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions. If such persons engage in such transactions, they will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.

We may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions and the agreement for our initial business combination may require as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. If too many public stockholders exercise their redemption rights so that we cannot satisfy the net tangible asset requirement or any net worth or cash requirements, we would not proceed with the redemption of our public shares or the business combination, and instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).

 

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A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination and then, only in connection with those public shares that such stockholder has properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described in this prospectus; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. Holders of warrants will not have any rights of proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.

Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive (1) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and (2) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity. In addition, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates then hold any public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time frame to complete our initial business combination.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to our initial business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a stock dividend or other appropriate mechanism immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in an amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness in connection with our initial business combination, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

 

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DILUTION

The difference between the public offering price per share of Class A common stock, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units we are offering pursuant to this prospectus or the private placement warrants, and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A common stock after this offering constitutes the dilution to investors in this offering. Such calculation does not reflect any dilution associated with the sale and exercise of warrants, including the private placement warrants, which would cause the actual dilution to the public stockholders to be higher, particularly where a cashless exercise is utilized. Net tangible book value per share is determined by dividing our net tangible book value, which is our total tangible assets less total liabilities (including the value of Class A common stock which may be redeemed for cash), by the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock.

At March 31, 2020, our net tangible book value was $4,364, or approximately $0.00 per share of Class B common stock. After giving effect to the sale of 70,000,000 shares of Class A common stock included in the units we are offering by this prospectus, the sale of the private placement warrants and the deduction of underwriting commissions and estimated expenses of this offering, our pro forma net tangible book value at March 31, 2020 would have been $5,000,004 or $0.25 per share, representing an immediate increase in net tangible book value (as decreased by the value of the approximately 67,150,436 shares of Class A common stock that may be redeemed for cash in connection with our initial business combination and assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units) of $10.25 per share to our initial stockholders as of the date of this prospectus and an immediate dilution of $10.00 per share or 100.0% to our public stockholders not exercising their redemption rights. Total dilution to public stockholders from this offering will be $9.75 per share. The dilution to new investors if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional units in full would be an immediate dilution of $9.78 per share or 97.8%.

The following table illustrates the dilution to the public stockholders on a per share basis, assuming no value is attributed to the warrants included in the units or the private placement warrants:

 

Public offering price

     $ 10.00  

Net tangible book value before this offering

   $ 0.00    

Increase attributable to public stockholders

     10.25    

Decrease attributable to public shares subject to redemption

     (10.00  
  

 

 

   

Pro forma net tangible book value after this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants

     $ 0.25  
    

 

 

 

Dilution to public stockholders

     $ 9.75  
    

 

 

 

Percentage of dilution to new investors

       97.5

For purposes of presentation, we have reduced our pro forma net tangible book value after this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units) by $671,504,360 because holders of up to approximately 95.9% of our public shares may redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account at a per-share redemption price equal to the amount in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) divided by the number of shares of Class A common stock sold in this offering.

 

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The following table sets forth information with respect to our initial stockholders and the public stockholders:

 

     Shares Purchased     Total Consideration     Average
Price per
Share
 
     Number       Percentage      Amount       Percentage   

Initial Stockholders(1)(2)

     17,500,000        20.00   $ 5,000        0.00   $ 0.0003  

Public Stockholders

     70,000,000        80.00     700,000,000        100.00   $ 10.000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

   
     87,500,000        100.0   $ 700,005,000        100.0  

 

(1)

Assumes the full forfeiture of 2,625,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised.

(2)

Assumes conversion of Class B common stock into Class A common stock on a one-for-one basis. The dilution to public stockholders would increase to the extent that the anti-dilution provisions of the Class B common stock result in the issuance of shares of Class A common stock on a greater than one-to-one basis upon such conversion.

The pro forma net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2020 giving effect to the offering is calculated as follows:

 

Numerator:

  

Net tangible book value before this offering

   $ 4,364  

Proceeds from this offering and sale of the private placement warrants, net of expenses

     701,000,000  

Less: deferred underwriters’ commissions payable

     (24,500,000)  

Less: amount of Class A common stock subject to redemption to maintain net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001

     (671,504,360)  
  

 

 

 
   $ 5,000,004  
  

 

 

 

Denominator:

  

Shares of Class B common stock outstanding prior to this offering

     20,125,000  

Shares forfeited if option to purchase additional units is not exercised

     (2,625,000)  

Shares of Class A common stock included in the units offered

     70,000,000  

Less: shares subject to redemption to maintain net tangible assets of $5,000,001

     (67,150,436)  
  

 

 

 
     20,349,564  
  

 

 

 

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our capitalization at March 31, 2020 and as adjusted to give effect to the filing of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the sale of our 70,000,000 units in this offering for $700,000,000 (or $10.00 per unit) and the sale of 8,000,000 private placement warrants for $16,000,000 (or $2.00 per warrant) and the application of the estimated net proceeds derived from the sale of such securities:

 

     March 31, 2020  
     Actual(1)      As Adjusted(2)  

Deferred underwriting commissions

   $      $ 24,500,000  

Class A common stock, subject to redemption(3)

            671,504,360  

Stockholders’ equity (deficit):

     

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized (actual); 5,000,000 shares authorized (as adjusted); no shares issued or outstanding (actual and as adjusted)

             

Common Stock

     

Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized (actual and as adjusted); no shares issued or outstanding (actual); 2,849,564(4) shares issued and outstanding (excluding 67,150,436 shares subject to redemption) (as adjusted)

            285  

Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized (actual and as adjusted); 20,125,000(4) shares issued and outstanding (actual); 17,500,000(4) shares issued and outstanding (as adjusted)

     2,012        1,750  

Additional paid-in capital(5)

     2,988        4,998,605  

Accumulated deficit

     (636)        (636)  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total stockholders’ equity

     4,364        5,000,004  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total capitalization

   $ 4,364      $ 701,004,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

Actual share amounts reflect the changes to our authorized shares capital and a 1:7 stock-split pursuant to an amendment to our certificate of incorporation, which has been applied retroactively.

(2)

Assumes the full forfeiture of 2,625,000 shares that are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised. The proceeds of the sale of such shares will not be deposited into the trust account, the shares will not be eligible for redemption from the trust account nor will they be eligible to vote upon the initial business combination.

(3)

Upon the completion of our initial business combination, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), subject to the limitations described herein whereby our net tangible assets will be maintained at a minimum of $5,000,001 and any limitations (including, but not limited to, cash requirements) created by the terms of the proposed business combination. The “as adjusted” amount of Class A common stock, subject to redemption equals the “as adjusted” total assets of $701,004,364, less the “as adjusted” total liabilities of $24,500,000 less “as adjusted” total stockholder’s equity. The value of Class A common stock that may be redeemed is equal to $10.00 per share (which is the assumed redemption price) multiplied by 67,150,436 shares of Class A common stock, which is the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock that may be redeemed for a $10.00 purchase price per share and still maintain at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets.

 

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(4)

Actual share amount is prior to any forfeiture of founder shares by our sponsor and the “as adjusted” share amount assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

(5)

The “as adjusted” additional paid-in capital calculation is equal to the “as adjusted” total stockholders’ equity of $5,000,004, less common stock (par value) of 2,035, less the accumulated deficit of (636).

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Overview

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of cash, stock and debt.

The issuance of additional shares of our stock in a business combination:

 

   

may significantly dilute the equity interest of investors in this offering, which dilution would increase if the anti-dilution provisions in the Class B common stock resulted in the issuance of Class A shares on a greater than one-to-one basis upon conversion of the Class B common stock;

 

   

may subordinate the rights of holders of common stock if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our common stock;

 

   

could cause a change of control if a substantial number of shares of our common stock is issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors;

 

   

may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us by diluting the stock ownership or voting rights of a person seeking to obtain control of us;

 

   

may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our units, Class A common stock and/or warrants; and

 

   

may not result in adjustment to the exercise price of our warrants.

Similarly, if we issue debt securities or otherwise incur significant indebtedness, it could result in:

 

   

default and foreclosure on our assets if our operating revenues after an initial business combination are insufficient to repay our debt obligations;

 

   

acceleration of our obligations to repay the indebtedness even if we make all principal and interest payments when due if we breach certain covenants that require the maintenance of certain financial ratios or reserves without a waiver or renegotiation of that covenant;

 

   

our immediate payment of all principal and accrued interest, if any, if the debt is payable on demand;

 

   

our inability to obtain necessary additional financing if the debt contains covenants restricting our ability to obtain such financing while the debt is outstanding;

 

   

our inability to pay dividends on our common stock;

 

   

using a substantial portion of our cash flow to pay principal and interest on our debt, which will reduce the funds available for dividends on our common stock if declared, expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate purposes;

 

   

limitations on our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business and in the industry in which we operate;

 

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increased vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions and adverse changes in government regulation; and

 

   

limitations on our ability to borrow additional amounts for expenses, capital expenditures, acquisitions, debt service requirements, execution of our strategy and other purposes and other disadvantages compared to our competitors who have less debt.

As indicated in the accompanying financial statements, as of March 31, 2020, we had $5,000 in cash and working capital of $4,364. Further, we expect to continue to incur significant costs in the pursuit of our acquisition plans. We cannot assure you that our plans to raise capital or to complete our initial business combination will be successful.

Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events

We have neither engaged in any operations nor generated any revenues to date. Our only activities since inception have been organizational activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of our initial business combination. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents in the form of specified U.S. government treasury bills or specified money market funds after this offering. There has been no significant change in our financial or trading position and no material adverse change has occurred since the date of our audited financial statements. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance), as well as for due diligence expenses. We expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our liquidity needs have been satisfied prior to the completion of this offering through receipt of $5,000 from the sale of the founder shares and up to $300,000 in loans from an affiliate of our sponsor under an unsecured promissory note. As of March 31, 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under such promissory note. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we borrowed $300,000 under such promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. We estimate that the net proceeds from: (1) the sale of the units in this offering, after deducting offering expenses of approximately $1,000,000 and underwriting commissions of $24,500,000 ($28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) (excluding deferred underwriting commissions of $24,500,000 (or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full)); and (2) the sale of the private placement warrants for a purchase price of $16,000,000 (or $18,100,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), will be $701,000,000 (or $806,000,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full). Of this amount, $700,000,000 (or $805,000,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), which includes $24,500,000 (or up to $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) of deferred underwriting commissions, will be deposited into the trust account. The funds in the trust account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries. The remaining $1,000,000 will not be held in the trust account. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

 

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We intend to use substantially all of the funds held in the trust account, including any amounts representing interest earned on the trust account (which interest shall be net of taxes payable and excluding deferred underwriting commissions) to complete our initial business combination. We may withdraw interest to pay taxes. Delaware franchise tax is based on our authorized shares or on our assumed par and non-par capital, whichever yields a lower result. Under the authorized shares method, each share is taxed at a graduated rate based on the number of authorized shares with a maximum aggregate tax of $200,000 per year. Under the assumed par value capital method, Delaware taxes each $1,000,000 of assumed par value capital at the rate of $350; where assumed par value would be (1) our total gross assets following this offering, divided by (2) our total issued shares of common stock following this offering, multiplied by (3) the number of our authorized shares following this offering. Based on the number of shares of our common stock authorized and outstanding and our estimated total gross proceeds after the completion of this offering, our annual franchise tax obligation is expected to be capped at the maximum amount of annual franchise taxes payable by us as a Delaware corporation of $200,000. Our annual income tax obligations will depend on the amount of interest and other income earned on the amounts held in the trust account. We expect the only taxes payable by us out of the funds in the trust account will be income and franchise taxes. We expect the interest earned on the amount in the trust account will be sufficient to pay our taxes. To the extent that our capital stock or debt is used, in whole or in part, as consideration to complete our initial business combination, the remaining proceeds held in the trust account will be used as working capital to finance the operations of the target business or businesses, make other acquisitions and pursue our growth strategies.

Prior to the completion of our initial business combination, we will have available to us $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account. We will use these funds primarily to identify and evaluate target businesses, perform business due diligence on prospective target businesses, travel to and from the offices or similar locations of prospective target businesses or their representatives or owners, review corporate documents and material agreements of prospective target businesses, structure, negotiate and complete a business combination, and to pay taxes to the extent the interest earned on the trust account is not sufficient to pay our taxes.

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

We expect our primary liquidity requirements during that period to include approximately $360,000 for legal, accounting, due diligence, travel and other expenses in connection with any business combinations; $200,000 for legal and accounting fees related to regulatory reporting requirements; $85,000 for the NYSE continued listing fees; $240,000 for office space, administrative and support services; $100,000 as a reserve for liquidation expenses; and approximately $15,000 for working capital to cover miscellaneous expenses (including franchise taxes net of anticipated interest income).

 

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These amounts are estimates and may differ materially from our actual expenses. In addition, we could use a portion of the funds not being placed in trust to pay commitment fees for financing, fees to consultants to assist us with our search for a target business or as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision (a provision in letters of intent or merger agreements designed to keep target businesses from “shopping” around for transactions with other companies or investors on terms more favorable to such target businesses) with respect to a particular proposed business combination, although we do not have any current intention to do so. If we entered into an agreement where we paid for the right to receive exclusivity from a target business, the amount that would be used as a down payment or to fund a “no-shop” provision would be determined based on the terms of the specific business combination and the amount of our available funds at the time. Our forfeiture of such funds (whether as a result of our breach or otherwise) could result in our not having sufficient funds to continue searching for, or conducting due diligence with respect to, a prospective target businesses.

We do not believe we will need to raise additional funds following this offering in order to meet the expenditures required for operating our business. However, if our estimates of the costs of identifying a target business, undertaking in-depth due diligence and negotiating an initial business combination are less than the actual amount necessary to do so, we may have insufficient funds available to operate our business prior to our initial business combination. Moreover, we may need to obtain additional financing either to complete our initial business combination or because we become obligated to redeem a significant number of our public shares upon completion of our initial business combination, in which case we may issue additional securities (which may include a specified future issuance) or incur debt in connection with such business combination (including from Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates).

Controls and Procedures

We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement on our internal control over financial reporting. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.

Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems of internal controls. We expect to assess the internal controls of our target business or businesses prior to the completion of our initial business combination and we may work with the target to implement and test additional controls as we may determine are necessary in order to state that we maintain an effective system of internal controls. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding the adequacy of internal controls. Many small and mid-sized target businesses we may consider for our initial business combination may have internal controls that need improvement in areas such as:

 

   

staffing for financial, accounting and external reporting areas, including segregation of duties;

 

   

reconciliation of accounts;

 

   

proper recording of expenses and liabilities in the period to which they relate;

 

   

evidence of internal review and approval of accounting transactions;

 

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documentation of processes, assumptions and conclusions underlying significant estimates; and

 

   

documentation of accounting policies and procedures.

Because it will take time, management involvement and perhaps outside resources to determine what internal control improvements are necessary for us to meet regulatory requirements and market expectations for our operation of a target business, we may incur significant expenses in meeting our public reporting responsibilities, particularly in the areas of designing, enhancing, or remediating internal and disclosure controls. Doing so effectively may also take longer than we expect, thus increasing our exposure to financial fraud or erroneous financing reporting.

Once our management’s report on internal controls is complete, we will retain an independent auditor to audit and render an opinion on such report when required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The independent auditors may identify additional issues concerning a target business’s internal controls while performing their audit of internal control over financial reporting.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

The net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be invested in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act. Due to the short-term nature of these investments, we believe there will be no associated material exposure to interest rate risk.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements; Commitments and Contractual Obligations; Quarterly Review

As of March 31, 2020, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K and did not have any commitments or contractual obligations. No unaudited quarterly operating data is included in this prospectus as we have not conducted any operations to date.

Related Party Transactions

In July 2018, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 575 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000. In April 2020 and June 2020, we conducted stock splits, resulting in our sponsor holding 20,125,000 founder shares, resulting in an effective purchase price per founder share of approximately $0.0003. The number of founder shares issued in the stock split was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon the completion of this offering. The purchase price of the founder shares was determined by dividing the amount of cash contributed to us by the number of founder shares issued. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Up to 2,625,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised. Our sponsor does not intend to purchase any units in this offering.

 

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We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will also pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees.

Our sponsor, officers and directors or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or any of their respective affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

An affiliate of our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of March 31, 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under such promissory note. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we borrowed $300,000 under such promissory note to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing, unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2020 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account.

In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant ($16,000,000 in the aggregate or $18,100,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees: (1) they will not be redeemable by us; (2) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; (3) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; (4) the holders thereof (including with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights; and (5) they will not be exercisable more than five years

 

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from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(i), as long as our sponsor or any of its related persons beneficially own such private placement warrants.

Pursuant to a registration rights agreement that we will enter into with our initial stockholders on or prior to the closing of this offering, we may be required to register certain securities for sale under the Securities Act. Our initial stockholders, and holders of warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans, if any, are entitled under the registration rights agreement to make up to three demands that we register certain of our securities held by them for sale under the Securities Act and to have the securities covered thereby registered for resale pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. In addition, these holders have the right to include their securities in other registration statements filed by us. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the costs and expenses of filing any such registration statements. Please see “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

JOBS Act

On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, relax certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. We will qualify as an “emerging growth company” and under the JOBS Act will be allowed to comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements based on the effective date for private (not publicly traded) companies. We are electing to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and as a result, we may not comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non-emerging growth companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.

Additionally, we are in the process of evaluating the benefits of relying on the other reduced reporting requirements provided by the JOBS Act. Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company”, we choose to rely on such exemptions we may not be required to, among other things: (1) provide an auditor’s attestation report on our system of internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (2) provide all of the compensation disclosure that may be required of non-emerging growth public companies under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; (3) comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the PCAOB regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (auditor discussion and analysis); and (4) disclose certain executive compensation-related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the CEO’s compensation to median employee compensation. These exemptions will apply for a period of five years following the completion of this offering or until we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” whichever is earlier.

 

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PROPOSED BUSINESS

We are a blank check company formed as a Delaware corporation for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar transaction with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not identified any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any potential business combination target.

Our sponsor is controlled by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs and will be managed by the Permanent Capital Strategies team within GSAM. GSAH II will employ Goldman Sachs’ full range of resources to pursue opportunities across a variety of industries. Specifically, the Permanent Capital Strategies team will use the broad relationships and sourcing capabilities of Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, GSAM’s AIMS group, GSAM’s Private Credit Group, Goldman Sachs’ PWM group, AYCO as well as third-party Investment Banks and other counterparties to identify potential opportunities for an initial business combination. We believe access to these differentiated channels provides us with best-in-class sourcing capabilities for GSAH II’s multi-sector mandate. While we plan to evaluate opportunities in many sectors, we believe particularly attractive opportunities exist in the Diversified Industrial, Healthcare, Technology, Media and Telecom, and Alternative Asset Management sectors.

GSAM, through its Permanent Capital Strategies team, co-founded GSAH I, a special purpose acquisition company that completed a $690 million initial public offering in June 2018 and merged in February 2020 with Vertiv, a global manufacturer of digital infrastructure technology that powers, cools, deploys, secures and maintains datacenters, telecom centers and enterprises’ electronic assets. The transaction valued Vertiv at an Enterprise Value of $5.3 billion and included a $1.23 billion Private Investment in Public Equity, or “PIPE”, which was the largest third-party PIPE ever raised for a SPAC transaction. Investors in GSAH I’s initial public offering who held the stock and warrants through February 10th, 2020, the business day immediately following the closing date of GSAH I’s business combination, saw a total return of approximately 42% and a 1.4x multiple on their invested capital over the eighteen month hold period. The Permanent Capital Strategies team reviewed more than 800 targets within the industrial sector before selecting Vertiv for the initial business combination. The experience gained during the GSAH I process has informed the strategy and structure we will employ for GSAH II.

Mr. Tom Knott will serve as Chief Executive Officer of GSAH II and Mr. Raanan A. Agus will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of GSAH II. Mr. Knott and Mr. Agus were integrally involved in GSAH I. Mr. Knott is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and is the head of GSAM’s Permanent Capital Strategies team. He led the team’s sponsorship of GSAH I from its initial public offering to completion of its initial business combination. Mr. Agus is the global co-head and co-chief investment officer of the AIMS group in GSAM. He served as a Board member of GSAH I through its initial business combination. Mr. Agus’ background in investment and advisory work was built during his more than 25 years at Goldman Sachs.

As demonstrated in GSAH I’s merger with Vertiv, the experience and operating capabilities of an executive partner can be an important component for a successful business combination in certain situations. We intend to recruit an executive who has the specific operating capabilities and experience needed by the target of the initial business combination to replace Mr. Knott and Mr. Agus. At this time, we believe retaining the flexibility to match the executive partner with the right capabilities and experience to the eventual, specific target company allows us to evaluate opportunities and situations across the broadest range of sectors and will enable us to deliver the best initial business combination for our Investors.

 

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At the time of our initial business combination, we expect our sponsor to agree to vesting or other terms relating to our founder shares that it believes best align our sponsor’s objectives with that of our post-initial business combination stockholders. We believe this alignment is an important evolution in the structure of special purpose acquisition companies and illustrates our commitment to delivering attractive returns to our investors. Please see “Description of Securities—Founder Shares” for more information.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global financial institution that provides a wide range of financial services on behalf of its clients. The firm is headquartered in New York, and maintains offices across the United States and in major financial centers around the world. GSAM was established in 1988 and is one of the world’s leading investment managers, with approximately $1.69 trillion of assets as of December 31, 2019.

We believe the Permanent Capital Strategies team’s ability to leverage the best-in-class relationships and sourcing capabilities from across the Goldman Sachs platform is an advantage that will enable us to assemble a large and differentiated pipeline of potential business combination targets to evaluate for GSAH II’s initial business combination. Specifically, we intend to use the following sourcing channels extensively.

 

   

Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division:    A consistent leader in M&A and capital markets, the Investment Banking Division has deep relationships with private equity and corporate clients in all sectors. We will seek to work directly with the Investment Banking Division to identify opportunities in the areas that we deem appropriate and attractive for our initial business combination.

 

   

GSAM’s AIMS Group:    A GSAM business that provides investors with advisory solutions across leading hedge fund managers, private equity funds, real estate managers, public equity strategies, fixed income strategies and environmental, social and governance integrated and impact investments. AIMS has developed longstanding relationship with key private equity players with over $28 billion of primary capital committed to over 650 private equity funds and over $32 billion of secondary exposure to more than 620 private equity managers, as of December 31, 2019

 

   

Goldman Sachs’ PWM Group:    A network of more than 800 advisors in 26 offices globally that covers more than 12,500 clients and has deep connectivity with CEOs, founders, and family owners of privately held businesses around the world, as of December 31, 2019. We believe the PWM network may provide us with unique access to privately owned businesses that may be considering strategic alternatives.

 

   

GSAM’s Private Credit Group:    A GSAM business that currently manages three business development companies and has strong relationships with private equity sponsors who are focused on investing in middle-market companies. We believe the relationships maintained by the Private Credit Group will be significant as we evaluate private equity owned companies as potential business combination targets.

 

   

Ayco:    A business within CIMD that is a leading provider of financial planning solutions to executives, employees and entrepreneurs covering over 20% of Fortune 1,000 companies as of December 31, 2019. We believe Ayco’s reach across a wide variety of businesses and deep relationships with them may provide a pipeline of potential business combination targets that would otherwise be difficult to access.

 

   

Other Investment Banks:    While we believe the Goldman Sachs platform offers access to significant and differentiated deal flow, the Permanent Capital Strategies team maintains strong relationships with other Investment Banking firms and intermediaries. To further bolster our

 

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sourcing advantage, we will also work closely with other Investment Banks and intermediaries during the search process to identify as many potential investment opportunities as possible.

In addition to our sourcing advantages, GSAM is a leading investment manager offering investment products across all major asset classes and has extensive experience investing in the private and public markets, including managing $358 billion in equity strategies and $158 billion in alternative investment strategies, as of December 31, 2019. Drawing on these capabilities, the Permanent Capital Strategies team was constructed specifically with the public and private markets investing expertise needed to successfully source, diligence, structure, underwrite and execute an initial business combination. Furthermore, the Permanent Capital Strategies team maintains access to GSAM’s over 680 investment professionals globally who share a disciplined culture focused on rigorous research, supported by extensive risk management infrastructure. Certain of these professionals will be called on to further bolster the Permanent Capital Strategies team’s capabilities when additional expertise and / or support is needed.

GSAM’s Permanent Capital Strategies team brings together access to best-in-class sourcing across the Goldman Sachs platform and the purpose-built investing capabilities necessary for a successful initial business combination.

Business Strategy

Our objective is to generate attractive returns for shareholders by selecting a high quality target, negotiating favorable acquisition terms at an attractive valuation, and creating the foundation for improved operational performance of the acquired company. Our strategy is to identify and complete our initial business combination with certain industry and business characteristics. We expect to distinguish ourselves with our ability to:

 

   

Leverage Best-in-class Sourcing Capabilities of the Goldman Sachs Platform.    We believe our ability to access the best-in-class sourcing capabilities of the Goldman Sachs platform is a significant advantage. The multiple sourcing vectors available to us through Goldman Sachs’ Investment Banking Division, AIMS, the Private Credit Group, PWM and AYCO result in a preeminent network of relationships with CEOs, founders, family owners and private equity sponsors that we can use to identify and evaluate suitable target businesses that could benefit from our experience in structuring complex transactions, accessing capital for growth, deleveraging and operational and strategic expertise.

 

   

Bring Unique Rigor to the Process of Identifying and Structuring an Acquisition that will be Positioned to be Well Received in the Public Markets.    The Permanent Capital Strategies team has the investment capabilities and experience necessary to consummate a successful business combination. The team’s demonstrated ability to identify, value and close large, complex transactions is a distinct advantage that is further bolstered by Goldman Sachs’ reputation and GSAM’s global footprint and significant investing capabilities.

 

   

Evaluate a Wide Range of Targets due to our Access to Capital.    With Goldman Sachs’ extensive access to institutional and high net worth investors, we are uniquely positioned to evaluate large opportunities that many other special purpose acquisition companies may be unable to pursue. For example, in February 2020, as part of GSAH I, the Permanent Capital Strategies team raised a $1.23 billion PIPE, the largest third-party PIPE ever raised for a SPAC’s business combination transaction, as a part of the initial business combination.

 

   

Identify and Attract an Executive Partner to Create Value for Stockholders Following a Business Combination.     We are committed to identifying and recruiting the right executive with the capabilities and experience uniquely needed by the business we choose for the initial business combination. We have strong relationships with executives across industries and are

 

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confident in our ability to recruit an executive partner that has the capabilities needed to create value after the initial business combination.

We believe the diversified industrial, healthcare, technology, media and telecom, and alternative asset management sectors present particularly attractive investment opportunities for us. Specifically, many companies in these sectors tend to be cash generative businesses that are growing at rates higher than U.S. gross domestic product. In addition to these fundamentals, the sectors are fragmented and contain a large number of privately-held and sponsor-owned businesses that we believe could benefit from deleveraging, accelerating revenue growth, expanding margins, and improving capital allocation decision-making. In addition to independent privately- and sponsor-held middle market businesses, we believe many larger companies in the sector are in the process of evaluating their portfolios of businesses and reviewing candidates for potential divestitures, which we believe may also prove to be attractive business combination targets.

Competitive Strengths

We believe GSAM’s reputation, sourcing, valuation, diligence and execution capabilities will provide us with a significant pipeline of opportunities from which to evaluate and select a business that will benefit from our expertise. Our competitive strengths include the following:

 

   

Purpose Built Sponsor.    We believe the Permanent Capital Strategies’ track record and association with Goldman Sachs will be viewed favorably by target businesses in need of recapitalization, professionalized management, improved operating processes and controls, better access to industry relationships and strategic planning.

 

   

Proprietary Sourcing Channels and Leading Industry Relationships.    We believe the broad reach and deep relationships of IBD, Ayco, the Private Credit Group and AIMS, along with GSAM’s and PWM’s reach to their clients, some of whom own or are associated with potential acquisition targets, will provide us with a differentiated pipeline of acquisition opportunities that would be difficult for other participants in the market to replicate. We expect these sourcing capabilities will be further bolstered by Goldman Sachs’ reputation and track record. Goldman Sachs’ extensive network of senior level operating contacts will also allow us to identify and attract additional executive resources if the target requires additional managerial capabilities.

 

   

Investing Experience.    We believe GSAM’s deep experience investing in private and public markets, combined with Permanent Capital Strategies’ track record of identifying and sourcing a significant number of potential targets for GSAH I before ultimately finalizing its initial business combination, positions us well to appropriately evaluate potential transactions and select one that will be well received by the public markets.

 

   

Access to Goldman Sachs’ Capabilities Post-Initial Business Combination.    We believe that potential sellers will be interested in a relationship with the Goldman Sachs platform and will look favorably upon Goldman Sachs’ involvement in a transaction, including as a significant investor after an initial business combination. Potential sellers may also have longstanding relationships with Goldman Sachs advisors and, therefore, may seek to engage with us following a business combination to focus on value creation and to potentially facilitate access to capital markets for further growth and provide acquisition advice to implement roll-up strategies.

 

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Investment Criteria

We have developed the following high level, non-exclusive investment criteria that we will use to screen for and evaluate target businesses. We will seek to acquire a business that:

 

   

Has a Leading Position in an Attractive Industry.    We will seek to acquire a business that holds a leading position in an industry with attractive characteristics. Specifically, we will seek to exclude businesses that (i) do not hold a strong position in the markets they serve, (ii) do not have a differentiated product or service in a well-defined market, and (iii) are extremely sensitive to macroeconomic conditions.

 

   

Generates Stable Free Cash-Flow.    We will seek to acquire a business that has historically generated, or has the near-term potential to generate, strong and sustainable free cash flow.

 

   

Has Opportunities for High Returns on Incremental Invested Capital.    We will seek to acquire a business with high returns on incremental invested capital. In addition to indicating a potentially attractive competitive position, a business with opportunities for high returns on invested capital may be able to grow more quickly when prudently capitalized.

 

   

Has Differentiation.    We will seek to acquire a business with a differentiated product or service. Sources of differentiation can include, but are not limited to: patents, brands, customer reputation or other Intellectual Property (IP), unique technical expertise and or personnel, innovative processes or proprietary sourcing and distribution/customer access.

 

   

Has Long Term Growth Prospects.    We will seek to acquire a business that has the potential to grow both organically and through acquisitions and strategic transactions. We will seek out opportunities in businesses that have multiple, diverse potential drivers of revenue growth and in segments of established markets with attractive, long term growth potential supported by secular tailwinds. We will seek to acquire a business that also has the potential to grow inorganically in order to participate in industry consolidation, expand product/geographic range and/or improve competitive position.

 

   

Has a Committed and Capable Management Team.    We will seek to acquire a business with a professional management team whose interests are aligned with those of our investors. Where necessary, we will enhance the capabilities of the target business’s management team by recruiting additional talent through Goldman Sachs’ network of contacts.

These criteria are not intended to be exhaustive. Any evaluation relating to the merits of a particular initial business combination may be based, to the extent relevant, on these general guidelines as well as on other considerations, factors and criteria that our board of directors may deem relevant. In the event that we decide to enter into our initial business combination with a target business that does not meet the above criteria and guidelines, we will disclose that the target business does not meet the above criteria in our stockholder communications related to our initial business combination, which, as discussed in this prospectus, would be in the form of tender offer documents or proxy solicitation materials that we would file with the SEC.

Our Acquisition Process

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.

 

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We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, nor are we prohibited from doing so with a business that is affiliated with any GS Account. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm, that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view.

Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, and accordingly, they may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Further, each of our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such officers and directors was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

Mr. Agus, Mr. Knott, other members of our management team and Goldman Sachs are from time to time made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction with us. Please see “—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” for additional information regarding limitations on our access to investment opportunities sourced by GSAM and other business units of Goldman Sachs. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.

As described in “—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described in “—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets”).

While Goldman Sachs will not have any duty to offer acquisition opportunities to us, Goldman Sachs may become aware of a potential transaction that may be an attractive opportunity for us, which it may or may not decide to share with us. Goldman Sachs is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, Goldman Sachs provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net-worth individuals. Goldman Sachs acts as an investment banker, research provider, investment adviser, financier, adviser, market maker, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent, principal and investor. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises clients in all major markets and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for its own account and for the accounts of clients, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises. Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets, and the securities and issuers, in which we and GS Accounts

 

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may directly and indirectly invest. Additionally, we may, but are not required to, engage Goldman Sachs for services as a financial advisor in connection with identifying and investigating potential targets for our business combination. Conflicts may arise from Goldman Sachs’ sponsorship of our company, its provision of services both to us (including as a financial advisor) and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by Goldman Sachs for its own account. In performing services for other clients and also when acting for its own account, Goldman Sachs may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us. Any of Goldman Sachs’ financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on us, and the interests of Goldman Sachs or its clients or counterparties may at times be adverse to ours. Please see “—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs.

We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or Goldman Sachs, or policies applicable to Goldman Sachs, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

Initial Business Combination

The NYSE rules require that an initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount). We refer to this as the 80% of net assets test. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case.

We anticipate structuring our initial business combination so that the post-transaction company in which our public stockholders own or acquire shares will own or acquire 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of the target business or businesses. We may, however, structure our initial business combination such that the post-transaction company owns or acquires less than 100% of such interests or assets of the target business in order to meet certain objectives of the target management team or stockholders or for other reasons, but we will only complete such business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. Even if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target, our stockholders prior to our initial business combination may collectively own a minority interest in the post-transaction company, depending on valuations ascribed to the target and us in our initial business combination transaction. For example, we could pursue a transaction in which we issue a substantial number of new shares in exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of a target, or issue a substantial number of new shares to third-parties in connection with financing our initial business combination. In such cases, we would acquire a 100% controlling interest in the target. However, as a result of the issuance of a substantial number of new shares, our stockholders immediately prior to our initial business combination could own less than a majority of our outstanding

 

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shares subsequent to our initial business combination. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. If our initial business combination involves more than one target business, the 80% of net assets test will be based on the aggregate value of all of the target businesses.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board of directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and the two director designees of our sponsor, to approve our initial business combination.

Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

U.S. Bank Holding Company Act and Related Matters

Background.    Goldman Sachs is regulated as a BHC under the BHCA, which generally restricts BHCs from engaging in business activities other than the business of banking and certain closely related activities. Goldman Sachs has elected to become an FHC under the BHCA and, as such, may engage in a broader range of financial and related activities (e.g., securities underwriting, asset management, insurance and merchant banking). The ability to elect and maintain FHC status is subject to certain conditions.

Business Combination Targets’ Activities.    As described above, we have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target. It is contemplated, however, that any business combination target will not be a financial services-related company, or any other company predominantly engaged in financial activities, which limits the types of business combination targets that we can acquire. As a result, upon consummation of a transaction with a business combination target, it is contemplated that Goldman Sachs will hold its indirect investment in the post-transaction company pursuant to the merchant banking authority of the BHCA. The merchant banking authority of the BHCA will impose a maximum ten-year holding period on Goldman Sachs’ investment in the post-transaction company. In addition, the merchant banking authority of the BHCA will restrict employees of Goldman Sachs from participating in the routine management and operations of the post-transaction company.

Covered Transactions.    For various reasons, we may be an “affiliate” of Goldman Sachs Bank USA for purposes of Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. As a result, Section 23A of the Federal Reserve Act would limit the amount of any covered transactions (e.g., extensions of credit) between Goldman Sachs Bank USA, on the one hand, and us, on the other hand, and would require all covered transactions between Goldman Sachs Bank USA and us to be on terms and conditions consistent with safe and sound banking practices. Furthermore, any extensions of credit from Goldman Sachs Bank USA to us would have to be secured by a statutorily defined amount of collateral. Finally, Section 23B of the Federal Reserve Act would require that certain transactions, including all covered transactions, between Goldman Sachs Bank USA and us be on arm’s length market terms and conditions.

The Volcker Rule.    The Volcker Rule added a new Section 13 to the BHCA that restricts banking entities, such as Goldman Sachs, absent an applicable exclusion or exemption, from acquiring

 

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or retaining any equity, partnership or other ownership interests in, or sponsoring, a hedge fund or a private equity fund that would be an investment company, as defined in the Investment Company Act, but for Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act (such fund, a “covered fund”). We do not believe that our anticipated activities will subject us to the Investment Company Act and, therefore, it is not expected that we will rely on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act to be exempt from registration as an investment company. Accordingly, we do not expect that we will be treated as a covered fund under the Volcker Rule. Further, upon consummation of a transaction with a business combination target, it is contemplated that Goldman Sachs will hold its investment in the post-transaction company pursuant to the merchant banking authority of the BHCA. Therefore, we do not expect that the post-transaction company will be a “banking entity” as defined in the Volcker Rule. Accordingly, we do not expect that the post-transaction company will be subject to the restrictions of the Volcker Rule.

Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets

Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) manages and advises a substantial number of GS Accounts, including GS Accounts held by Goldman Sachs on a proprietary basis, GS Accounts held by Goldman Sachs personnel or clients and GS Accounts in which Goldman Sachs and Goldman Sachs personnel and clients have an interest. Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that we may target for our initial business combination. If Goldman Sachs or such other GS Accounts decide to pursue any such opportunity or Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) determines in its sole discretion not to offer such opportunity to us, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Goldman Sachs or by persons who may make decisions for us may be suitable for both us and for Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts and may be directed to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or other third parties rather than to us. Prospective investors should note that, although our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, we are not an investment advisory client of GSAM or any other business unit of Goldman Sachs (and we are not a GS Account). As such, none of GSAM, any other business unit of Goldman Sachs or any Goldman Sachs personnel (other than those who are members of our management team in their capacities as such) has any fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to our company, including, without limitation, to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware.

Our management team, in their other endeavors (including any affiliation they may have with Goldman Sachs), may choose or be required to present potential business combinations or other transactions to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us. Please see “Risk Factors—Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity or other transaction should be presented.” In addition, investment opportunities sourced by GSAM or its personnel or presented to GSAM by other business units of Goldman Sachs or their personnel will be made available to us only after such opportunities have been offered to GS Accounts managed or advised by GSAM. To the extent that such GS Accounts decline to pursue any such opportunity, GSAM may in its sole discretion (but is not obligated to) offer all or any portion of such opportunity to us (or may instead offer all or any portion of such opportunity to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or third parties). Investment opportunities that are sourced by business units of Goldman Sachs other than GSAM or the personnel of such business units will not be made available to us, unless such opportunities are first presented to GSAM by such other business units or personnel.

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with a business that is affiliated with any GS Account. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm, that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

As discussed above and in “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity that is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described above). In addition, we may, at our option, pursue an affiliated joint acquisition opportunity with an entity to which an officer or director has a fiduciary, contractual or other obligation or duty. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by making a specified future issuance to any such parties.

Status as a Public Company

We believe our structure will make us an attractive business combination partner to target businesses. As an existing public company, we offer target businesses an alternative to the traditional initial public offering through a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination. In this situation, the owners of the target business would exchange their shares of stock in the target business for shares of our stock or for a combination of shares of our stock and cash, allowing us to tailor the consideration to the specific needs of the sellers. Although there are various costs and obligations associated with being a public company, we believe target businesses will find this method a more certain and cost effective method to becoming a public company than the typical initial public offering. In a typical initial public offering, there are additional expenses incurred in marketing, road show and public reporting efforts that may not be present to the same extent in connection with a business combination with us.

Furthermore, once a proposed business combination is completed, the target business will have effectively become public, whereas an initial public offering is always subject to the underwriters’ ability to complete the offering, as well as general market conditions, which could delay or prevent the offering from occurring. Once public, we believe the target business would then have greater access to capital and an additional means of providing management incentives consistent with stockholders’ interests. It can offer further benefits by augmenting a company’s profile among potential new customers and vendors and aid in attracting talented employees.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period.

Additionally, we will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

 

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Financial Position

With funds available for a business combination initially in the amount of $676,500,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of $24,500,000 of deferred underwriting fees (or $777,825,000 assuming no redemptions and after payment of up to $28,175,000 of deferred underwriting fees if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), in each case, after estimated offering expenses of $1,000,000 (and prior to any post-IPO working capital expenses), we offer a target business a variety of options such as creating a liquidity event for its owners, providing capital for the potential growth and expansion of its operations or strengthening its balance sheet by reducing its debt ratio. Because we are able to complete our initial business combination using our cash, debt or equity securities, or a combination of the foregoing, we have the flexibility to use the most efficient combination that will allow us to tailor the consideration to be paid to the target business to fit its needs and desires. However, we have not taken any steps to secure third-party financing and there can be no assurance it will be available to us.

Effecting our Initial Business Combination

We are not presently engaged in, and we will not engage in, any operations for an indefinite period of time following this offering. We intend to effectuate our initial business combination using cash from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our capital stock, debt or a combination of these as the consideration to be paid in our initial business combination. We may seek to complete our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, which would subject us to the numerous risks inherent in such companies and businesses.

If our initial business combination is paid for using equity or debt or not all of the funds released from the trust account are used for payment of the consideration in connection with our initial business combination or used for redemption of our public shares, we may apply the balance of the cash released to us from the trust account for general corporate purposes, including for maintenance or expansion of operations of post-transaction businesses, the payment of principal or interest due on indebtedness incurred in completing our initial business combination, to fund the purchase of other companies or for working capital.

Mr. Agus, Mr. Knott, other members of our management team and Goldman Sachs are from time to time made aware of potential business opportunities, one or more of which we may desire to pursue, for a business combination, but we have not (nor has anyone on our behalf) contacted any prospective target business or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a business combination transaction with us. Please see “—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” for additional information regarding limitations on our access to investment opportunities sourced by GSAM and other business units of Goldman Sachs. Additionally, we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, taken any substantive measure, directly or indirectly, to identify or locate any suitable acquisition candidate for us, nor have we engaged or retained any agent or other representative to identify or locate any such acquisition candidate.

We may seek to raise additional funds in connection with the completion of our initial business combination through a private offering of equity securities (including pursuant to a specified future issuance) or debt securities or loans (including from Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates), and we may effectuate our initial business combination using the proceeds of such offerings or loans rather than using the amounts held in the trust account.

 

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In the case of an initial business combination funded with assets other than the trust account assets, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of the financing and, only if required by applicable law or we decide to do so for business or other reasons, we would seek stockholder approval of such financing. There are no prohibitions on our ability to raise funds privately (including pursuant to a specified future issuance) or through loans (including from Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates) in connection with our initial business combination. At this time, we are not a party to any arrangement or understanding with any third party with respect to raising any additional funds through the sale of securities or otherwise.

Selection of a target business and structuring of our initial business combination

The NYSE rules require that an initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount). The fair market value of the target or targets will be determined by our board of directors based upon one or more standards generally accepted by the financial community, such as discounted cash flow valuation or value of comparable businesses. If our board of directors is not able to independently determine the fair market value of the target business or businesses, we will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm or another independent entity that commonly renders valuation opinions, with respect to the satisfaction of such criteria. We do not currently intend to purchase multiple businesses in unrelated industries in conjunction with our initial business combination, although there is no assurance that will be the case. Subject to this requirement, our management will have virtually unrestricted flexibility in identifying and selecting one or more prospective target businesses, although we will not be permitted to effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

In any case, we will only complete an initial business combination if the post-transaction company owns or acquires 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of the target or otherwise acquires a controlling interest in the target business sufficient for it not to be required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. If less than 100% of the outstanding equity interests or assets of a target business or businesses are owned or acquired by the post-transaction company, the portion of such business or businesses that is owned or acquired by us is what will be valued for purposes of the 80% of net assets test. There is no basis for investors in this offering to evaluate the possible merits or risks of any target business with which we may ultimately complete our initial business combination.

To the extent we effect our initial business combination with a company or business that may be financially unstable or in its early stages of development or growth, we may be affected by numerous risks inherent in such company or business. Although our management will endeavor to evaluate the risks inherent in a particular target business, we cannot assure you that we will properly ascertain or assess all of the significant risk factors.

In evaluating a prospective target business, we expect to conduct a thorough due diligence review which may encompass, among other things, meetings with incumbent management and employees, document reviews, inspection of facilities, as well as a review of financial, operational, legal and other information which will be made available to us.

 

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The time required to select and evaluate a target business and to structure and complete our initial business combination, and the costs associated with this process, are not currently ascertainable with any degree of certainty. Any costs incurred with respect to the identification and evaluation of a prospective target business with which our initial business combination is not ultimately completed will result in our incurring losses and will reduce the funds we can use to complete another business combination.

Lack of business diversification

For an indefinite period of time after the completion of our initial business combination, the prospects for our success may depend entirely on the future performance of a single business.

By completing our initial business combination with only a single entity our lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks. Further, we would not be able to diversify our operations or benefit from the possible spreading of risks or offsetting of losses, unlike other entities which may have the resources to complete several business combinations in different industries or different areas of a single industry. Accordingly, the prospects for our success may be:

 

   

solely dependent upon the performance of a single business, property or asset; or

 

   

dependent upon the development or market acceptance of a single or limited number of products, processes or services.

This lack of diversification may subject us to numerous economic, competitive and regulatory risks, any or all of which may have a substantial adverse impact upon the particular industry in which we may operate subsequent to our initial business combination.

Limited ability to evaluate the target’s management team

Although we intend to closely scrutinize the management of a prospective target business when evaluating the desirability of effecting our initial business combination with that business, our assessment of the target business’s management may not prove to be correct. In addition, the future management may not have the necessary skills, qualifications or abilities to manage a public company. Furthermore, the future role of members of our management team, if any, in the target business cannot presently be stated with any certainty. While it is possible that one or more of our directors will remain associated in some capacity with us following our initial business combination, it is highly unlikely that any of them will devote their full efforts to our affairs subsequent to our initial business combination. Moreover, we cannot assure you that members of our management team will have significant experience or knowledge relating to the operations of the particular target business.

We cannot assure you that any of our key personnel will remain in senior management or advisory positions with the post-business combination company. The determination as to whether any of our key personnel will remain with the combined company will be made at the time of our initial business combination.

Following our initial business combination, we may seek to recruit additional managers to supplement the incumbent management of the target business. We cannot assure you that we will have the ability to recruit additional managers, or that additional managers will have the requisite skills, knowledge or experience necessary to enhance the incumbent management.

 

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Stockholders may not have the ability to approve our initial business combination

We may conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC. However, we will seek stockholder approval if it is required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, or we may decide to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons. Presented in the table below is a graphic explanation of the types of initial business combinations we may consider and whether stockholder approval is currently required under Delaware law for each such transaction.

 

Type of Transaction

   Whether
Stockholder
Approval is
Required

Purchase of assets

   No

Purchase of stock of target not involving a merger with the company

   No

Merger of target into a subsidiary of the company

   No

Merger of the company with a target

   Yes

Under the NYSE’s listing rules, stockholder approval would be required for our initial business combination if, for example:

 

   

we issue (other than in a public offering for cash) shares of common stock that will either (a) be equal to or in excess of 20% of the number of shares of common stock then outstanding or (b) have voting power equal to or in excess of 20% of the voting power then outstanding;

 

   

any of our directors, officers or substantial security holders (as defined by the NYSE rules) has a 5% or greater interest, directly or indirectly, in the target business or assets to be acquired and if the number of shares of common stock to be issued, or if the number of shares of common stock into which the securities may be convertible or exercisable, exceeds either (a) 1% of the number of shares of common stock or 1% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any of our directors and officers or (b) 5% of the number of shares of common stock or 5% of the voting power outstanding before the issuance in the case of any substantial securityholders; or

 

   

the issuance or potential issuance will result in our undergoing a change of control.

The decision as to whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination in those instances in which stockholder approval is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rule will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on business and reasons, which include a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

 

   

the timing of the transaction, including in the event we determine stockholder approval would require additional time and there is either not enough time to seek stockholder approval or doing so would place the company at a disadvantage in the transaction or result in other additional burdens on the company;

 

   

the expected cost of holding a stockholder vote;

 

   

the risk that the stockholders would fail to approve the proposed business combination;

 

   

other time and budget constraints of the company; and

 

   

additional legal complexities of a proposed business combination that would be time-consuming and burdensome to present to stockholders.

 

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Permitted purchases and other transactions with respect to our securities

In the event we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase public shares or warrants in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. There is no limit on the number of securities such persons may purchase. Additionally, at any time at or prior to our initial business combination, subject to applicable securities laws (including with respect to material nonpublic information), our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may enter into transactions with investors and others to provide them with incentives to acquire public shares, vote their public shares in favor of our initial business combination or not redeem their public shares. However, they have no current commitments, plans or intentions to engage in such purchases or other transactions and have not formulated any terms or conditions for any such purchases or other transactions. None of the funds held in the trust account will be used to purchase public shares or warrants in such transactions. Such persons will be subject to restrictions in making any such purchases when they are in possession of any material non-public information or if such purchases are prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act. Such a purchase may include a contractual acknowledgement that such stockholder, although still the record holder of our shares, is no longer the beneficial owner thereof and therefore agrees not to exercise its redemption rights. We will adopt an insider trading policy which will require insiders to (1) refrain from purchasing securities during certain blackout periods and when they are in possession of any material non-public information and (2) clear all trades with our legal counsel prior to execution. We cannot currently determine whether our insiders will make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, as it will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to, the timing and size of such purchases. Depending on such circumstances, our insiders may either make such purchases pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan or determine that such a plan is not necessary.

In the event that our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates purchase public shares in privately negotiated transactions from public stockholders who have already elected to exercise their redemption rights or submitted a proxy to vote against our initial business combination, such selling stockholders would be required to revoke their prior elections to redeem their shares and any proxy to vote against our initial business combination. We do not currently anticipate that such purchases, if any, would constitute a tender offer subject to the tender offer rules under the Exchange Act or a going-private transaction subject to the going-private rules under the Exchange Act; however, if the purchasers determine at the time of any such purchases that the purchases are subject to such rules, the purchasers will be required to comply with such rules.

The purpose of any such transaction could be to (1) vote such shares in favor of the initial business combination and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining stockholder approval of the initial business combination, (2) reduce the number of public warrants outstanding or to vote such warrants on any matters submitted to the warrant holders for approval in connection with our initial business combination or (3) satisfy a closing condition in an agreement with a target that requires us to have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash at the closing of our initial business combination, where it appears that such requirement would otherwise not be met. Any such transactions may result in the completion of our initial business combination that may not otherwise have been possible.

In addition, if such purchases are made, the public “float” of our shares of Class A common stock or warrants may be reduced and the number of beneficial holders of our securities may be reduced, which may make it difficult to maintain or obtain the quotation, listing or trading of our securities on a national securities exchange.

 

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Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors and/or any of their respective affiliates anticipate that they may identify the stockholders with whom our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may pursue privately negotiated transactions by either the stockholders contacting us directly or by our receipt of redemption requests submitted by stockholders (in the case of public shares) following our mailing of proxy materials in connection with our initial business combination. To the extent that our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their respective affiliates enter into a private transaction, they would identify and contact only potential selling or redeeming stockholders who have expressed their election to redeem their shares for a pro rata share of the trust account or vote against our initial business combination. Such persons would select the stockholders from whom to acquire shares based on the number of shares available, the negotiated price per share and such other factors as any such person may deem relevant at the time of purchase. The price per share paid in any such transaction may be different than the amount per share a public stockholder would receive if it elected to redeem its shares in connection with our initial business combination. Our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from purchasing shares if such purchases do not comply with Regulation M under the Exchange Act and the other federal securities laws.

Any purchases by our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their respective affiliates who are affiliated purchasers under Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act will be restricted unless such purchases are made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. Rule 10b-18 has certain technical requirements that must be complied with in order for the safe harbor to be available to the purchaser. Our sponsor, officers, directors and/or any of their respective affiliates will be restricted from making purchases of common stock if such purchases would violate Section 9(a)(2) or Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act.

Redemption rights for public stockholders upon completion of our initial business combination

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. At completion of the business combination, we will be required to purchase any public shares properly delivered for redemption and not withdrawn. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. There will be no redemption rights upon the completion of our initial business combination with respect to our warrants. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination.

Manner of conducting redemptions

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Class A common stock upon the completion of our initial business combination either: (1) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the business combination; or (2) by means of a tender offer. Except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the decision as to

 

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whether we will seek stockholder approval of a proposed business combination or conduct a tender offer will be made by us, solely in our discretion, and will be based on a variety of factors such as the timing of the transaction. Asset acquisitions and stock purchases would not typically require stockholder approval while direct mergers with our company where we do not survive and any transactions where we issue more than 20% of our outstanding common stock or seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation would typically require stockholder approval. If we structure a business combination transaction with a target company in a manner that requires stockholder approval, we will not have discretion as to whether to seek a stockholder vote to approve the proposed business combination. We intend to conduct redemptions without a stockholder vote pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC unless stockholder approval is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement or we choose to seek stockholder approval for business or other reasons.

If a stockholder vote is not required and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:

 

   

conduct the redemptions pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, which regulate issuer tender offers; and

 

   

file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies.

Upon the public announcement of our initial business combination, we and our sponsor will terminate any plan established in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 to purchase shares of our Class A common stock in the open market if we elect to redeem our public shares through a tender offer, to comply with Rule 14e-5 under the Exchange Act.

In the event we conduct redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules, our offer to redeem will remain open for at least 20 business days, in accordance with Rule 14e-1(a) under the Exchange Act, and we will not be permitted to complete our initial business combination until the expiration of the tender offer period. In addition, the tender offer will be conditioned on public stockholders not tendering more than a specified number of public shares, which number will be based on the requirement that we may not redeem public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions or any greater net tangible asset or cash requirement which may be contained in the agreement relating to our initial business combination. If public stockholders tender more shares than we have offered to purchase, we will withdraw the tender offer and not complete such initial business combination, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).

If, however, stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirement, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation:

 

   

conduct the redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act, which regulates the solicitation of proxies, and not pursuant to the tender offer rules; and

 

   

file proxy materials with the SEC.

We expect that a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if

 

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we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Although we are not required to do so, we currently intend to comply with the substantive and procedural requirements of Regulation 14A in connection with any stockholder vote even if we are not able to maintain our NYSE listing or Exchange Act registration.

In the event that we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, we will distribute proxy materials and, in connection therewith, provide our public stockholders with the redemption rights described above upon completion of the initial business combination.

If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors will count towards this quorum and have agreed to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements, may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination. Each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction. In addition, our initial stockholders have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of a business combination.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that in no event will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. Redemptions of our public shares may also be subject to a higher net tangible asset test or cash requirement pursuant to an agreement relating to our initial business combination. For example, the proposed business combination may require: (1) cash consideration to be paid to the target or its owners; (2) cash to be transferred to the target for working capital or other general corporate purposes; or (3) the retention of cash to satisfy other conditions in accordance with the terms of the proposed business combination. In the event the aggregate cash consideration we would be required to pay for all shares of Class A common stock that are validly submitted for redemption plus any amount required to satisfy cash conditions pursuant to the terms of the proposed business combination exceed the aggregate amount of cash available to us, we will not complete the business combination or redeem any shares, all shares of common stock submitted for redemption will be returned to the holders thereof, and we instead may search for an alternate business combination (including, potentially, with the same target).

Limitation on redemption upon completion of our initial business combination if we seek

stockholder approval

Notwithstanding the foregoing redemption rights, if we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect to more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering, which we refer to as the “Excess Shares,” without our prior consent. We believe the restriction described above will discourage stockholders from accumulating large blocks of shares and subsequent attempts by such holders to use their ability to redeem their shares as a means to force us or our sponsor or its affiliates to purchase their shares at a significant

 

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premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. Absent this provision, a public stockholder holding more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering could threaten to exercise its redemption rights against a business combination if such holder’s shares are not purchased by us or our sponsor or its affiliates at a premium to the then-current market price or on other undesirable terms. By limiting our stockholders’ ability to redeem to no more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering, we believe we will limit the ability of a small group of stockholders to unreasonably attempt to block our ability to complete our initial business combination, particularly in connection with a business combination with a target that requires as a closing condition that we have a minimum net worth or a certain amount of cash. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination.

Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights

We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders, or up to two business days prior to the vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, rather than simply voting against the initial business combination at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements, which will include the requirement that a beneficial holder must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a stockholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. Given the relatively short exercise period, it is advisable for stockholders to use electronic delivery of their public shares.

There is a nominal cost associated with the above-referenced tendering process and the act of certificating the shares or delivering them through The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System. The transfer agent will typically charge the tendering broker a fee of approximately $80 and it would be up to the broker whether or not to pass this cost on to the redeeming holder. However, this fee would be incurred regardless of whether or not we require holders seeking to exercise redemption rights to tender their shares. The need to deliver shares is a requirement of exercising redemption rights regardless of the timing of when such delivery must be effectuated.

The foregoing is different from the procedures used by many blank check companies. In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, many blank check companies would distribute proxy materials for the stockholders’ vote on an initial business combination, and a holder could simply vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holder was seeking to exercise his or her redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholder to arrange for him or her to deliver his or her certificate to verify ownership. As a result, the stockholder then had an “option

 

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window” after the completion of the business combination during which he or she could monitor the price of the company’s stock in the market. If the price rose above the redemption price, he or she could sell his or her shares in the open market before actually delivering his or her shares to the company for cancellation. As a result, the redemption rights, to which stockholders were aware they needed to commit before the stockholder meeting, would become “option” rights surviving past the completion of the business combination until the redeeming holder delivered its certificate. The requirement for physical or electronic delivery prior to the meeting ensures that a redeeming holder’s election to redeem is irrevocable once the business combination is approved.

Any request to redeem such shares, once made, may be withdrawn at any time up to the date set forth in the tender offer materials or two business days prior to the scheduled date of the stockholder meeting set forth in our proxy materials, as applicable (unless we elect to allow additional withdrawal rights). Furthermore, if a holder of a public share delivered its certificate in connection with an election of redemption rights and subsequently decides prior to the applicable date not to elect to exercise such rights, such holder may simply request that the transfer agent return the certificate (physically or electronically). It is anticipated that the funds to be distributed to holders of our public shares electing to redeem their shares will be distributed promptly after the completion of our initial business combination.

If our initial business combination is not approved or completed for any reason, then our public stockholders who elected to exercise their redemption rights would not be entitled to redeem their shares for the applicable pro rata share of the trust account. In such case, we will promptly return any certificates delivered by public holders who elected to redeem their shares.

If our initial proposed business combination is not completed, we may continue to try to complete a business combination until 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period.

Redemption of public shares and liquidation if no initial business combination

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that we will have only 24 months from the closing of this offering to complete our initial business combination. If we have not completed our initial business combination within such period or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. There will be no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to our warrants, which will expire worthless if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period.

Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have waived their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time period. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates then hold any public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time frame to complete our initial business combination.

 

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Our sponsor, officers and directors have agreed, pursuant to a written agreement with us, that they will not propose any amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, unless we provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Class A common stock upon approval of any such amendment at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares. However, we may not redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions.

We expect that all costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, as well as payments to any creditors, will be funded from amounts remaining out of the estimated $1,000,000 of proceeds held outside the trust account, although we cannot assure you that there will be sufficient funds for such purpose. However, if those funds are not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses associated with implementing our plan of dissolution, to the extent that there is any interest accrued in the trust account not required to pay taxes, we may request the trustee to release to us an additional amount of up to $100,000 of such accrued interest to pay those costs and expenses.

If we were to expend all of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, other than the proceeds deposited in the trust account, and without taking into account interest, if any, earned on the trust account and any tax payments or expenses for the dissolution of the trust, the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders upon our dissolution would be $10.00. The proceeds deposited in the trust account could, however, become subject to the claims of our creditors which would have higher priority than the claims of our public stockholders. We cannot assure you that the actual per-share redemption amount received by stockholders will not be substantially less than $10.00. Please see “Risk Factors—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors described above. Under Section 281(b) of the DGCL, our plan of dissolution must provide for all claims against us to be paid in full or make provision for payments to be made in full, as applicable, if there are sufficient assets. These claims must be paid or provided for before we make any distribution of our remaining assets to our stockholders. While we intend to pay such amounts, if any, we cannot assure you that we will have funds sufficient to pay or provide for all creditors’ claims.

Although we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account for the benefit of our public stockholders, there is no guarantee that they will execute such agreements or even if they execute such agreements that they would be prevented from bringing claims against the trust account including but not limited to fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary responsibility or other similar claims, as well as claims challenging the enforceability of the waiver, in each case in order to gain an advantage with respect to a claim against our assets, including the funds held in the trust account. If any third party refuses to execute an agreement waiving such claims to the monies held in the trust account, our management will perform an analysis of the alternatives available to it and will only enter into an agreement with a third party that has not executed a waiver if management believes that such third party’s engagement would be significantly more beneficial to us than any alternative. Examples of possible instances where we may engage a third party that refuses to execute a waiver include the engagement of a third-party consultant whose particular expertise or skills are believed by management to be significantly superior

 

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to those of other consultants that would agree to execute a waiver or in cases where we are unable to find a service provider willing to execute a waiver. In addition, there is no guarantee that such entities will agree to waive any claims they may have in the future as a result of, or arising out of, any negotiations, contracts or agreements with us and will not seek recourse against the trust account for any reason. In order to protect the amounts held in the trust account, our sponsor has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. As a result, if any such claims were successfully made against the trust account, the funds available for our initial business combination and redemptions could be reduced to less than $10.00 per public share. In such event, we may not be able to complete our initial business combination, and you would receive such lesser amount per share in connection with any redemption of your public shares. None of our officers or directors will indemnify us for claims by third parties including, without limitation, claims by vendors and prospective target businesses.

In the event that the proceeds in the trust account are reduced below: (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, and our sponsor asserts that it is unable to satisfy its indemnification obligations or that it has no indemnification obligations related to a particular claim, our independent directors would determine whether to take legal action against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations. While we currently expect that our independent directors would take legal action on our behalf against our sponsor to enforce its indemnification obligations to us, it is possible that our independent directors in exercising their business judgment may choose not to do so in certain instances. For example, the cost of such legal action may be deemed by the independent directors to be too high relative to the amount recoverable or the independent directors may determine that a favorable outcome is not likely. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that due to claims of creditors the actual value of the per-share redemption price will not be substantially less than $10.00 per public share. Please see “Risk Factors—If third parties bring claims against us, the proceeds held in the trust account could be reduced and the per-share redemption amount received by stockholders may be less than $10.00 per share” and other risk factors described above.

We will seek to reduce the possibility that our sponsor will have to indemnify the trust account due to claims of creditors by endeavoring to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account. Our sponsor will also not be liable as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We will have access to up to an estimated $1,000,000 from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants with which to pay any such potential claims (including

 

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costs and expenses incurred in connection with our liquidation, currently estimated to be no more than approximately $100,000). In the event that we liquidate and it is subsequently determined that the reserve for claims and liabilities is insufficient, stockholders who received funds from our trust account could be liable for claims made by creditors. In the event that our offering expenses exceed our estimate of $1,000,000, we may fund such excess with funds from the funds not to be held in the trust account. In such case, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would decrease by a corresponding amount. Conversely, in the event that the offering expenses are less than our estimate of $1,000,000, the amount of funds we intend to be held outside the trust account would increase by a corresponding amount.

Under the DGCL, stockholders may be held liable for claims by third parties against a corporation to the extent of distributions received by them in a dissolution. The pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period may be considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law. If the corporation complies with certain procedures set forth in Section 280 of the DGCL intended to ensure that it makes reasonable provision for all claims against it, including a 60-day notice period during which any third-party claims can be brought against the corporation, a 90-day period during which the corporation may reject any claims brought, and an additional 150-day waiting period before any liquidating distributions are made to stockholders, any liability of stockholders with respect to a liquidating distribution is limited to the lesser of such stockholder’s pro rata share of the claim or the amount distributed to the stockholder, and any liability of the stockholder would be barred after the third anniversary of the dissolution.

Furthermore, if the pro rata portion of our trust account distributed to our public stockholders upon the redemption of our public shares in the event we do not complete our initial business combination within the required time period, is not considered a liquidating distribution under Delaware law and such redemption distribution is deemed to be unlawful, then pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, the statute of limitations for claims of creditors could then be six years after the unlawful redemption distribution, instead of three years, as in the case of a liquidating distribution. If we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any); and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Accordingly, it is our intention to redeem our public shares as soon as reasonably possible following the end of our acquisition period and, therefore, we do not intend to comply with those procedures. As such, our stockholders could potentially be liable for any claims to the extent of distributions received by them (but no more) and any liability of our stockholders may extend well beyond the third anniversary of such date.

Because we will not be complying with Section 280, Section 281(b) of the DGCL requires us to adopt a plan, based on facts known to us at such time that will provide for our payment of all existing and pending claims or claims that may be potentially brought against us within the subsequent ten years. However, because we are a blank check company, rather than an operating company, and our operations will be limited to searching for prospective target businesses to acquire, the only likely claims to arise would be from our vendors (such as lawyers, investment bankers, etc.) or prospective target businesses. As described above, pursuant to the obligation contained in our underwriting

 

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agreement, we will seek to have all vendors, service providers (other than our independent registered public accounting firm), prospective target businesses and other entities with which we do business execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies held in the trust account.

As a result of this obligation, the claims that could be made against us are significantly limited and the likelihood that any claim that would result in any liability extending to the trust account is remote. Further, our sponsor may be liable only to the extent necessary to ensure that the amounts in the trust account are not reduced below: (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. In the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims.

If we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, the proceeds held in the trust account could be subject to applicable bankruptcy law, and may be included in our bankruptcy estate and subject to the claims of third parties with priority over the claims of our stockholders. To the extent any bankruptcy claims deplete the trust account, we cannot assure you we will be able to return $10.00 per share to our public stockholders. Additionally, if we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, any distributions received by stockholders could be viewed under applicable debtor/creditor and/or bankruptcy laws as either a “preferential transfer” or a “fraudulent conveyance.” As a result, a bankruptcy court could seek to recover some or all amounts received by our stockholders. Furthermore, our board of directors may be viewed as having breached its fiduciary duty to our creditors and/or may have acted in bad faith, and thereby exposing itself and our company to claims of punitive damages, by paying public stockholders from the trust account prior to addressing the claims of creditors. We cannot assure you that claims will not be brought against us for these reasons. Please see “Risk Factors—If, after we distribute the proceeds in the trust account to our public stockholders, we file a bankruptcy petition or an involuntary bankruptcy petition is filed against us that is not dismissed, a bankruptcy court may seek to recover such proceeds, and the members of our board of directors may be viewed as having breached their fiduciary duties to our creditors, thereby exposing the members of our board of directors and us to claims of punitive damages.”

A public stockholder will be entitled to receive funds from the trust account only upon the earliest to occur of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination and then, only in connection with those public shares that such stockholder has properly elected to redeem, subject to the limitations described in this prospectus; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law. In no other circumstances will a public stockholder have any right or interest of any kind to or in the trust account. In the event we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, a stockholder’s voting in connection with our initial business combination alone will not result in a stockholder’s redeeming its shares to us for an applicable pro rata share of the trust account. Such stockholder must have also exercised its redemption rights described above. Holders of warrants will not have any rights of proceeds held in the trust account with respect to the warrants.

 

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Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the consummation of our initial business combination. If we seek to amend any provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares in connection with any such vote. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive any redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:

 

   

prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, we shall either: (1) seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination at a meeting called for such purpose, in connection with which, stockholders may seek to redeem their shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction, into their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable); or (2) provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to tender their shares to us by means of a tender offer (and thereby avoid the need for a stockholder vote) for an amount equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the completion of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), in each case subject to the limitations described herein;

 

   

we will consummate our initial business combination only if we have net tangible assets of at least $5,000,001 upon such consummation and, solely if we seek stockholder approval, a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination at a duly held stockholders meeting;

 

   

if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law; and

 

   

prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

These provisions cannot be amended without the approval of holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock.

 

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Additionally, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, prior to our initial business combination, only holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to vote on the election of directors and that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove a member of the board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting.

Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders.

Comparison of redemption or purchase prices in connection with our initial business combination and if we fail to complete our initial business combination

The following table compares the redemptions and other permitted purchases of public shares that may take place in connection with the completion of our initial business combination and if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period.

 

    

Redemptions in Connection

with our Initial Business

Combination

  

Other Permitted

Purchases of Public

Shares by our Affiliates

  

Redemptions if we fail

to Complete an

Initial Business
Combination

Calculation of redemption price

   Redemptions at the time of our initial business combination may be made pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. The redemption price will be the same whether we conduct redemptions pursuant to a tender offer or in connection with a stockholder vote. In either case, our public stockholders may redeem their public shares for cash equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial business combination (which is    If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination, our sponsor, directors, officers, advisors or any of their respective affiliates may purchase shares in privately negotiated transactions or in the open market either prior to or following the completion of our initial business combination. Such purchases will be restricted except to the extent such purchases are able to be made in compliance with Rule 10b-18, which is a safe harbor from liability for manipulation under Section 9(a)(2) and Rule 10b-5 of the Exchange Act. None of the funds in the trust account will be used to    If we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period, we will redeem all public shares at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account (which is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares.

 

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Redemptions in Connection

with our Initial Business

Combination

  

Other Permitted

Purchases of Public

Shares by our Affiliates

  

Redemptions if we fail

to Complete an

Initial Business
Combination

   initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share), including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitation that no redemptions will take place if all of the redemptions would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions, and any limitations (including but not limited to cash requirements) agreed to in connection with the negotiation of terms of a proposed business combination.    purchase shares in such transactions.   

Impact to remaining stockholders

   The redemptions in connection with our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for our remaining stockholders, who will bear the burden of the deferred underwriting commissions and interest withdrawn in order to pay our taxes (to the extent not paid from amounts accrued as interest on the funds held in the trust account).    If the permitted purchases described above are made, there will be no impact to our remaining stockholders because the purchase price would not be paid by us.    The redemption of our public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination will reduce the book value per share for the shares held by our initial stockholders, who will be our only remaining stockholders after such redemptions.

 

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Comparison of This Offering to Those of Blank Check Companies Subject to Rule 419

The following table compares the terms of this offering to the terms of an offering by a blank check company subject to the provisions of Rule 419. This comparison assumes that the gross proceeds, underwriting commissions and underwriting expenses of our offering would be identical to those of an offering undertaken by a company subject to Rule 419, and that the underwriters will not exercise their option to purchase additional units. None of the provisions of Rule 419 apply to our offering.

 

    

Terms of Our Offering

  

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Escrow of offering proceeds

  

The rules of the NYSE provide that at least 90% of the gross proceeds from this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants be deposited in a trust account.

 

$700,000,000 of the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants will be deposited into a U.S.-based trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company acting as trustee.

   At least approximately $595.3 million of the offering proceeds, representing the gross proceeds of this offering less allowable underwriting commissions, expenses and company deductions under Rule 419, would be required to be deposited into either an escrow account with an insured depositary institution or in a separate bank account established by a broker-dealer in which the broker-dealer acts as trustee for persons having the beneficial interests in the account.

Investment of net proceeds

   $700,000,000 of the net offering proceeds and the sale of the private placement warrants held in trust will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds investing solely in U.S. Treasuries and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act.    Proceeds could be invested only in specified securities such as a money market fund meeting conditions of the Investment Company Act or in securities that are direct obligations of, or obligations guaranteed as to principal or interest by, the United States.

Receipt of interest on escrowed funds

   Interest on proceeds from the trust account to be paid to stockholders is reduced by: (1) any taxes paid or payable; and (2) in the event of our liquidation for failure to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time, up to $100,000 of net interest that may be released    Interest on funds in escrow account would be held for the sole benefit of investors, unless and only after the funds held in escrow were released to us in connection with our completion of a business combination.

 

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Terms of Our Offering

  

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

   to us should we have no or insufficient working capital to fund the costs and expenses of our dissolution and liquidation.   

Limitation on fair value or net assets of target business

   The NYSE rules require that an initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (net of amounts disbursed to management for working capital purposes, if permitted, and excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount).    The fair value or net assets of a target business must represent at least 80% of the maximum offering proceeds.

Trading of securities issued

   The units will begin trading on or promptly after the date of this prospectus. The Class A common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.    No trading of the units or the underlying common stock and warrants would be permitted until the completion of a business combination. During this period, the securities would be held in the escrow or trust account.

 

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Terms of Our Offering

  

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Exercise of the warrants

   The warrants cannot be exercised until the later of 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination and 12 months from the closing of this offering.    The warrants could be exercised prior to the completion of a business combination, but securities received and cash paid in connection with the exercise would be deposited in the escrow or trust account.

Election to remain an investor

   We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest, which interest shall be net of taxes payable, upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein. We may not be required by applicable law or stock exchange rules to hold a stockholder vote. If we are not required by applicable law or stock exchange rules and do not otherwise decide to hold a stockholder vote, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC and file tender offer documents with the SEC which will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, we hold a stockholder vote, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the    A prospectus containing information pertaining to the business combination required by the SEC would be sent to each investor. Each investor would be given the opportunity to notify the company in writing, within a period of no less than 20 business days and no more than 45 business days from the effective date of a post-effective amendment to the company’s registration statement, to decide if he, she or it elects to remain a stockholder of the company or require the return of his, her or its investment. If the company has not received the notification by the end of the 45th business day, funds and interest or dividends, if any, held in the trust or escrow account are automatically returned to the stockholder. Unless a sufficient number of investors elect to remain investors, all funds on deposit in the escrow account must be returned to all of the investors and none of the securities are issued.

 

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Terms of Our Offering

  

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

  

proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. Pursuant to the tender offer rules, the tender offer period will be not less than 20 business days and, in the case of a stockholder vote, a final proxy statement would be mailed to public stockholders at least 10 days prior to the stockholder vote. However, we expect that a draft proxy statement would be made available to such stockholders well in advance of such time, providing additional notice of redemption if we conduct redemptions in conjunction with a proxy solicitation. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting.

 

Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting and, if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

  

Business combination deadline

   If we have not completed an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up;    If an acquisition has not been completed within 18 months after the effective date of the company’s registration statement, funds held in the trust or escrow account are returned to investors.

 

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Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

   (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.   

Release of funds

   Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the trust account that may be released to us to pay our taxes, if any, the funds held in the trust account will not be released from the trust account until the earliest of: (1) the completion of our initial business combination; (2) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our    The proceeds held in the escrow account are not released until the earlier of the completion of a business combination and the failure to effect a business combination within the allotted time.

 

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Terms of Our Offering

  

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

   obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) the redemption of all of our public shares if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, subject to applicable law.   

Limitation on redemption rights of stockholders holding more than 15% of the shares sold in this offering if we hold a stockholder vote

   If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering), without our prior consent. Our public stockholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions.    Most blank check companies provide no restrictions on the ability of stockholders to redeem shares based on the number of shares held by such stockholders in connection with an initial business combination.

 

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Terms of Our Offering

  

Terms Under a Rule 419 Offering

Tendering stock certificates in connection with a tender offer or redemption rights

   We may require our public stockholders seeking to exercise their redemption rights, whether they are record holders or hold their shares in “street name,” to either tender their certificates to our transfer agent prior to the date set forth in the tender offer documents or proxy materials mailed to such holders or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the proposal to approve the business combination in the event we distribute proxy materials, or to deliver their shares to the transfer agent electronically using The Depository Trust Company’s DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian) System, at the holder’s option. The tender offer or proxy materials, as applicable, that we will furnish to holders of our public shares in connection with our initial business combination will indicate whether we are requiring public stockholders to satisfy such delivery requirements. Accordingly, a public stockholder would have from the time we send out our tender offer materials until the close of the tender offer period, or up to two business days prior to the scheduled vote on the business combination if we distribute proxy materials, as applicable, to tender its shares if it wishes to seek to exercise its redemption rights.    In order to perfect redemption rights in connection with their business combinations, holders could vote against a proposed business combination and check a box on the proxy card indicating such holders were seeking to exercise their redemption rights. After the business combination was approved, the company would contact such stockholders to arrange for them to deliver their certificate to verify ownership.

Competition

We expect to encounter intense competition from other entities having a business objective similar to ours, including private investors (which may be individuals or investment partnerships), other blank check companies and other entities, domestic and international, including, without limitation, Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts, competing for the types of businesses we intend to acquire.

 

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Many of these individuals and entities are well-established and have extensive experience in identifying and effecting, directly or indirectly, acquisitions of companies operating in or providing services to various industries. Many of these competitors possess greater technical, human and other resources or more local industry knowledge than we do and our financial resources will be relatively limited when contrasted with those of many of these competitors. While we believe there will be numerous target businesses we could potentially acquire with the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants, our ability to compete with respect to the acquisition of certain target businesses that are sizable will be limited by our available financial resources. Our sponsor or any of its affiliates (including Goldman Sachs) may make additional investments in us, although our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation or other duty to do so. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for a discussion on certain limitations related to other resources Goldman Sachs may, but is under no obligation or other duty to, provide us. This inherent competitive limitation gives others an advantage in pursuing the acquisition of certain target businesses. Furthermore, our obligation to pay cash in connection with our public stockholders who exercise their redemption rights may reduce the resources available to us for our initial business combination and our outstanding warrants, and the future dilution they potentially represent, may not be viewed favorably by target businesses. Any of these factors may place us at a competitive disadvantage in successfully negotiating and completing an initial business combination.

Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs

Our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. Goldman Sachs is a worldwide, full-service investment banking, broker-dealer, asset management and financial services organization and a major participant in global financial markets. As such, Goldman Sachs provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net-worth individuals. Goldman Sachs acts as an investment banker, research provider, investment adviser, financier, adviser, market maker, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent, principal and investor. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs advises clients in all major markets and purchases, sells, holds and recommends a broad array of investments, including securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products, for its own account and for the accounts of clients, through client accounts and the relationships and products it sponsors, manages and advises. Goldman Sachs has direct and indirect interests in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equities, bank loan and other markets, and the securities and issuers, in which we and GS Accounts may directly and indirectly invest. While Goldman Sachs will not have any duty to offer acquisition opportunities to us, Goldman Sachs may become aware of a potential transaction that may be an attractive opportunity for us, which it may or may not decide to share with us. In addition, we may, but are not required to, engage Goldman Sachs for services as a financial advisor in connection with identifying and investigating potential targets for our business combination. Raanan A. Agus, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Tom Knott, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and one of our directors, are currently associated with Goldman Sachs and will not be independent of Goldman Sachs (although there is no assurance that either of them will remain associated with Goldman Sachs).

As described in the preceding paragraph, Goldman Sachs is engaged in other businesses and has interests other than its sponsorship of and related interests in our company. We will not be entitled to compensation related to such businesses. These activities and interests of Goldman Sachs may include potential multiple advisory, transactional, and financial and other interests in securities, instruments and companies, including us, or that may be, directly or indirectly, purchased or sold by us.

 

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Conflicts may arise from Goldman Sachs’ sponsorship of our company, its provision of services both to us (including as a financial advisor) and to third-party clients, as well as from actions undertaken by Goldman Sachs for its own account. In performing services for other clients and also when acting for its own account, Goldman Sachs may take commercial steps which may have an adverse effect on us. Any of Goldman Sachs’ financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on us, and the interests of Goldman Sachs or its clients or counterparties may at times be adverse to ours. Please see “—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs.

The following discussion describes certain potential conflicts of interest that exist between Goldman Sachs and our company. These are considerations of which investors in our company should be aware, and which may cause conflicts that could disadvantage us. They are not, and are not intended to be, a complete enumeration or explanation of all of the potential conflicts of interest that may arise. Present and future activities of Goldman Sachs in addition to those described in this “—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” may give rise to additional conflicts of interest. Dealing with conflicts of interest is complex and difficult and new and different types of conflicts may subsequently arise. There can be no assurance that Goldman Sachs will be able to resolve all conflicts in a manner that is favorable to us, and any such conflicts may have a material adverse effect on us, including our ability to consummate an initial business combination.

Limitations on Our Access to Investment Opportunities Sourced by GSAM and Other Business Units of Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) manages and advises a substantial number of GS Accounts, including GS Accounts held by Goldman Sachs on a proprietary basis, GS Accounts held by Goldman Sachs personnel or clients and GS Accounts in which Goldman Sachs and Goldman Sachs personnel and clients have an interest. Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts may compete with us for acquisition opportunities that we may target for our initial business combination. If Goldman Sachs or such other GS Accounts decide to pursue any such opportunity or Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) determines in its sole discretion not to offer such opportunity to us, we may be precluded from procuring such opportunities. In addition, investment ideas generated within Goldman Sachs or by persons who may make decisions for us may be suitable for both us and for Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts and may be directed to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or other third parties rather than to us. Prospective investors should note that, although our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, we are not an investment advisory client of GSAM or any other business unit of Goldman Sachs (and we are not a GS Account). As such, none of GSAM, any other business unit of Goldman Sachs or any Goldman Sachs personnel (other than those who are members of our management team in their capacities as such) has any fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to our company, including, without limitation, to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware.

Our management team, in their other endeavors (including any affiliation they may have with Goldman Sachs), may choose or be required to present potential business combinations or other transactions to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or third parties, before they present such opportunities to us. Please see “Risk Factors—Certain of our officers and directors are now, and all of them may in the future become, affiliated with entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended to be conducted by us and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity or other transaction should be presented.” In addition, investment opportunities sourced by GSAM or its personnel or presented to GSAM by other business units of Goldman Sachs or their personnel will be made available to us only after such opportunities have been offered to GS Accounts managed or advised by GSAM. To the extent that such GS

 

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Accounts decline to pursue any such opportunity, GSAM may in its sole discretion (but is not obligated to) offer all or any portion of such opportunity to us (or may instead offer all or any portion of such opportunity to Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or third parties). Investment opportunities that are sourced by business units of Goldman Sachs other than GSAM or the personnel of such business units will not be made available to us, unless such opportunities are first presented to GSAM by such other business units or personnel.

Goldman Sachs’ and GSAM’s Activities on Behalf of GS Accounts; Our Company is Not an Investment Advisory Client of GSAM or Any Other Business Unit of Goldman Sachs and is Not a GS Account

As described above, Goldman Sachs engages in a variety of activities in the global financial markets. The extent of Goldman Sachs’ activities in the global financial markets, including, without limitation, in its capacity as an investment banker, research provider, investment adviser, financier, adviser, market maker, prime broker, derivatives dealer, lender, counterparty, agent, principal and investor, as well as in other capacities, may have potential adverse effects on us or businesses that we seek to acquire. Goldman Sachs and its personnel, when acting in these or other capacities, may advise on transactions, make investment decisions or recommendations, provide differing investment views or have views with respect to research or valuations that are inconsistent with, or adverse to, our interests and activities or those of businesses that we seek to acquire. Transactions by, advice to and activities of Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts (including with respect to investment decisions, voting and the enforcement of rights) may involve us or businesses that we seek to acquire. For example, Goldman Sachs may be engaged to provide advice to a GS Account that is considering entering into a transaction with us, and Goldman Sachs may advise the GS Account not to pursue the transaction with us, or otherwise in connection with a potential transaction provide advice to the GS Account that would be adverse to us. Moreover, Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts who own our securities or securities of businesses that we seek to acquire may vote on or take or refrain from taking actions with respect to such securities in ways that may be disadvantageous to us or our public stockholders.

Prospective investors should note that, although our sponsor is an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, our company is not an investment advisory client of GSAM or any other business unit of Goldman Sachs (and is not a GS Account). As such, none of GSAM, any other business unit of Goldman Sachs or any Goldman Sachs personnel (other than those who are members of our management team in their capacities as such) has any fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to our company, including, without limitation, to present us with any opportunity for a potential business combination of which they become aware. Our management team is responsible for making all acquisition and other decisions on our behalf. Decisions made by our management team may differ from those by Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) on behalf of GS Accounts and may compete with, affect, differ from, conflict with, or involve timing different from, advice given to, or investment or voting decisions made by GSAM for GS Accounts. Neither GSAM nor any other business unit of Goldman Sachs will have any contractual or other obligation or duty to make available to us any information regarding its trading activities, strategies or views, or the activities, strategies or views, including those used for Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts. In the event that Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts hold securities of a business that we seek to acquire, Goldman Sachs, on behalf of itself or such other GS Accounts, may implement an investment decision ahead of, or contemporaneously with, or behind similar investment decisions made by us. The relative timing for the implementation of investment decisions for Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts, on the one hand, and by us, on the other hand, may disadvantage us.

Although our company may from time to time have access to certain fundamental analyses and proprietary technical models developed by Goldman Sachs and its personnel, Goldman Sachs and its

 

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personnel have no obligation or other duty to make such analyses and models available to us and, in certain cases, may be prohibited from doing so. In addition, Goldman Sachs has no obligation or other duty to seek information or to make available to or share with our company any information, investment strategies, opportunities or ideas known to Goldman Sachs personnel or developed or used in connection with other clients or activities and, in certain cases, they may be prohibited from doing so. Goldman Sachs and certain of its personnel, including those who are involved with our company, may be in possession of information not available to all Goldman Sachs personnel, and such personnel may act on the basis of such information in connection with the activities relating to Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts in ways that are adverse to our company.

Goldman Sachs is often engaged as a financial advisor, or to provide financing, to corporations and other entities and their directors and managers in connection with the sale of those entities, their assets or their subsidiaries. Sellers generally require Goldman Sachs to act exclusively on their behalf and/or for other reasons, we may be precluded in many instances from attempting to acquire securities of the business being sold or otherwise participate as a buyer in the transaction. Goldman Sachs also represents potential buyer’s businesses. Goldman Sachs may be incentivized to direct an opportunity to one of these buyers or to form a consortium with such buyers to bid for the opportunity, thereby eliminating or reducing the investment opportunity available to us.

Lending and Loan Syndication; Investments in Different Parts of an Issuer’s Capital Structure

Goldman Sachs is engaged in the business of making, underwriting and syndicating senior and other loans to corporate and other borrowers, and may seek (but is not obligated) to provide these services to our company or businesses that we seek to acquire. For instance, we or such businesses may borrow money from Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts and Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts may (but are not obligated to) arrange or underwrite bank or high-yield financing used by us or such businesses. In addition, Goldman Sachs is the sponsor of (and some of the GS Accounts are) investment partnerships specializing in senior secured loan investments and mezzanine investments, which may (but are not obligated to) make senior secured loan and/or mezzanine investments in us or such businesses. The interest, fees and other compensation received by Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts in connection with these activities will not be shared with our company or our public stockholders.

Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) or other GS Accounts may invest in or extend credit to different parts of our capital structure or the capital structure of businesses that we seek to acquire. As a result, Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) or other GS Accounts may take actions that are directly adverse to us, our public stockholders or such businesses. In addition, Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) may advise GS Accounts with respect to different parts of our capital structure or the capital structure of businesses that we seek to acquire, classes of our securities that are senior to our common stock or classes of such businesses’ securities that are senior to the securities of such businesses owned by us. Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) may pursue rights, provide advice or engage in other activities, or refrain from pursuing rights, providing advice or engaging in other activities, on behalf of itself or GS Accounts with respect to our company or businesses that we seek to acquire, and such actions (or refraining from action) may have a material adverse effect on us or such businesses.

For example, in the event that Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) or a GS Account holds loans, securities or other positions in our capital structure that ranks senior in preference to our common stock, and our company experiences financial or operational challenges, Goldman Sachs (including GSAM), acting on behalf of itself or the GS Account, may seek a liquidation, reorganization or restructuring of our company, or terms in connection with the foregoing, that may have an adverse effect on or otherwise conflict with the interests of our other investors, including public stockholders. In

 

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the event our company becomes financially distressed, we may undertake a restructuring and, as a result, the equity interests in our company may be extinguished or substantially diluted while the creditors may receive a recovery of some or all of the amounts due to them and may receive equity in the company. In this regard, in the event that Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts are holders of our debt and our company is subject to a restructuring, Goldman Sachs or such other GS Accounts may recover amounts owed to them while the interests of public stockholders may be extinguished or substantially diluted. In addition, in connection with lending arrangements involving our company, Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts may seek to exercise its creditors’ rights under the applicable loan agreement or other document, which may be detrimental to our equity holders, including our public stockholders. Similar considerations will apply in the event that Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts hold loans, securities or other positions in the capital structure of businesses that we seek to acquire that rank senior in preference to the securities of such businesses acquired by us.

Goldman Sachs May Act in Multiple Commercial Capacities

To the extent permitted by applicable law, Goldman Sachs may act as broker, dealer, agent, counterparty, lender or advisor or in other commercial capacities for us or businesses that we seek to acquire. Prospective investors should not rely on, or have any expectation, that Goldman Sachs will act in any such capacities. Goldman Sachs may be entitled to compensation in connection with the provision of such services, and we will not be entitled to any such compensation. Goldman Sachs will have an interest in obtaining fees and other compensation in connection with such services that are favorable to Goldman Sachs, and in connection with providing such services may take commercial steps in its own interest, or may advise the parties to which it is providing services, or take other actions, any of which may negatively affect us. For example, Goldman Sachs may require repayment of all or part of a loan made to us or to a business we seek to acquire, which could cause us or such business to default or be required to liquidate assets more rapidly, which could adversely affect the value of our company or such business. Goldman Sachs may also advise us or a business we seek to acquire to make changes to our capital structure or the capital structure of such business, the result of which would be a reduction in the value of our securities or the securities issued by such business. Actions taken or advised to be taken by Goldman Sachs in connection with other types of transactions may also result in adverse consequences for our company or a business we seek to acquire. In addition, due to its access to and knowledge of funds, markets and securities based on its prime brokerage and other businesses, Goldman Sachs (on behalf of itself or other GS Accounts) may make decisions based on information or take (or refrain from taking) actions with respect to us or businesses that we seek to acquire in a manner that may be adverse to us. Goldman Sachs may also provide various services to us or to businesses that we seek to acquire, which may result in fees, compensation and remuneration, as well as other benefits, to Goldman Sachs, enhance Goldman Sachs’ relationships with various parties, facilitate additional business development and enable Goldman Sachs to obtain additional business and generate additional revenue. In addition, while it has no obligation or other duty to do so, Goldman Sachs, subject to applicable restrictions on sale, may act as a broker for public stockholders who are interested in selling their units, shares or warrants.

Subject to applicable law, we may acquire a business affiliated with or advised by Goldman Sachs or in which Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates have an equity, debt or other interest, or to engage in investment transactions that may result in Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or such affiliates being relieved of obligations or otherwise divested of investments. For example, we may acquire a company affiliated with Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts, or purchase securities from, a business that uses the proceeds to repay loans made by, or otherwise repurchase debt held by, Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts. These activities by us may enhance the profitability of Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts with respect to their investment in and activities relating to such companies.

 

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In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law, we may invest in money market funds sponsored, managed or advised by Goldman Sachs. In connection with any such investments, we generally will pay all advisory, administrative or Rule 12b-1 fees applicable to the investment. In such circumstances, as well as in all other circumstances in which Goldman Sachs receives any fees or other compensation in any form relating to the provision of services, no accounting or repayment to our company will be required.

Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) may create, write, sell, issue, invest in or act as placement agent or distributor of derivative instruments related to us, or with respect to our underlying securities or assets, or which may be otherwise based on or seek to replicate or hedge our performance. Such derivative transactions, and any associated hedging activity, may differ from and be adverse to our interests. Activities in respect of derivative transactions, and any associated hedging activity, may occur as a result of Goldman Sachs’ adjustment in assessment of our business based on various considerations, and Goldman Sachs will not be under any obligation or other duty to provide notice to us in respect of any such adjustment in assessment.

Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) or other GS Accounts may also have different rights in respect of a business that we seek to acquire, or invest in different classes of securities issued by a business that we seek to acquire that have different rights, including, without limitation, with respect to liquidity. The determination to exercise such rights by Goldman Sachs (including GSAM) on behalf of itself or certain GS Accounts may have an adverse effect on us.

Goldman Sachs may make loans to clients or enter into margin, asset-based or other credit facilities or similar transactions with clients that may (or may not) be secured by publicly or privately held securities or other assets, including by a client’s assets or interests other than our units, common stock and warrants. Some of these borrowers may be public or private companies, or founders, officers or shareholders in companies in which Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts (directly or indirectly) invest, and such loans may be secured by securities of such companies, which may be the same as, pari passu with, or more senior or junior to, interests held (directly or indirectly) by Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts. In connection with its rights as lender, Goldman Sachs may act to protect its own commercial interest and may take actions that adversely affect the borrower, including by liquidating or causing the liquidation of securities on behalf of a borrower or foreclosing and liquidating such securities in Goldman Sachs’ own name. Such actions may adversely affect us (e.g., if a large position in our common stock is liquidated, among the other potential adverse consequences, the value of our common stock may decline rapidly). In addition, Goldman Sachs may make loans to our public stockholders or enter into similar transactions that are secured by a pledge of, or mortgage over, a public stockholder’s units, common stock and/or warrants, which would provide Goldman Sachs with the right to take possession such securities in the event that such public stockholder defaults on its obligations. These transactions may be significant and may be made without notice to the public securityholders.

Goldman Sachs may have business relationships with, and purchase, or distribute or sell, services or products from or to, distributors, consultants and others who have a relationship with us or businesses that we seek to acquire. As a result, those persons and institutions may have conflicts associated with their dealings with us.

Goldman Sachs may, in its discretion, recommend that we, or a business we seek to acquire, have ongoing business dealings, arrangements or agreements with persons who are former employees of Goldman Sachs or are otherwise associated with a GS Account investor, portfolio company, or service provider. We, or a business we seek to acquire, may bear, directly or indirectly, the costs of such dealings, arrangements or agreements. These recommendations, and recommendations relating to continuing any such dealings, arrangements or agreements, may pose conflicts of interest due to

 

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Goldman Sachs’ relationships with such former employees or persons otherwise associated with an investor in a GS Account, portfolio company or service provider.

Conflicts Resulting from Our Company Being a Public Company

Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts may directly or indirectly trade our securities. Such trading activities may adversely affect us. For example, Goldman Sachs or other GS Accounts may establish a short position in our securities. This short position may result in the impairment of the price of our securities or may be designed to profit from a decline in the price of such securities.

Furthermore, Goldman Sachs may perform research and other analysis in respect of our company. Any views expressed by Goldman Sachs in connection with such research and analysis may be negative with respect to, or result in trading strategies that have a negative impact on the market for, us and our securities.

GSAM has adopted a Code of Ethics under Rule 204A-1 of the U.S. Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, designed to provide that personnel of GSAM, and certain additional Goldman Sachs personnel who support GSAM, comply with applicable federal securities laws and place the interests of clients first in conducting personal securities transactions. GSAM’s Code of Ethics imposes certain restrictions on securities transactions in the personal accounts of covered persons to help avoid conflicts of interest. Subject to the limitations of GSAM’s Code of Ethics, covered persons (including those who are members of our management team) may buy and sell securities or other investments for their personal accounts, including investments in us, and may also take positions that are the same as, different from, or made at different times than, positions taken (directly or indirectly) by us.

Not all Members of Our Management Team are Independent of Goldman Sachs

Our management team is responsible for the management of our affairs. Raanan A. Agus, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Tom Knott, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and one of our directors, are currently associated with Goldman Sachs and will not be independent of Goldman Sachs (although there is no assurance that either of them will remain associated with Goldman Sachs). As a result, each of Mr. Agus and Mr. Knott has, and in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, in addition to his obligations and duties as a member of our management team, including as a result of his association with Goldman Sachs, which could result in potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, all Goldman Sachs personnel are subject to firm-wide policies and procedures regarding confidential and proprietary information, information barriers, private investments, outside business activities and personal trading. Please see “Management—Conflicts of Interest” for additional information regarding conflicts of interest relating to our management team.

Affiliated Joint Acquisition

In addition, we may, at our option, pursue an affiliated joint acquisition opportunity with Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or their respective affiliates. Any such parties may co-invest with us in the target business at the time of our initial business combination, or we could raise additional proceeds to complete the acquisition by making a specified future issuance to any such parties, which may give rise to certain conflicts of interest.

We will pursue an affiliated joint acquisition if we believe such transaction will help us consummate a specific initial business combination or would be beneficial to the post-business combination company. None of Goldman Sachs, other GS Accounts or any of their respective affiliates

 

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has any current commitments to engage in such transactions, and we are not aware of any such parties having any plans or intentions to do so. We have also not formulated any terms or conditions for any such transactions, and the amount and other terms and conditions of any such transactions would be determined at the time thereof.

Holders of any shares of capital stock issued in an affiliated joint acquisition prior to our initial business combination, will not be entitled to (1) receive funds from the trust account or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any initial business combination or any amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. However, any such issuance would dilute the interest of our stockholders. See “Risk Factors—We may issue additional shares of Class A common stock or preferred stock to complete our initial business combination or under an employee incentive plan after completion of our initial business combination. We may also issue shares of Class A common stock upon the conversion of the Class B common stock at a ratio greater than one-to-one at the time of our initial business combination as a result of the anti-dilution provisions described herein. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.” Additionally, to the extent any affiliated joint acquisition involves the issuance of notes or other debt securities or we otherwise incur debt in connection therewith, such transaction could have negative effects on us, including those described in “Risk Factors—We may issue notes or other debt securities, or otherwise incur substantial debt, to complete a business combination, which may adversely affect our leverage and financial condition and thus negatively impact the value of our stockholders’ investment in us.”

If our initial business combination involves an affiliated joint acquisition, our tender offer documents or proxy materials disclosing the business combination would disclose the terms of such affiliated joint acquisition and, only if required by applicable law or we decide to do so for business or other reasons, we would seek stockholder approval of such affiliated joint acquisition.

Selection of Service Providers

We expect to engage service providers (including attorneys and consultants) that may also provide services to Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts. We intend to select these service providers based on a number of factors, including expertise and experience, knowledge of related or similar products, quality of service, reputation in the marketplace, relationships with GSAM, Goldman Sachs or others, and price. These service providers may have business, financial, or other relationships with Goldman Sachs, including being a portfolio company of GSAM, Goldman Sachs, or a GS Account. These relationships may or may not influence our selection of these service providers. In such circumstances, there may be a conflict of interest between us, on the one hand, and GSAM, Goldman Sachs, and GS Accounts (or their portfolio companies), on the other hand, if we determine not to engage or continue to engage these service providers. The service providers selected by us may charge different rates to different recipients based on the specific services provided, the personnel providing the services, or other factors. As a result, the rates paid with respect to these service providers by us, on the one hand, may be more or less favorable than the rates paid by Goldman Sachs, on the other hand.

Sponsor Indemnity

Our sponsor, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, has agreed that it will be liable to us if and to the extent any claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to us, or a prospective target business with which we have discussed entering into a transaction agreement, reduce the amount of funds in the trust account to below: (1) $10.00 per public share; or (2) such lesser amount per public share held in the trust account as of the date of the liquidation of the trust account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed a waiver of any and all rights to seek

 

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access to the trust account and except as to any claims under our indemnity of the underwriters of this offering against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Moreover, in the event that an executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against a third party, our sponsor will not be responsible to the extent of any liability for such third-party claims. We have not independently verified whether our sponsor has sufficient funds to satisfy its indemnity obligations and believe that our sponsor’s only assets are securities of our company and, therefore, our sponsor may not be able to satisfy those obligations. We have not asked our sponsor to reserve for such obligations. Therefore, we cannot assure you that our sponsor would be able to satisfy those obligations. We believe the likelihood of our sponsor having to indemnify the trust account is limited because we will endeavor to have all vendors and prospective target businesses as well as other entities execute agreements with us waiving any right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to monies held in the trust account.

Facilities

We currently maintain our executive offices at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282. The cost for this space is included in the $10,000 per month fee that we will pay an affiliate of our sponsor for office space, administrative and support services. We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.

Employees

We currently have two officers and do not intend to have any full-time employees prior to the completion of our initial business combination. Members of our management team are not obligated to devote any specific number of hours to our matters but they intend to devote as much of their time as they deem necessary to our affairs until we have completed our initial business combination. The amount of time that any such person will devote in any time period to our company will vary based on whether a target business has been selected for our initial business combination and the current stage of the business combination process.

Periodic Reporting and Financial Information

We will register our units, Class A common stock and warrants under the Exchange Act and have reporting obligations, including the requirement that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with the SEC. In accordance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, our annual reports will contain financial statements audited and reported on by our independent registered public accounting firm.

We will provide stockholders with audited financial statements of the prospective target business as part of the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials sent to stockholders to assist them in assessing the target business. These financial statements may be required to be prepared in accordance with, or be reconciled to, GAAP or IFRS, depending on the circumstances and the historical financial statements may be required to be audited in accordance with PCAOB standards. These financial statement requirements may limit the pool of potential target businesses we may acquire because some targets may be unable to provide such financial statements in time for us to disclose such financial statements in accordance with federal proxy rules and complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. While this may limit the pool of potential business combination candidates, we do not believe that this limitation will be material.

We will be required to evaluate our internal control procedures for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021 as required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Only in the event we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no longer qualify as an emerging growth company,

 

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will we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements on our internal control over financial reporting. A target business may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regarding adequacy of their internal controls. The development of the internal controls of any such entity to achieve compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act may increase the time and costs necessary to complete any such acquisition.

Prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will file a Registration Statement on Form 8-A with the SEC to voluntarily register our securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act. As a result, we will be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act. We have no current intention of filing a Form 15 to suspend our reporting or other obligations under the Exchange Act prior or subsequent to the consummation of our initial business combination.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. If some investors find our securities less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our securities and the prices of our securities may be more volatile.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We intend to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of this offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.00 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period. References herein to “emerging growth company” shall have the meaning associated with it in the JOBS Act.

Additionally, we are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (1) the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of that year’s second fiscal quarter.

Legal Proceedings

There is no material litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding currently pending against us or any members of our management team in their capacity as such, and we and the members of our management team have not been subject to any such proceeding in the 12 months preceding the date of this prospectus.

 

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MANAGEMENT

Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers

Our directors, director nominees and officers are as follows:

 

Name

   Age     

Title

Raanan A. Agus

     52      Chairman of the Board of Directors

Tom Knott

     34      Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

Senator William Frist

     68      Director nominee

Steven S. Reinemund

     72      Director nominee

David Robinson

     54      Director nominee

Martha Sullivan

     63      Director nominee

Raanan A. Agus has been the Chairman of our Board of Directors since June 2020 (previously serving as our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a director in April and May 2020). Mr. Agus serves as global co-head and co-chief investment officer of the Alternative Investments & Manager Selection (AIMS) Group in the Consumer and Investment Management Division (CIMD) of Goldman Sachs. He also oversees the Permanent Capital Strategies team, as well as GSAM’s Energy and Infrastructure business. He is a senior sponsor of the CIMD Women’s Network. Previously, Mr. Agus served as head of Direct Alternatives for GSAM and global co-head of Goldman Sachs Investment Partners within GSAM, a position he held from the group’s inception in 2007 until December 2019. Prior to that, he was co-head of the Goldman Sachs Principal Strategies Group beginning in 2003; he later became sole head of the group until 2007. Mr. Agus joined Goldman Sachs in 1993 as an associate in Equities Arbitrage. He was named managing director in 1999 and partner in 2000. Mr. Agus served as a director of GSAH I from April 2018 until the consummation of its business combination with Vertiv in February 2020. Mr. Agus earned an A.B. in economics, summa cum laude, phi beta kappa, from Princeton University in 1989 and a JD/MBA, Stone scholar, beta gamma sigma, specializing in Finance from Columbia University in 1993. Mr. Agus was selected to serve on our Board due to his 25 year career of investing in public and private markets at Goldman Sachs, as well as his current experience managing a number of investment teams and platforms within GSAM.

Tom Knott has been our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and one of our directors since June 2020 (previously serving as our Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of our Board of Directors in April and May 2020). Mr. Knott has served as the head of the Permanent Capital Strategies (PCS) Group in the Consumer and Investment Management Division (CIMD) of Goldman Sachs since March 2018. Mr. Knott led all aspects of Goldman Sachs’ co-sponsorship of GSAH I from its initial public offering in June 2018 to its merger with Vertiv in February 2020. Prior to his role in the Permanent Capital Strategies Group, Mr. Knott worked within the Credit Alternatives Group in the Consumer and Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs beginning in 2014. Mr. Knott earned a B.A. in history from Wake Forest University in 2009 and a MA in Management from Wake Forest University in 2010. Mr. Knott was selected to serve on our Board due to his ten year career of investing in public and private markets, as well as his current experience managing the PCS team and overseeing the search, diligence, underwriting, structuring and execution processes necessary to complete a successful business combination.

Senator William Frist has agreed to serve on our Board following the completion of this offering. Since 2007, Dr. Frist has served as a partner in Cressey & Company, a private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in and building leading healthcare businesses. He is chairman of the Cressey Distinguished Executive Council. Dr. Frist is also a co-founder and partner at Frist Cressey Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in healthcare investments. As a U.S. Senator, Dr. Frist represented Tennessee for 12 years where he served on both the Finance and HELP committees responsible for

 

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writing all health legislation. He served as U.S. Senate Majority Leader from 2003 to 2007. Prior to the Senate, Dr. Frist was a heart and lung transplant surgeon. He spent 20 years in clinical medicine, completing surgical training at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital and Stanford University, and he subsequently founded the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center. Dr. Frist serves as an adjunct professor of Cardiac Surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Dr. Frist currently serves as a director of the publicly held companies Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE: TDOC), Select Medical Holdings Corporation (NYSE: SEM) and SmileDirectClub, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCX). His current board services include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NashvilleHealth, SCORE and The Nature Conservancy (Global Board). His previous board service includes Princeton University, the Smithsonian Institution, AECOM, URS Corporation and Third National Bank. Dr. Frist earned his B.A. from Princeton University and M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Dr. Frist was selected to serve on our Board due to his significant directorship experience and his broad experience in the healthcare industry.

Steven S. Reinemund has agreed to serve on our Board following the completion of this offering. Mr. Reinemund served as Dean at Wake Forest University School of Business from July 2008 to June 2014, an organization he joined after a 23-year career with PepsiCo, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEP) (“PepsiCo”). At PepsiCo, Mr. Reinemund served as Executive Chairman from October 2006 to May 2007, and as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from May 2001 to October 2006. Prior to being Chief Executive Officer, he was PepsiCo, Inc.’s president and chief operating officer from September 1999 to May 2001. Mr. Reinemund began his career with PepsiCo, Inc. in 1984 at Pizza Hut, Inc. and held other positions until he became president and Chief Executive Officer of Frito-Lay’s North American snack division in 1992. He became chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Frito-Lay’s worldwide operations in 1996. Mr. Reinemund was a director of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) from 2003 to 2008, of American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) from 2007 to 2015, of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) from 2007 to May 2020 and Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) from 2007 to May 2020. Mr. Reinemund currently serves as a director of Vertiv (and served as a director of GSAH I prior to its business combination with Vertiv), Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Chick-fil-A, Inc. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the United States Naval Academy Foundation. Mr. Reinemund is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in 1970 and served five years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, achieving the rank of Captain. He also earned an MBA from the University of Virginia, and has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Johnson and Wales University and Bryant University. Mr. Reinemund was selected to serve on our Board due to his considerable business leadership roles, mergers and acquisitions experience and his relevant board expertise.

David Robinson has agreed to serve on our Board following the completion of this offering. Mr. Robinson has served as co-founder of the Admiral Capital Group, a real estate and private equity firm, since 2009. Mr. Robinson has also served as the founder of the Carver Academy, a public charter school located in San Antonio, Texas, since 2001. Mr. Robinson spent 14 years in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs and was introduced into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2009 among other honors, won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, two NBA championships and two Olympic Gold Medals. Mr. Robinson’s philanthropic efforts led to the NBA naming its community service award the “David Robinson Plaque” which recognizes current NBA players for their community engagement, philanthropic activity and charity work. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in mathematics. Mr. Robinson was selected to serve on our Board due to his considerable private equity investment experience.

Martha Sullivan has agreed to serve on our Board following the completion of this offering. Ms. Sullivan has served as a director of Sensata Technologies Holding plc (NYSE: ST) (“Sensata”), a supplier of sensors and controls, since January 1, 2013, where she was Chief Executive Officer from January 1, 2013 until her retirement effective March 1, 2020. She previously served as President of Sensata from September 2010 until January 2019, and was also its Chief Operating Officer from September 2010 until July 2012. Prior to that, Ms. Sullivan held a variety of other positions with

 

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Sensata, its primary U.S. operating subsidiary and Texas Instruments (Sensata’s preceding business unit) since she joined Texas Instruments in 1984. Ms. Sullivan has served as a director of Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY), an adhesive manufacturing company, since 2013. Past and present external positions also include the Key Executive Council at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, President’s Alumni Council at Michigan Technological University, and Ford International Supplier Advisory Council. She has been inducted into the Academy of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University and holds an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from that institution. She earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1980. Ms. Sullivan was selected to serve on our Board due to her senior leadership and industry experience and global exposure.

Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect that our board of directors will consist of six members. Prior to consummation of our initial business combination, holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to elect all of our directors and remove members of our board of directors for any reason. Holders of our public shares will not have the right to vote on the election of directors during such time. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting. Approval of our initial business combination will require the affirmative vote of a majority of our board directors, which must include a majority of our independent directors and the two director nominees of our sponsor, initially Raanan A. Agus and Tom Knott. Subject to any other special rights applicable to the stockholders, prior to our initial business combination, any vacancies on our board of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present and voting at the meeting of our board of directors that includes any directors representing our sponsor then on our board of directors, or by holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock.

Our officers are elected by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our bylaws as it deems appropriate. Our bylaws will provide that our officers may consist of a Chief Executive Officer, a President, a Chief Financial Officer, Vice Presidents, a Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, a Treasurer, Assistant Treasurers and such other offices as may be determined by the board of directors (including interim officers as it deems appropriate).

Director Independence

The rules of the NYSE require that a majority of our board of directors be independent within one year of our initial public offering. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person that, in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, has no material relationship with the listed company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with the company). Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to have four “independent directors” as defined in the NYSE rules and applicable SEC rules prior to completion of this offering. Our board of directors has determined that each of Dr. Frist, Mr. Reinemund, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Sullivan is an independent director under applicable SEC and NYSE rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.

 

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Executive Officer and Director Compensation

None of our officers or directors have received any compensation for services rendered to us. Our sponsor, officers, directors and their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or any of their respective affiliates.

After the completion of our initial business combination, directors or members of our management team who remain with us may be paid consulting, management or other compensation from the combined company. All compensation will be fully disclosed to stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer materials or proxy solicitation materials furnished to our stockholders in connection with a proposed business combination. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time such materials are distributed, because the directors of the post-combination business will be responsible for determining executive officer and director compensation. Any compensation to be paid to our officers after the completion of our initial business combination will be determined by a compensation committee constituted solely by independent directors.

We are not party to any agreements with our officers and directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment. The existence or terms of any such employment or consulting arrangements may influence our management’s motivation in identifying or selecting a target business, and we do not believe that the ability of our management to remain with us after the consummation of our initial business combination should be a determining factor in our decision to proceed with any potential business combination.

Committees of the Board of Directors

Upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, our board of directors will have three standing committees: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee, each of which will be composed solely of independent directors. Subject to phase-in rules, the rules of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors, and the rules of the NYSE require that the compensation committee and the nominating and corporate governance committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each committee will operate under a charter that will be approved by our board of directors and will have the composition and responsibilities described below. The charter of each committee will be available on our website following the closing of this offering.

Audit Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish an audit committee of the board of directors. The members of our audit committee will be Mr. Reinemund, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Sullivan. Ms. Sullivan will serve as chairman of the audit committee.

Each member of the audit committee is financially literate and our board of directors has determined that Mr. Reinemund qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules and has accounting or related financial management expertise.

 

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We will adopt an audit committee charter, which will detail the purpose and principal functions of the audit committee, including:

 

   

assisting board oversight of (1) the integrity of our financial statements, (2) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) our independent auditor’s qualifications and independence, and (4) the performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors;

 

   

the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent auditors and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;

 

   

pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent auditors or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures;

 

   

reviewing and discussing with the independent auditors all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;

 

   

setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent auditors;

 

   

setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

 

   

obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent auditors describing (1) the independent auditor’s internal quality-control procedures and (2) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;

 

   

meeting to review and discuss our annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements with management and the independent auditor, including reviewing our specific disclosures under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”;

 

   

reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and

 

   

reviewing with management, the independent auditors, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

Compensation Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a compensation committee of the board of directors. The members of our compensation committee will be Dr. Frist, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Sullivan. Mr. Robinson will serve as chairman of the compensation committee.

 

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We will adopt a compensation committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibility of the compensation committee, including:

 

   

reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation;

 

   

reviewing and making recommendations to our board of directors with respect to the compensation, and any incentive-compensation and equity-based plans that are subject to board approval of all of our other officers;

 

   

reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

   

implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;

 

   

assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;

 

   

approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our officers and employees;

 

   

producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

 

   

reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

The charter will also provide that the compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NYSE and the SEC.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we will establish a nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors. The members of our nominating and corporate governance committee will be Dr. Frist, Mr. Robinson and Ms. Sullivan. Ms. Sullivan will serve as chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee.

We will adopt a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which will detail the purpose and responsibilities of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:

 

   

identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors, consistent with criteria approved by the board, and recommending to the board of directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of stockholders or to fill vacancies on the board of directors;

 

   

developing and recommending to the board of directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;

 

   

coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the board of directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and

 

   

reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.

 

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The charter will also provide that the nominating and corporate governance committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of, and terminate, any search firm to be used to identify director candidates, and will be directly responsible for approving the search firm’s fees and other retention terms.

We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders. Prior to our initial business combination, holders of our public shares will not have the right to recommend director candidates for nomination to our board of directors.

Code of Ethics

Prior to the closing of this offering, we will adopt a code of ethics and business conduct (our “Code of Ethics”) applicable to our directors, officers and employees. We have filed a copy of our form of our Code of Ethics as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You will be able to review this document by accessing our public filings at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of our Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K. Please see “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”

Conflicts of Interest

Our management team is responsible for the management of our affairs. As described above and below, each of our officers and directors presently has, and any of them in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties to one or more other entities pursuant to which such officer or director is or will be required to present a business combination opportunity to such entities. Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets”). These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.

Specifically, Raanan A. Agus, the Chairman of our Board of Directors, and Tom Knott, our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and one of our directors, are currently associated with Goldman Sachs and will not be independent of Goldman Sachs (although there is no assurance that either of them will remain associated with Goldman Sachs). As a result, each of Mr. Agus and Mr. Knott has, and in the future may have additional, fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, in addition to his obligations and duties as members of our management team, including as a result of his association with Goldman Sachs, which could result in potential conflicts of interest. Additionally, all Goldman Sachs personnel are subject to firm-wide policies and procedures regarding confidential and proprietary information, information barriers, private investments, outside business activities and personal trading. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for additional information regarding certain potential conflicts of interest relating to Goldman Sachs.

 

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We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or Goldman Sachs, or policies applicable to Goldman Sachs, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

Our sponsor, officers and directors may become involved with subsequent special purpose acquisition companies similar to our company. Potential investors should also be aware of the following other potential conflicts of interest:

 

   

None of our officers or directors is required to commit his or her full time to our affairs and, accordingly, may have conflicts of interest in allocating his or her time among various business activities (including the activities or Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts).

 

   

In the course of their other business activities, our officers and directors may become aware of investment and business opportunities which may be appropriate for presentation to us as well as the other entities with which they are affiliated. Our management may have conflicts of interest in determining to which entity a particular business opportunity should be presented. Please see “—Directors, Director Nominees and Executive Officers” for a description of our management’s other affiliations.

 

   

Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination. Additionally, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within 24 months after the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period. However, if our initial stockholders or any of our officers, directors or affiliates acquire public shares in or after this offering, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to consummate our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame. If we do not complete our initial business combination within such applicable time period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless.

 

   

With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our initial stockholders until the earlier of: (1) one year after the completion of our initial business combination; and (2) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) the date on which we consummate a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property and (y) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination. With certain limited exceptions, the private placement warrants and the shares of common stock underlying such warrants, will not be transferable, assignable or salable by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination. Since our sponsor, officers and directors may directly or indirectly own common stock and warrants following this offering, our officers and directors may have a conflict of interest in determining whether a particular target business is an appropriate business with which to effectuate our initial business combination. Please see “Principal Stockholders.”

 

   

Our key personnel may negotiate employment or consulting agreements with a target business in connection with a particular business combination. These agreements may provide for them

 

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to receive compensation following our initial business combination and as a result, may cause them to have conflicts of interest in determining whether to proceed with a particular business combination.

 

   

Our key personnel may have a conflict of interest with respect to evaluating a particular business combination if the retention or resignation of any such key personnel was included by a target business as a condition to any agreement with respect to our initial business combination.

The conflicts described above may not be resolved in our favor.

In general, officers and directors of a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware are required to present business opportunities to a corporation if:

 

   

the corporation could financially undertake the opportunity;

 

   

the opportunity is within the corporation’s line of business; and

 

   

it would not be fair to the corporation and its stockholders for the opportunity not to be brought to the attention of the corporation.

Accordingly, as a result of multiple business affiliations, our officers and directors have similar legal obligations and duties relating to presenting business opportunities meeting the above-listed criteria to multiple entities. Furthermore, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that the doctrine of corporate opportunity will not apply with respect to any of our officers or directors in circumstances where the application of the doctrine would conflict with any fiduciary duties or contractual obligations they may have, and there will not be any expectancy that any of our directors or officers will offer any such corporate opportunity of which he or she may become aware to us. Below is a table summarizing the entities to which our officers, directors and director nominees currently have fiduciary duties or contractual obligations that may present a conflict of interest:

 

Name of Individual

 

Entity Name

 

Entity’s Business

 

Affiliation

Raanan A. Agus

 

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.(1)

 

Global investment banking, securities and investment management firm

 

Managing Director

Tom Knott

 

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.(1)

 

Global investment banking, securities and investment management firm

 

Managing Director

Senator William Frist

 

Cressey & Company

 

Private equity firm

  Partner and Chairman of Cressey Distinguished Executive Council
 

Frist Cressey Ventures

 

Venture capital firm

  Co-Founder and Partner
 

Teladoc Health, Inc.

 

Telemedicine and virtual healthcare

  Director
 

Select Medical Holdings Corporation

 

Post-acute care

  Director
 

SmileDirectClub, Inc.

 

Teledentistry

  Director
 

Aegis

 

Forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory

  Director
 

MDSave

 

Health consumerism

  Director
 

Accolade

 

Patient navigation

  Director
 

Devoted Health

 

Healthcare

  Director
 

MyNexus

 

Private home health

  Director
 

Spero Health

 

Behavioral health

  Director

 

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Name of Individual

 

Entity Name

 

Entity’s Business

 

Affiliation

Steven S. Reinemund

 

Vertiv

 

Global manufacturer of digital infrastructure technology company

  Director
 

Walmart Inc.

 

Retail

  Director
 

Chick-fil-A, Inc

 

Fast food

  Director

David Robinson

 

Admiral Capital Group

 

Real estate and private equity firm

  Co-Founder

Martha Sullivan

 

Sensata

 

Supplier of sensors and controls

  Director
 

Avery Dennison Corporation

 

Adhesive manufacturing

  Director

 

(1)

Includes The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and its affiliates.

Accordingly, if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us (including as described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets”). These conflicts may not be resolved in our favor and a potential target business may be presented to another entity prior to its presentation to us.

We do not believe, however, that the fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties of our officers or directors, or Goldman Sachs, or policies applicable to Goldman Sachs, will materially affect our ability to complete our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that we renounce our interest in any corporate opportunity offered to any director or officer unless such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of our company and such opportunity is one we are legally and contractually permitted to undertake and would otherwise be reasonable for us to pursue.

We are not prohibited from pursuing an initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, nor are we prohibited from doing so with a business that is affiliated with any GS Account. In the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a business that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm, that such initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. We are not required to obtain such an opinion in any other context.

In addition, our sponsor or any of its affiliates (including Goldman Sachs and other GS Accounts) may make additional investments in the company in connection with the initial business combination through a specified future issuance or otherwise, although our sponsor and its affiliates have no obligation or current intention to do so. If our sponsor or any of its affiliates elects to make additional investments, such proposed investments could influence our sponsor’s motivation to complete an initial business combination.

In the event that we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination, and our officers and directors have also agreed to vote public shares purchased by them (if any) during or after this offering in favor of our initial business combination.

 

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Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our officers and directors will be indemnified by us to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, as it now exists or may in the future be amended. In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that our directors will not be personally liable for monetary damages to us or stockholders for breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted by the DGCL.

We will enter into agreements with our officers and directors to provide contractual indemnification in addition to the indemnification provided for in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Our bylaws also permit us to maintain insurance on behalf of any officer, director or employee for any liability arising out of his or her actions, regardless of whether Delaware law would permit such indemnification. We will obtain a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that insures our officers and directors against the cost of defense, settlement or payment of a judgment in some circumstances and insures us against our obligations to indemnify our officers and directors.

A stockholder’s investment may be adversely affected to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against officers and directors pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

We believe that these provisions, the insurance and the indemnity agreements are necessary to attract and retain talented and experienced officers and directors.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this prospectus, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our common stock included in the units offered by this prospectus, and assuming no purchase of units in this offering, by:

 

   

each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock;

 

   

each of our executive officers, directors and director nominees; and

 

   

all our executive officers, directors and director nominees as a group.

Unless otherwise indicated, we believe that all persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them. The following table does not reflect record or beneficial ownership of the private placement warrants as these warrants are not exercisable within 60 days of the date of this prospectus.

The post-offering ownership percentage column below assumes that the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional units, that our sponsor forfeits 2,625,000 founder shares and that there are 87,500,000 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding after this offering.

 

Name and Address of Beneficial Owner(1)

   Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned(2)
     Approximate Percentage of
Outstanding Common Stock
 
   Before Offering     After Offering(2)  

GS Sponsor II LLC (our sponsor)(3)

     20,125,000        100.0     20.0

Raanan A. Agus

                   

Tom Knott

                   

Senator William Frist

                   

Steven S. Reinemund

                   

David Robinson

                   

Martha Sullivan

                   

All directors and executive officers as a group
(six individuals)

     20,125,000        100.0     20.0

 

(1)

Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is c/o GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282.

(2)

Interests shown consist solely of shares of Class B common stock which are referred to herein as founder shares. Such shares will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment, as described in the section entitled “Description of Securities.”

(3)

GSAM Holdings LLC is the managing member of GS Sponsor II LLC. GSAM Holdings LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Each of GSAM Holdings LLC and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by our sponsor by virtue of their direct and indirect ownership, respectively, over GS Sponsor II LLC. Each of GSAM Holdings LLC and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. disclaims beneficial ownership of any such shares except to the extent of their respective pecuniary interest therein.

Upon the completion of this offering, our initial stockholders will beneficially own 20.0% of the then issued and outstanding shares of our common stock (assuming our initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering). As a result of holding substantially all of the founder shares, our sponsor will have the right, prior to our initial business combination, to elect all of our directors and remove any director for any reason. In addition, because of this ownership block, our initial stockholders may be able to effectively influence the outcome of all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as

 

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applicable, with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering.

Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant ($16,000,000 in the aggregate or $18,100,000 in the aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering.

Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. Proceeds from the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account. If we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period, the proceeds of the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account will be used to fund the redemption of our public shares, and the private placement warrants will expire worthless. The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees: (1) they will not be redeemable by us; (2) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination; (3) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis; (4) the holders thereof (including with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights; and (5) they will not be exercisable more than five years from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G)(i), as long as our sponsor or any of its related persons beneficially own such private placement warrants.

Our sponsor is deemed to be our “promoter” as such term is defined under the federal securities laws. Please see “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” for additional information regarding our relationships with our promoters.

Members of our management team may directly or indirectly own our securities following this offering, including as a result of founder shares being transferred by our sponsor to an entity under common control with our sponsor in which certain employees or partners of Goldman Sachs have interests but do not control. See “—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants” and “Management—Conflicts of Interests.”

Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants

The founder shares, private placement warrants and any shares of Class A common stock issued upon conversion or exercise thereof are each subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to lock-up provisions in the letter agreement with us to be entered into by our initial stockholders. Those lock-up provisions provide that such securities are not transferable or salable (1) in the case of the founder shares, until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of the Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after

 

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our initial business combination, and (2) in the case of the private placement warrants and the respective Class A common stock underlying such warrants, until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except in each case (a) to our officers or directors, any affiliates or family members of any of our officers or directors, any members of our sponsor or any employee or partner of any such affiliate, or any affiliates of our sponsor, (b) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of a business combination at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (f) in the event of our liquidation prior to our completion of our initial business combination; (g) by virtue of the laws of Delaware or our sponsor’s limited liability company agreement, as amended, upon dissolution of our sponsor; or (h) in the event of our completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A common stock for cash, securities or other property subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination; provided, however, that in the case of clauses (a) through (e) these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement agreeing to be bound by these transfer restrictions and the other applicable restrictions contained in the letter agreement.

Registration Rights

The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to shares of Class A common stock). The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described herein. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

In July 2018, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 575 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000. In April 2020 and June 2020, we conducted stock splits, resulting in our sponsor holding 20,125,000 founder shares, resulting in an effective purchase price per share of approximately $0.0003. The number of founder shares issued in the stock split was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of this offering. Up to 2,625,000 founder shares are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised.

Our sponsor has committed to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants for a purchase price of $2.00 per warrant in a private placement that will occur simultaneously with the closing of this offering. As such, our sponsor’s interest in this transaction is valued at between $16,000,000 and $18,100,000, depending on the number of private placement warrants purchased. Each private placement warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The private placement warrants (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) may not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination.

As described in “Proposed Business—Sourcing of Potential Business Combination Targets” and “Management—Conflicts of Interest,” if any of our officers or directors becomes aware of a business combination opportunity which is suitable for one or more entities to which he or she has fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties, he or she will honor these obligations and duties to present such business combination opportunity to such entities first, and only present it to us if such entities reject the opportunity and he or she determines to present the opportunity to us. Our officers and directors currently have other relevant fiduciary, contractual or other obligations or duties that may take priority over their duties to us.

We will enter into an Administrative Services Agreement pursuant to which we will also pay an affiliate of our sponsor a total of $10,000 per month for office space, administrative and support services. Upon completion of our initial business combination or our liquidation, we will cease paying these monthly fees. Accordingly, in the event the consummation of our initial business combination takes the maximum 24 months, an affiliate of our sponsor will be paid a total of $240,000 ($10,000 per month) for office space, administrative and support services and will be entitled to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses.

Our sponsor, officers and directors or any of their respective affiliates will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with activities on our behalf such as identifying potential target businesses and performing due diligence on suitable business combinations. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers, directors or our or any of their respective affiliates and will determine which expenses and the amount of expenses that will be reimbursed. There is no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on our behalf.

An affiliate of our sponsor has agreed to loan us up to $300,000 to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. As of March 31, 2020, there were no amounts outstanding under such promissory note. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we borrowed $300,000 under such promissory notes to be used for a portion of the expenses of this offering. These loans are non-interest bearing,

 

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unsecured and are due at the earlier of December 31, 2020 and the closing of this offering. These loans will be repaid upon completion of this offering out of the $1,000,000 of offering proceeds that has been allocated for the payment of offering expenses (other than underwriting commissions) not held in the trust account. The value of our sponsor’s interest in this loan transaction corresponds to the principal amount outstanding under any such loan.

In addition, in order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used for such repayment. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor. The terms of such loans by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, have not been determined and no written agreements exist with respect to such loans. We do not expect to seek loans from parties other than our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors, if any, as we do not believe third parties will be willing to loan such funds and provide a waiver against any and all rights to seek access to funds in our trust account.

After our initial business combination, members of our management team who remain with us, if any, may be paid consulting, management or other fees from the combined company with any and all amounts being fully disclosed to our stockholders, to the extent then known, in the tender offer or proxy solicitation materials, as applicable, furnished to our stockholders. It is unlikely the amount of such compensation will be known at the time of distribution of such tender offer materials or at the time of a stockholder meeting held to consider our initial business combination, as applicable, as it will be up to the directors of the post-combination business to determine executive officer and director compensation.

We have entered into a letter agreement with our initial stockholders, officers and directors pursuant to which (x) they have agreed to waive: (1) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them, as applicable, in connection with the completion of our initial business combination; (2) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (3) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame), and (y) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described under “Description of Securities—Founder Shares”

We have entered into a registration rights agreement with respect to the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans (if any), which is described under the heading “Principal Stockholders—Registration Rights.”

 

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Related Party Policy

We have not yet adopted a formal policy for the review, approval or ratification of related party transactions. Accordingly, the transactions discussed above were not reviewed, approved or ratified in accordance with any such policy.

Prior to the consummation of this offering, we will adopt our Code of Ethics requiring us to avoid, wherever possible, all conflicts of interests, except under guidelines or resolutions approved by our board of directors (or the appropriate committee of our board of directors) or as disclosed in our public filings with the SEC. Under our Code of Ethics, conflict of interest situations will include any financial transaction, arrangement or relationship (including any indebtedness or guarantee of indebtedness) involving the company. A form of the Code of Ethics that we plan to adopt prior to the consummation of this offering is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

In addition, our audit committee, pursuant to a written charter that we will adopt prior to the consummation of this offering, will be responsible for reviewing and approving related party transactions to the extent that we enter into such transactions. An affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the audit committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be required in order to approve a related party transaction. A majority of the members of the entire audit committee will constitute a quorum. Without a meeting, the unanimous written consent of all of the members of the audit committee will be required to approve a related party transaction. Our audit committee will review on a quarterly basis all payments that were made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors, or our or any of their affiliates.

These procedures are intended to determine whether any such related party transaction impairs the independence of a director or presents a conflict of interest on the part of a director, employee or officer.

To further minimize conflicts of interest, we have agreed not to consummate an initial business combination with an entity that is affiliated with any of our sponsor, officers or directors unless we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, have obtained an opinion from an independent investment banking firm which is a member of FINRA or an independent accounting firm that our initial business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view. There will be no finder’s fees, reimbursements or cash payments made by us to our sponsor, officers or directors or our or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered to us prior to or in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, other than the following payments, none of which will be made from the proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants held in the trust account prior to the completion of our initial business combination:

 

   

repayment of an aggregate of up to $300,000 in loans made to us by an affiliate of our sponsor to cover offering-related and organizational expenses;

 

   

payment to an affiliate of our sponsor of a total of $10,000 per month, for up to 24 months, for office space, administrative and support services;

 

   

reimbursement for any out-of-pocket expenses related to identifying, investigating and completing an initial business combination;

 

   

payment to Goldman Sachs of its underwriting commission, fees for any financial advisory, placement agency or other similar investment banking services provided by it to our company, and reimbursement of Goldman Sachs for any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Goldman Sachs in connection with the performance of such services; and

 

   

repayment of loans which may be made by our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors to finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business

 

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combination, the terms of which have not been determined nor have any written agreements been executed with respect thereto. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender.

These payments may be funded using the net proceeds of this offering and the sale of the private placement warrants not held in the trust account or, upon completion of the initial business combination, from any amounts remaining from the proceeds of the trust account released to us in connection therewith.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our authorized capital stock will consist of 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares of Class B common stock, $0.0001 par value, and 5,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock, $0.0001 par value. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.

Units

Each unit has an offering price of $10.00 and consists of one share of Class A common stock and one-quarter of one redeemable warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of the company’s Class A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at any given time by a warrant holder.

The common stock and warrants constituting the units will begin separate trading on the 52nd day following the date of this prospectus (or, if such date is not a business day, the following business day) unless Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. inform us of their decision to allow earlier separate trading, subject to our having filed the Current Report on Form 8-K described below and having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Once the shares of Class A common stock and warrants commence separate trading, holders will have the option to continue to hold units or separate their units into the component securities. Holders will need to have their brokers contact our transfer agent in order to separate the units into shares of Class A common stock and warrants. Additionally, the units will automatically separate into their component parts and will not be traded after completion of our initial business combination. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant.

In no event will the Class A common stock and warrants be traded separately until we have filed with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K which includes an audited balance sheet of our company reflecting our receipt of the gross proceeds at the closing of this offering. We will file the Current Report on Form 8-K that includes this audited balance sheet promptly after the closing of this offering. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised following the initial filing of such Current Report on Form 8-K, a second or amended Current Report on Form 8-K will be filed to provide updated financial information to reflect the exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units.

Common Stock

Upon the closing of this offering, 87,500,000 shares of our common stock will be outstanding (assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units and the corresponding forfeiture of 2,625,000 founder shares by our sponsor), including:

 

   

70,000,000 shares of our Class A common stock underlying the units being offered in this offering; and

 

   

17,500,000 shares of Class B common stock held by our initial stockholders.

If we increase or decrease the size of this offering, we will effect a stock dividend or share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to our Class B

 

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common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering.

Common stockholders of record are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters to be voted on by stockholders; provided that, prior to our initial business combination, holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to elect all of our directors and remove members of our board of directors for any reason. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may only be amended if approved by holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting at a stockholder meeting. On any other matter submitted to a vote of our stockholders, holders of our Class B common stock and holders of our Class A common stock will vote together as a single class, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange rule. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders, and, prior to our initial business combination, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock is required to approve the election or removal of directors. Directors are elected for a term of two years. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors, with the result that the holders of more than 50% of the Class B common stock voted for the election of directors can elect all of the directors. Our stockholders are entitled to receive ratable dividends when, as and if declared by the board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.

Because our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize the issuance of up to 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, if we were to enter into a business combination, we may (depending on the terms of such a business combination) be required to increase the number of shares of common stock which we are authorized to issue at the same time as our stockholders vote on the business combination to the extent we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination.

In accordance with the NYSE corporate governance requirements, we are not required to hold an annual meeting until one year after our first fiscal year end following our listing on the NYSE. Under Section 211(b) of the DGCL, we are, however, required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders for the purposes of electing directors in accordance with our bylaws unless such election is made by written consent in lieu of such a meeting. We may not hold an annual meeting of stockholders to elect new directors prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, and thus we may not be in compliance with Section 211(b) of the DGCL, which requires an annual meeting. Therefore, if our stockholders want us to hold an annual meeting prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, they may attempt to force us to hold one by submitting an application to the Delaware Court of Chancery in accordance with Section 211(c) of the DGCL.

We will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares upon the completion of our initial business combination at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of our initial business combination, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, subject to the limitations described herein. The amount in the trust account is initially anticipated to be $10.00 per public share. The per share amount we will distribute to investors who properly redeem their shares will not be reduced by the deferred underwriting commissions we will pay to the underwriters. The redemption rights will include the requirement that a beneficial owner must identify itself in order to validly redeem its shares. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to

 

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any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination or certain amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. Permitted transferees of our sponsor, officers or directors will be subject to the same obligations. Unlike many blank check companies that hold stockholder votes and conduct proxy solicitations in conjunction with their initial business combinations and provide for related redemptions of public shares for cash upon completion of such initial business combinations even when a vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements, if a stockholder vote is not required by applicable law or stock exchange listing requirements and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will, pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, conduct the redemptions pursuant to the tender offer rules of the SEC, and file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will require these tender offer documents to contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under the SEC’s proxy rules. If, however, a stockholder approval of the transaction is required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, or we decide to obtain stockholder approval for business or other reasons, we will, like many blank check companies, offer to redeem shares in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules and not pursuant to the tender offer rules. If we seek stockholder approval, we will complete our initial business combination only if a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock voted are voted in favor of the business combination. A quorum for such meeting will consist of the holders present in person or by proxy of shares of outstanding capital stock of the company representing a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of capital stock of the company entitled to vote at such meeting. However, the participation of our sponsor, officers, directors, advisors or any of their respective affiliates in privately-negotiated transactions (as described in this prospectus), if any, could result in the approval of our initial business combination even if a majority of our public stockholders vote, or indicate their intention to vote, against such business combination. For purposes of seeking approval of the majority of our outstanding shares of common stock, non-votes will have no effect on the approval of our initial business combination once a quorum is obtained. We intend to give not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days prior written notice of any such meeting, if required, at which a vote shall be taken to approve our initial business combination. These quorum and voting thresholds and agreements may make it more likely that we will consummate our initial business combination.

If we seek stockholder approval of our initial business combination and we do not conduct redemptions in connection with our initial business combination pursuant to the tender offer rules, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that a public stockholder, together with any affiliate of such stockholder or any other person with whom such stockholder is acting in concert or as a “group” (as defined under Section 13 of the Exchange Act), will be restricted from redeeming its shares with respect Excess Shares (more than an aggregate of 15% of the shares sold in this offering), without our prior consent. However, we would not be restricting our stockholders’ ability to vote all of their shares (including Excess Shares) for or against our initial business combination. Our public stockholders’ inability to redeem Excess Shares will reduce their influence over our ability to complete our initial business combination and they could suffer a material loss on their investment in us if they sell Excess Shares in open market transactions. Additionally, such stockholders will not receive redemption distributions with respect to the Excess Shares if we complete the business combination. And, as a result, such stockholders will continue to hold that number of shares exceeding 15% and, in order to dispose such shares would be required to sell their stock in open market transactions, potentially at a loss.

If we seek stockholder approval in connection with our initial business combination, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees, as applicable, will agree) to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination. As a result, in addition to our initial stockholders’ founder shares, we would need

 

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26,250,001, or 37.5% (assuming all issued and outstanding shares are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), or 4,375,001, or 6.25% (assuming only the minimum number of shares representing a quorum are voted and the option to purchase additional units is not exercised), of the 70,000,000 public shares sold in this offering to be voted in favor of a transaction, in order to have such initial business combination approved. Additionally, each public stockholder may elect to redeem its public shares without voting, and if they do vote, irrespective of whether they vote for or against the proposed transaction.

Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering. However, if our sponsor or any of our officers, directors or any of their respective affiliates then hold any public shares, they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to such public shares if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the allotted time frame to complete our initial business combination.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the company after a business combination, our stockholders at such time will be entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. Our stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that we will provide our stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), upon the completion of our initial business combination, subject to the limitations described herein.

Founder Shares

The founder shares are identical to the shares of common stock included in the units being sold in this offering, except that: (1) prior to our initial business combination, only holders of the Class B common stock have the right to vote on the election of directors and holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock may remove members of our board of directors for any reason; (2) our initial stockholders, officers and directors have entered into a letter agreement with us, pursuant to which they have agreed to waive: (a) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and any public shares held by them in connection with the completion of our initial business combination, (b) their redemption rights with respect to any founder shares and public shares held by them in connection with a stockholder vote to approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public

 

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shares if we have not consummated our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity; and (c) their rights to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any founder shares held by them if we fail to complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or during any Extension Period (although they will be entitled to liquidating distributions from the trust account with respect to any public shares they hold if we fail to complete our initial business combination within the prescribed time frame); (3) the founder shares are subject to certain transfer restrictions, as described in more detail below; (4) the founder shares are automatically convertible into shares of our Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, as described herein; and (5) the holders of founder shares are entitled to registration rights. If we submit our initial business combination to our public stockholders for a vote, our initial stockholders, officers and directors have agreed (and their permitted transferees, as applicable, will agree) to vote any founder shares and any public shares held by them in favor of our initial business combination.

The shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of our initial business combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the case that additional shares of Class A common stock, or equity-linked securities, are issued or deemed issued in excess of the amounts issued in this offering and related to the closing of our initial business combination, the ratio at which shares of Class B common stock shall convert into shares of Class A common stock will be adjusted (unless the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock agree to waive such anti-dilution adjustment with respect to any such issuance or deemed issuance) so that the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion of all shares of Class B common stock will equal, in the aggregate, on an as-converted basis, 20% of the total number of all shares of common stock outstanding upon completion of this offering plus all shares of Class A common stock and equity-linked securities issued or deemed issued in connection with our initial business combination (net of the number of shares of Class A common stock redeemed in connection with our initial business combination), excluding any shares or equity-linked securities issued, or to be issued, to any seller in our initial business combination.

With certain limited exceptions, the founder shares are not transferable, assignable or salable (except to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor, each of whom will be subject to the same transfer restrictions) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination, (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination.

In addition, at the time of our initial business combination, we expect our sponsor to agree to vesting or other terms relating to our founder shares that it believes best align our sponsor’s objectives with that of our post-initial business combination stockholders. For example, in connection with initial business combinations, sponsors of other blank check companies have, in the recent past, subjected a certain number of their founder shares to vesting conditions based on the stock price of the blank check companies’ public stock, which our sponsor may elect to pursue if they believe it will help effectuate a business combination, although our sponsor has no obligation or other duty to do so.

 

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Preferred Stock

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will authorize 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock and will provide that shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. Our board of directors will be authorized to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences, the relative, participating, optional or other special rights and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, applicable to the shares of each series. Our board of directors will be able to, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of the common stock and could have anti-takeover effects. The ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control of us or the removal of existing management. We have no preferred stock outstanding at the date hereof. Although we do not currently intend to issue any shares of preferred stock, we cannot assure you that we will not do so in the future. No shares of preferred stock are being issued or registered in this offering.

Warrants

Public Stockholders’ Warrants

Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of our Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing on the later of 12 months from the closing of this offering and 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination, except as described below. Pursuant to the warrant agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of Class A common stock. This means only a whole warrant may be exercised at a given time by a warrant holder. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Accordingly, unless you purchase at least four units, you will not be able to receive or trade a whole warrant. The warrants will expire five years after the completion of our initial business combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.

We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is then effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Class A common stock is available, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable for cash or on a cashless basis, and we will not be obligated to issue any shares to holders seeking to exercise their warrants, unless the issuance of the shares upon such exercise is registered or qualified under the securities laws of the state of the exercising holder, or an exemption from registration is available. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Class A common stock underlying such unit.

We are not registering the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants at this time. However, we have agreed that as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 15 business days after the closing of our initial business combination, we will use our commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC, and within 60 business days following our initial business combination to have declared effective, a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and to maintain a current prospectus

 

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relating to those shares of Class A common stock until the warrants expire or are redeemed. Notwithstanding the above, if our Class A common stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of public warrants who exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but will use our commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00    Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

   

in whole and not in part;

 

   

at a price of $0.01 per warrant;

 

   

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, or the 30-day redemption period, to each warrant holder; and

 

   

if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.

If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem warrants even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise their warrants.

We have established the $18.00 per share (as adjusted) redemption criteria discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of the Class A common stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.

Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00.    Commencing ninety days after the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except as described herein with respect to the private placement warrants):

 

   

in whole and not in part;

 

   

at a price of $0.10 per warrant provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants prior to redemption and receive that number of shares of Class A common stock determined by reference to the table below, based on the redemption date and the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock (as defined below) except as otherwise described below;

 

   

upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption;

 

   

if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) on the trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and

 

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if, and only if, there is an effective registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and a current prospectus relating thereto available throughout the 30-day period after written notice of redemption is given.

The numbers in the table below represent the number of shares of Class A common stock that a warrant holder will receive upon cashless exercise in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, based on the “fair market value” of our Class A common stock on the corresponding redemption date (assuming holders elect to exercise their warrants and such warrants are not redeemed for $0.10 per warrant), determined based on the average of the last reported sales price for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants, and the number of months that the corresponding redemption date precedes the expiration date of the warrants, each as set forth in the table below.

Pursuant to the warrant agreement, references above to Class A common stock shall include a security other than Class A common stock into which the Class A common stock has been converted or exchanged for in the event we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination. The numbers in the tables below will not be adjusted solely as a result of us not being the surviving entity following our initial business combination.

The stock prices set forth in the column headings of the table below will be adjusted as of any date on which the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant is adjusted as set forth in the first three paragraphs under the heading “—Anti-dilution Adjustments” below. The adjusted stock prices in the column headings will equal the stock prices immediately prior to such adjustment, multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant immediately prior to such adjustment and the denominator of which is the number of shares deliverable upon exercise of a warrant as so adjusted. The number of shares in the table below shall be adjusted in the same manner and at the same time as the number of shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant.

 

     Fair Market Value of Class A Common Stock  

Redemption Date (period to
expiration of warrants)

   £$10.00      $11.00      $12.00      $13.00      $14.00      $15.00      $16.00      $17.00      ³$18.00  

57 months

     0.257        0.277        0.294        0.310        0.324        0.337        0.348        0.358        0.365  

54 months

     0.252        0.272        0.291        0.307        0.322        0.335        0.347        0.357        0.365  

51 months

     0.246        0.268        0.287        0.304        0.320        0.333        0.346        0.357        0.365  

48 months

     0.241        0.263        0.283        0.301        0.317        0.332        0.344        0.356        0.365  

45 months

     0.235        0.258        0.279        0.298        0.315        0.330        0.343        0.356        0.365  

42 months

     0.228        0.252        0.274        0.294        0.312        0.328        0.342        0.355        0.364  

39 months

     0.221        0.246        0.269        0.290        0.309        0.325        0.340        0.354        0.364  

36 months

     0.213        0.239        0.263        0.285        0.305        0.323        0.339        0.353        0.364  

33 months

     0.205        0.232        0.257        0.280        0.301        0.320        0.337        0.352        0.364  

30 months

     0.196        0.224        0.250        0.274        0.297        0.316        0.335        0.351        0.364  

27 months

     0.185        0.214        0.242        0.268        0.291        0.313        0.332        0.350        0.364  

24 months

     0.173        0.204        0.233        0.260        0.285        0.308        0.329        0.348        0.364  

21 months

     0.161        0.193        0.223        0.252        0.279        0.304        0.326        0.347        0.364  

18 months

     0.146        0.179        0.211        0.242        0.271        0.298        0.322        0.345        0.363  

15 months

     0.130        0.164        0.197        0.230        0.262        0.291        0.317        0.342        0.363  

12 months

     0.111        0.146        0.181        0.216        0.250        0.282        0.312        0.339        0.363  

9 months

     0.090        0.125        0.162        0.199        0.237        0.272        0.305        0.336        0.362  

6 months

     0.065        0.099        0.137        0.178        0.219        0.259        0.296        0.331        0.362  

3 months

     0.034        0.065        0.104        0.150        0.197        0.243        0.286        0.326        0.361  

0 months

                   0.042        0.115        0.179        0.233        0.281        0.323        0.361  

 

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The exact fair market value and redemption date may not be set forth in the table above, in which case, if the fair market value is between two values in the table or the redemption date is between two redemption dates in the table, the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued for each warrant exercised will be determined by a straight-line interpolation between the number of shares set forth for the higher and lower fair market values and the earlier and later redemption dates, as applicable, based on a 365 or 366-day year, as applicable. For example, if the average last reported sale price of our Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading date prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $11 per share, and at such time there are 57 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.277 shares of Class A common stock for each whole warrant. For an example where the exact fair market value and redemption date are not as set forth in the table above, if the average last reported sale price of our Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading date prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of the warrants is $13.50 per share, and at such time there are 38 months until the expiration of the warrants, holders may choose to, in connection with this redemption feature, exercise their warrants for 0.298 shares of Class A common stock for each whole warrant. In no event will the warrants be exercisable in connection with this redemption feature for more than 0.365 shares of Class A common stock per warrant. Finally, as reflected in the table above, if the warrants are out of the money and about to expire, they cannot be exercised on a cashless basis in connection with a redemption by us pursuant to this redemption feature, since they will not be exercisable for any shares of Class A common stock.

Any public warrants held by our officers or directors will be subject to this redemption feature, except that such officers and directors shall only receive “fair market value” for such public warrants if they exercise their public warrants in connection with such redemption (“fair market value” for such public warrants held by our officers or directors being defined as the last reported sale price of the public warrants on such redemption date).

This redemption feature differs from the typical warrant redemption features used in many other blank check offerings, which typically only provide for a redemption of warrants for cash (other than the private placement warrants) when the trading price for the Class A common stock exceeds $18.00 per share for a specified period of time. This redemption feature is structured to allow for all of the outstanding warrants (other than the private placement warrants) to be redeemed when the Class A common stock is trading at or above $10.00 per share, which may be at a time when the trading price of our Class A common stock is below the exercise price of the warrants. We have established this redemption feature to provide us with the flexibility to redeem the warrants without the warrants having to reach the $18.00 per share threshold set forth above under “—Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00.” Holders choosing to exercise their warrants in connection with a redemption pursuant to this feature will, in effect, receive a number of shares for their warrants based on an option pricing model with a fixed volatility input as of the date of this prospectus. This redemption right provides us an additional mechanism by which to redeem all of the outstanding warrants, and therefore have certainty as to our capital structure as the warrants would no longer be outstanding and would have been exercised or redeemed, and we will effectively be required to pay the redemption price to warrant holders if we choose to exercise this redemption right and it will allow us to quickly proceed with a redemption of the warrants if we determine it is in our best interest to do so. As such, we would redeem the warrants in this manner when we believe it is in our best interest to update our capital structure to remove the warrants and pay the redemption price to the warrant holders.

As stated above, we can redeem the warrants when the Class A common stock is trading at a price starting at $10.00, which is below the exercise price of $11.50, because it will provide certainty with respect to our capital structure and cash position while providing warrant holders with the

 

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opportunity to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis for the applicable number of shares of Class A common stock. If we choose to redeem the warrants when the Class A common stock is trading at a price below the exercise price of the warrants, this could result in the warrant holders receiving fewer shares of Class A common stock than they would have received if they had chosen to wait to exercise their warrants for shares of Class A common stock if and when shares of Class A common stock were trading at a price higher than the exercise price of $11.50 per share.

No fractional shares of Class A common stock will be issued upon exercise. If, upon exercise, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will round down to the nearest whole number of the number of shares of Class A common stock to be issued to the holder. If, at the time of redemption, the warrants are exercisable for a security other than the shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the warrant agreement (for instance, if we are not the surviving company in our initial business combination), the warrants may be exercised for such security.

Redemption Procedures and Cashless Exercise.    If we call the warrants for redemption as described above under “—Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00,” our management will have the option to require all holders that wish to exercise warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” (such option, the “Cashless Exercise Option”). In determining whether to require all holders to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. In such event, each holder would pay the exercise price by surrendering the warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value and (B) 0.365. The “fair market value” shall mean the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this Cashless Exercise Option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Class A common stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this Cashless Exercise Option feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants after our initial business combination. If we call our warrants for redemption and our management does not take advantage of this Cashless Exercise Option, our sponsor and its permitted transferees would still be entitled to exercise their private placement warrants for cash or on a cashless basis using the same formula described above that other warrant holders would have been required to use had management taken advantage of this Cashless Exercise Option, as described in more detail below.

A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), would beneficially own in excess of 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of Class A common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.

Anti-Dilution Adjustments.    If the number of outstanding shares of Class A common stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of Class A common stock, or by a split-up of shares of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of Class A common stock. A rights offering to all or substantially all holders of Class A common stock entitling holders to

 

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purchase shares of Class A common stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a stock dividend of a number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the product of (1) the number of shares of Class A common stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock) multiplied by (2) one minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Class A common stock paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (1) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Class A common stock, in determining the price payable for Class A common stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (2) fair market value means the volume weighted average price of Class A common stock as reported during the ten trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of Class A common stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.

In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay to all or substantially all of the holders of Class A common stock a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Class A common stock on account of such shares of Class A common stock (or other shares of our capital stock into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above, (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, (c) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a proposed initial business combination, (d) to satisfy the redemption rights of the holders of Class A common stock in connection with a stockholder vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (I) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our Class A common stock if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (II) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, or (e) in connection with the redemption of our public shares upon our failure to complete our initial business combination, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Class A common stock in respect of such event.

If the number of outstanding shares of our Class A common stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of Class A common stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Class A common stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Class A common stock.

Whenever the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted, as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Class A common stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.

In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Class A common stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a merger or consolidation in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding shares of Class A common stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders

 

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of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the shares of our Class A common stock immediately theretofore purchasable and receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. However, if such holders were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such merger or consolidation, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets for which each warrant will become exercisable will be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by such holders in such merger or consolidation that affirmatively make such election, and if a tender, exchange or redemption offer has been made to and accepted by such holders (other than a tender, exchange or redemption offer made by the company in connection with redemption rights held by stockholders of the company as provided for in the company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation or as a result of the redemption of shares of Class A common stock by the company if a proposed initial business combination is presented to the stockholders of the company for approval) under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock, the holder of a warrant will be entitled to receive the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a stockholder if such warrant holder had exercised the warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Class A common stock held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustments (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in the warrant agreement. Additionally, if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Class A common stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of Class A common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the warrant agreement based on the per share consideration minus Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the warrant agreement) of the warrant.

The warrants will be issued in registered form under a warrant agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the warrant agreement, which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The warrant agreement provides that (a) the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder for the purpose of (i) curing any ambiguity or correct any mistake, including to conform the provisions of the warrant agreement to the description of the terms of the warrants and the warrant agreement set forth in this prospectus, or defective provision or (ii) adding or changing any provisions with respect to matters or questions arising under the warrant agreement as the parties to the warrant agreement may deem necessary or desirable and that the parties deem to not adversely affect the rights of the registered holders of the warrants and (b) all other modifications or amendments require the vote or written consent of at least 50% of the then outstanding public warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the private placement warrants or any provision of the warrant agreement with respect to the private placement warrants, at least 50% of the then outstanding private placement warrants.

 

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The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Class A common stock and any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of Class A common stock. After the issuance of shares of Class A common stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.

No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade.

Private Placement Warrants

The private placement warrants are identical to the warrants sold as part of the units in this offering except that, so long as they are held by our sponsor or its permitted transferees: (1) they will not be redeemable by us; (2) they (including the Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) may not be transferred, assigned or sold by our sponsor until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except, among other limited exceptions as described under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants,” to our officers and directors and other persons or entities affiliated with our sponsor); (3) they may be exercised by the holders on a cashless basis as described below; and (4) the holders thereof (including with respect to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of these warrants) are entitled to registration rights. If the private placement warrants are held by holders other than our sponsor or its permitted transferees, the private placement warrants will be redeemable by us in all redemption scenarios and exercisable by the holders on the same basis as the warrants included in the units being sold in this offering.

If holders of the private placement warrants elect to exercise them on a cashless basis, they would pay the exercise price by surrendering warrants for that number of shares of Class A common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” (defined below) over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The “fair market value” shall mean the average last reported sale price of the Class A common stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is sent to the warrant agent. The reason that we have agreed that these warrants will be exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by our sponsor and its permitted transferees is because it is not known at this time whether they will be affiliated with us following a business combination. If they remain affiliated with us, their ability to sell our securities in the open market will be significantly limited. We expect to have policies in place that prohibit insiders from selling our securities except during specific periods of time. Even during such periods of time when insiders will be permitted to sell our securities, an insider cannot trade in our securities if he or she is in possession of material non-public information. Accordingly, unlike public stockholders who could exercise their warrants and sell the shares of Class A common stock received upon such exercise freely in the open market in order to recoup the cost of such exercise, the insiders could be significantly restricted from selling such securities. As a result, we believe that allowing the holders to exercise such warrants on a cashless basis is appropriate.

In order to fund working capital deficiencies or finance transaction costs in connection with an intended initial business combination, our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or our officers and directors may, but are not obligated to, loan us funds as may be required. If we complete our initial business combination, we may repay such loaned amounts out of the proceeds of the trust account released to us. In the event that our initial business combination does not close, we may use a portion of the working capital held outside the trust account to repay such loaned amounts but no proceeds from our trust account would be used to repay such loaned amounts. Up to $1,500,000 of such loans

 

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made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be convertible into warrants at a price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. The warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants issued to our sponsor.

Dividends

We have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock to date and do not intend to pay cash dividends prior to the completion of our initial business combination. The payment of cash dividends in the future will be dependent upon our revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition subsequent to completion of our initial business combination. The payment of any cash dividends subsequent to a business combination will be within the discretion of our board of directors at such time. In addition, our board of directors is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring any stock dividends in the foreseeable future, except if we increase the size of this offering, in which case we will effect a stock dividend with respect to our Class B common stock immediately prior to the consummation of this offering in such amount as to maintain the number of founder shares at 20% of our issued and outstanding shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. Further, if we incur any indebtedness, our ability to declare dividends may be limited by restrictive covenants we may agree to in connection therewith.

Our Transfer Agent and Warrant Agent

The transfer agent for our common stock and warrant agent for our warrants is Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company. We have agreed to indemnify Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company in its roles as transfer agent and warrant agent, its agents and each of its shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all liabilities, including judgments, costs and reasonable counsel fees that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of the indemnified person or entity.

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will contain certain requirements and restrictions relating to this offering that will apply to us until the completion of our initial business combination. These provisions (other than amendments relating to the appointment or removal of directors prior to our initial business combination, which require the approval of holders of a majority of at least 90% of the outstanding shares of our common stock voting in a stockholder meeting) cannot be amended without the approval of the holders of at least 65% of our outstanding common stock. Our initial stockholders, who collectively will beneficially own 20% of our common stock upon the closing of this offering (assuming our initial stockholders do not purchase any units in this offering), may participate in any vote to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and will have the discretion to vote in any manner they choose. Unless specified in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or as required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock that are voted is required to approve any such matter voted on by our stockholders, and, prior to our initial business combination, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock is required to approve the election or removal of directors. Specifically, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide, among other things, that:

 

   

if we have not completed our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, we will: (1) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up; (2) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter, redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on

 

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deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law; and (3) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of our remaining stockholders and our board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to our obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law;

 

   

prior to our initial business combination, we may not issue additional shares of capital stock that would entitle the holders thereof to: (1) receive funds from the trust account; or (2) vote pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation on any initial business combination;

 

   

in the event we seek to complete our initial business combination with a company that is affiliated with Goldman Sachs, our sponsor, officers or directors, we, or a committee of independent and disinterested directors, will obtain an opinion from an independent investment banking firm that is a member of FINRA or from an independent accounting firm that such a business combination is fair to our company from a financial point of view;

 

   

if a stockholder vote on our initial business combination is not required by applicable law or stock exchange rules and we do not decide to hold a stockholder vote for business or other reasons, we will offer to redeem our public shares pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, and will file tender offer documents with the SEC prior to completing our initial business combination which contain substantially the same financial and other information about our initial business combination and the redemption rights as is required under Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act;

 

   

our initial business combination must be with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the trust account (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount);

 

   

if our stockholders approve an amendment to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of our obligation to allow redemptions in connection with our initial business combination or to redeem 100% of our public shares if we do not complete our initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial business combination activity, we will provide our public stockholders with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares of common stock upon such approval at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the trust account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares; and

 

   

we will not effectuate our initial business combination solely with another blank check company or a similar company with nominal operations.

In addition, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that under no circumstances will we redeem our public shares in an amount that would cause our net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions.

 

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Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

We will be subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL regulating corporate takeovers upon completion of this offering. This statute prevents certain Delaware corporations, under certain circumstances, from engaging in a “business combination” with:

 

   

a stockholder who owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock (otherwise known as an “interested stockholder”);

 

   

an affiliate of an interested stockholder; or

 

   

an associate of an interested stockholder, for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder.

A “business combination” includes a merger or sale of more than 10% of our assets. However, the above provisions of Section 203 do not apply if:

 

   

our board of directors approves the transaction that made the stockholder an “interested stockholder,” prior to the date of the transaction;

 

   

after the completion of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, that stockholder owned at least 85% of our voting stock outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, other than statutorily excluded shares of common stock; or

 

   

on or subsequent to the date of the transaction, the business combination is approved by our board of directors and authorized at a meeting of our stockholders, and not by written consent, by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock not owned by the interested stockholder.

Our authorized but unissued common stock and preferred stock are available for future issuances without stockholder approval (including a specified future issuance) and could be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future offerings to raise additional capital, acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that prior to our initial business combination, holders of our Class B common stock will have the right to elect all of our directors and may remove members of our board of directors for any reason. As a result, prior to our initial business combination, it is unlikely that any person other than our sponsor will be able to gain control of our board.

Exclusive Forum For Certain Lawsuits

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (1) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of our company, (2) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of our company to our company or our stockholders, or any claim for aiding and abetting any such alleged breach, (3) action asserting a claim against our company or any director, officer or employee of our company arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our bylaws, or (4) action asserting a claim against us or any director, officer or employee of our company governed by the internal affairs doctrine except for, as to each of (1) through (4) above, any claim (A) as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination) or (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this paragraph will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the

 

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Securities Act or the Exchange Act or otherwise arising under federal securities laws, for which the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the sole and exclusive forum. Although we believe this provision benefits us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders. Furthermore, the enforceability of choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable.

Special Meeting of Stockholders

Our bylaws provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority vote of our board of directors, by our chief executive officer or by our chairman, if any.

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations

Our bylaws will provide for advance notice procedures with respect to stockholder proposals and the nomination of candidates for election as directors, other than nominations made by or at the direction of our board of directors or a committee of our board of directors. In order for any matter to be “properly brought” before a meeting, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice requirements and provide us with certain information. Generally, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders. Pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, proposals seeking inclusion in our annual proxy statement must comply with the notice periods contained therein. Our bylaws will also specify requirements as to the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. Our bylaws will allow the chairman of the meeting at a meeting of the stockholders to adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of meetings which may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the rules and regulations are not followed. These provisions may also defer, delay or discourage a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to influence or obtain control of us.

Securities Eligible for Future Sale

Immediately after this offering we will have 70,000,000 (or 80,500,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) shares of Class A common stock outstanding. Of these shares, the 70,000,000 shares (or 80,500,000 shares if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our affiliates within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act. All of the remaining 17,500,000 (or 20,125,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) founder shares and all 8,000,000 (or 9,050,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) private placement warrants are restricted securities under Rule 144, in that they were issued in private transactions not involving a public offering, and are subject to transfer restrictions as set forth elsewhere in this prospectus.

Rule 144

Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that: (1) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale; and (2) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements

 

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for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.

Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:

 

   

1% of the total number of shares of common stock then outstanding, which will equal 875,000 shares immediately after this offering (or 1,006,250 if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional units in full); or

 

   

the average weekly reported trading volume of the common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale.

Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.

Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies

Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than a business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:

 

   

the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;

 

   

the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

   

the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and

 

   

at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

As a result, our initial stockholders will be able to sell their founder shares and our sponsor will be able to sell its private placement warrants, as applicable, pursuant to Rule 144 without registration one year after we have completed our initial business combination.

Registration Rights

The holders of the founder shares, private placement warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the private placement warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the founder shares) will be entitled to registration rights pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed prior to or on the effective date of this offering requiring us to register such securities for resale (in the case of the founder shares, only after conversion to shares of Class A common stock). The holders of these securities will be entitled to make up to three demands, excluding short form registration demands, that we register such securities. In addition, the holders have certain “piggy-back” registration rights with respect to registration statements filed subsequent to our

 

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completion of our initial business combination and rights to require us to register for resale such securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act. However, the registration rights agreement provides that we will not be required to effect or permit any registration or cause any registration statement to become effective until the securities covered thereby are released from their lock-up restrictions, as described under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”. We will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Listing of Securities

We have applied to list our units, Class A common stock and warrants on the NYSE under the symbols “GSAH.U,” “GSAH” and “GSAH WS,” respectively. We expect that our units will be listed on the NYSE on or promptly after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Following the date the shares of our Class A common stock and warrants are eligible to trade separately, we anticipate that the shares of our common stock and warrants will be listed separately and as a unit on the NYSE. We cannot guarantee that our securities will be approved for listing on the NYSE.

 

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UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion is a summary of the U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our units, Class A common stock and warrants, which we refer to collectively as our securities. This summary is based upon U.S. federal income tax law as of the date of this prospectus, which is subject to change or differing interpretations, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary does not discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their individual circumstances, including investors subject to special tax rules (e.g., financial institutions, insurance companies, broker-dealers, tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations), taxpayers that have elected mark-to-market accounting, S corporations, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, investors that will hold Class A common stock or warrants as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, or other integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or investors that have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar), all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ materially from those summarized below. In addition, this summary does not discuss other U.S. federal tax consequences (e.g., estate or gift tax), any state, local, or non-U.S. tax considerations or the Medicare tax or alternative minimum tax. In addition, this summary is limited to investors that will hold our securities as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the “Code”), and that acquired the securities pursuant to this offering (or, in the case of Class A common stock, upon exercise of warrants so acquired). No ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, (the “IRS”) has been or will be sought regarding any matter discussed herein. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain a position contrary to any of the tax aspects set forth below.

For purposes of this summary, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial holder of securities who or that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes is:

 

   

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

 

   

a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes created in, or organized under the law of, the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof;

 

   

an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a United States court and which has one or more United States persons (within the meaning of the Code) who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has in effect a valid election under applicable Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

A “non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial holder of shares who or that is neither a U.S. Holder nor a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If a partnership (including an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our securities, the tax treatment of a partner, member or other beneficial owner in such partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner, member or other beneficial owner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner, member or other beneficial owner level. If you are a partner, member or other beneficial owner of a partnership holding our securities, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our securities.

THIS DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. WE URGE PROSPECTIVE

 

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HOLDERS TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS CONCERNING THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO THEM OF OWNING AND DISPOSING OF OUR SECURITIES, AS WELL AS THE APPLICATION OF ANY, STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. INCOME, ESTATE AND OTHER TAX CONSIDERATIONS.

Personal Holding Company Status

We would be subject to a second level of U.S. federal income tax on a portion of our income if we are determined to be a personal holding company, or PHC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. A U.S. corporation will generally be classified as a PHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a given taxable year if (1) at any time during the last half of such taxable year, five or fewer individuals (without regard to their citizenship or residency and including as individuals for this purpose certain entities such as certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds, and charitable trusts) own or are deemed to own (pursuant to certain constructive ownership rules) more than 50% of the stock of the corporation by value and (2) at least 60% of the corporation’s adjusted ordinary gross income, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for such taxable year consists of PHC income (which includes, among other things, dividends, interest, certain royalties, annuities and, under certain circumstances, rents).

Depending on the date and size of our initial business combination, it is possible that at least 60% of our adjusted ordinary gross income may consist of PHC income as discussed above. In addition, depending on the concentration of our stock in the hands of individuals, including the members of our sponsor and certain tax-exempt organizations, pension funds, and charitable trusts, it is possible that more than 50% of our stock will be owned or deemed owned (pursuant to the constructive ownership rules) by five or fewer such persons during the last half of a taxable year. Thus, no assurance can be given that we will not become a PHC following this offering or in the future. If we are or were to become a PHC in a given taxable year, we would be subject to an additional PHC tax, currently 20%, on our undistributed PHC income, which generally includes our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments.

General Treatment of Units

There is no authority directly addressing the treatment, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, of instruments with terms substantially the same as the units and, therefore, their treatment is not entirely clear. The acquisition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the acquisition of one share of our Class A common stock and one-quarter of one redeemable warrant to acquire one share of our Class A common stock. We intend to treat the acquisition of a unit in this manner and, by purchasing a unit, you agree to adopt such treatment for tax purposes. Each holder of a unit must allocate the purchase price paid by such holder for such unit between the share of Class A common stock and the warrant based on their respective relative fair market values. A holder’s initial tax basis in the Class A common stock and the warrant included in each unit should equal the portion of the purchase price of the unit allocated thereto. Any disposition of a unit should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a disposition of the share of Class A common stock and one-quarter of one warrant comprising the unit, and the amount realized on the disposition should be allocated between the Class A common stock and the one-quarter of one warrant based on their respective relative fair market values at the time of disposition. The separation of the Class A common stock and warrant constituting a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The foregoing treatment of the units and a holder’s purchase price allocation are not binding on the IRS or the courts. Because there is no authority that directly addresses instruments that are similar to the units, no assurance can be given that the IRS or the courts will agree with the characterization described above or the discussion below. Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisors

 

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regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and any foreign tax consequences of an investment in a unit (including alternative characterizations of a unit and its components). The following discussion is based on the assumption that the characterization of the Class A common stock and warrants and the allocation described above are respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

U.S. Holders

Taxation of Distributions

If we pay distributions in cash or other property (other than certain distributions of our stock or rights to acquire our stock) to U.S. Holders of shares of our Class A common stock, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that will be applied against and reduce (but not below zero) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our Class A common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or other disposition of the Class A common stock and will be treated as described under “—U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock” below.

Dividends we pay to a U.S. Holder that is a taxable corporation generally will qualify for the dividends received deduction if the requisite holding period is satisfied. With certain exceptions (including dividends treated as investment income for purposes of investment interest deduction limitations), and provided certain holding period requirements are met, dividends we pay to a non-corporate U.S. Holder will generally constitute “qualified dividends” that will be subject to tax at the maximum tax rate accorded to long-term capital gains. It is unclear whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock described in this prospectus may prevent a U.S. Holder from satisfying the applicable holding period requirements with respect to the dividends received deduction or the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income, as the case may be.

Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock

A U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss on the sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition (which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering) of our Class A common stock. Any such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock so disposed of exceeds one year. It is unclear, however, whether the redemption rights with respect to the Class A common stock described in this prospectus may suspend the running of the applicable holding period for this purpose. The amount of gain or loss recognized will generally be equal to the difference between (1) the sum of the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in such disposition (or, if the Class A common stock is held as part of a unit at the time of the disposition, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the Class A common stock based upon the then fair market values of the Class A common stock and the warrant included in the unit) and (2) the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A common stock so disposed of. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its Class A common stock will generally equal the U.S. Holder’s acquisition cost (that is, as discussed above, the portion of the purchase price of a unit allocated to a share of Class A common stock or, as discussed below, the U.S. Holder’s initial basis for Class A common stock received upon exercise of a warrant) less any prior distributions treated as a return of capital. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

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Redemption of Class A Common Stock

In the event that a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock is redeemed pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities—Common Stock” or if we purchase a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock in an open market transaction (each of which we refer to as a “redemption”), the treatment of the transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes will depend on whether the redemption qualifies as sale of the Class A common stock under Section 302 of the Code. If the redemption qualifies as a sale of Class A common stock under the tests described below, the tax consequences to the U.S. Holder will be the same as described under “—U.S. Holders—Gain or Loss on Sale, Taxable Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock” above. If the redemption does not qualify as a sale of Class A common stock, the U.S. Holder will be treated as receiving a corporate distribution, the tax consequences of which are described above under “—U.S. Holders—Taxation of Distributions”. Whether the redemption qualifies for sale treatment will depend primarily on the total number of shares of our stock treated as held by the U.S. Holder (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants) both before and after the redemption. The redemption of Class A common stock will generally be treated as a sale of the Class A common stock (rather than as a corporate distribution) if the redemption (1) is “substantially disproportionate” with respect to the U.S. Holder, (2) results in a “complete termination” of the U.S. Holder’s interest in us or (3) is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” with respect to the U.S. Holder. These tests are explained more fully below.

In determining whether any of the foregoing tests are satisfied, a U.S. Holder takes into account not only stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder, but also shares of our stock that are constructively owned by it. A U.S. Holder may constructively own, in addition to stock owned directly, stock owned by certain related individuals and entities in which the U.S. Holder has an interest or that have an interest in such U.S. Holder, as well as any stock the U.S. Holder has a right to acquire by exercise of an option, which would generally include common stock which could be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the warrants. A redemption of a U.S. Holder’s stock will be substantially disproportionate with respect to the U.S. Holder if the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately following the redemption of common stock is, among other requirements, less than 80% of the percentage of our outstanding voting stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder immediately before the redemption. Prior to our initial business combination, the Class A common stock may not be treated as voting stock for this purpose and, consequently, this substantially disproportionate test may not be applicable. There will be a complete termination of a U.S. Holder’s interest if either (1) all of the shares of our stock actually and constructively owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed or (2) all of the shares of our stock actually owned by the U.S. Holder are redeemed and the U.S. Holder is eligible to waive, and effectively waives in accordance with specific rules, the attribution of stock owned by certain family members and the U.S. Holder does not constructively own any other stock (including any stock constructively owned by the U.S. Holder as a result of owning warrants). The redemption of the Class A common stock will not be essentially equivalent to a dividend if the redemption results in a “meaningful reduction” of the U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us. Whether the redemption will result in a meaningful reduction in a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in us will depend on the particular facts and circumstances. The IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small reduction in the proportionate interest of a small minority stockholder in a publicly held corporation who exercises no control over corporate affairs may constitute such a “meaningful reduction.” A U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisors as to the tax consequences of a redemption, including the application of the constructive ownership rules described above.

If none of the foregoing tests is satisfied, the redemption will be treated as a corporate distribution, the tax consequences of which are described under “—U.S. Holders—Taxation of Distributions,” above. After the application of those rules, any remaining tax basis of the U.S. Holder in

 

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the redeemed Class A common stock should be added to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its remaining stock, or, if it has none, to the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its warrants or possibly in other stock constructively owned by it.

Exercise of a Warrant

Except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a warrant, a U.S. Holder will not recognize gain or loss upon the exercise of a warrant. The U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the share of our Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant will generally be an amount equal to the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrant (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “—General Treatment of Units”) and the exercise price of such warrant. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock received upon exercise of the warrant would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant; however, in either case the holding period will not include the period during which the U.S. Holder held the warrants.

The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be nontaxable, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A common stock received would generally equal the holder’s tax basis in the warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as not being a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant. If, however, the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Class A common stock would include the holding period of the warrant.

It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss is recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder would be deemed to have surrendered a number of warrants having a value equal to the exercise price. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the Class A common stock represented by the warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Class A common stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the warrants exercised (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the units that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under ‘‘—General Treatment of Units’’) and the exercise price of such warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Class A common stock would commence on the date of exercise of the warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the warrant.

Due to the absence of authority on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise, including when a U.S. Holder’s holding period would commence with respect to the Class A common stock received, there can be no assurance which, if any, of the alternative tax consequences and holding periods described above would be adopted by the IRS or a court of law. Accordingly, U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of a cashless exercise.

Sale, Exchange, Redemption or Expiration of a Warrant

Upon a sale, exchange (other than by exercise), redemption (other than a redemption for Class A common stock), or expiration of a warrant, a U.S. Holder will recognize taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (1) the amount realized upon such disposition or expiration (or, if the warrant is held as part of a unit at the time of the disposition of the unit, the portion of the amount realized on such disposition that is allocated to the warrant based on the then fair market values of the

 

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warrant and the Class A common stock constituting such unit) and (2) the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the warrant (that is, the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for a unit that is allocated to the warrant, as described above under “—General Treatment of Units”). Such gain or loss will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the warrant is held by the U.S. Holder for more than one year at the time of such disposition or expiration. If a warrant is allowed to lapse unexercised, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize a capital loss equal to such holder’s tax basis in the warrant. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations.

If we give notice of an intention to redeem warrants for $0.10 as described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants”, and a U.S. Holder exercises its warrant on a cashless basis and receives the amount of Class A common stock as determined by reference to the table set forth thereunder, we intend to treat such exercised as a redemption of warrants for Class A common stock should be treated as a “recapitalization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(E) of the Code. Accordingly, you should not recognize any gain or loss on the redemption of warrants for shares of our Class A common stock. Your aggregate tax basis in the shares of Class A common stock received in the redemption should equal your aggregate tax basis in your warrants redeemed and your holding period for the shares of Class A common stock received in redemption of your warrants should include your holding period for your surrendered warrants. However, there is some uncertainty regarding this tax treatment and it is possible such a redemption could be treated in part as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized in a manner similar to that discussed above for a cashless exercise of warrants or otherwise characterized. Accordingly, a U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of a redemption of warrants for shares of Class A common stock.

Possible Constructive Distributions

The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of Class A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events, as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution is generally not a taxable event. Nevertheless, a U.S. Holder of warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the holder’s proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of Class A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of shares of our Class A common stock which is taxable to such U.S. Holders as described under “—U.S. Holders—Taxation of Distributions” above. Such constructive distribution would be subject to tax as described under that section in the same manner as if such U.S. Holder received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding.

In general, information reporting requirements may apply to dividends paid to a U.S. Holder and to the proceeds of the sale or other disposition of our units, shares of Class A common stock and warrants, unless the U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient. Backup withholding may apply to such payments if the U.S. Holder fails to provide a taxpayer identification number, a certification of exempt status or has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding (and such notification has not been withdrawn).

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 a U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

 

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Non-U.S. Holders

Taxation of Distributions

In general, any distributions (including constructive distributions) we make to a non-U.S. Holder of shares of our Class A common stock, to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles), will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, provided such dividends are not effectively connected with the non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States, we will be required to withhold tax from the gross amount of the dividend at a rate of 30%, unless such non-U.S. Holder is eligible for a reduced rate of withholding tax under an applicable income tax treaty and provides proper certification of its eligibility for such reduced rate (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable). In the case of any constructive dividend, it is possible that this tax would be withheld from any amount owed to a non-U.S. Holder by the applicable withholding agent, including cash distributions on other property or sale proceeds from warrants or other property subsequently paid or credited to such holder. Any distribution not constituting a dividend will be treated first as reducing (but not below zero) the non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares of our Class A common stock and, to the extent such distribution exceeds the non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis, as gain realized from the sale or other disposition of the Class A common stock, which will be treated as described under “—Non-U.S. Holders—Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below. In addition, if we determine that we are classified as a “United States real property holding corporation” (see “—Non-U.S. Holders—Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants” below), we will withhold 15% of any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

Dividends we pay to a non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with such non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (or if a tax treaty applies are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. Holder) will generally not be subject to U.S. withholding tax, provided such non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification and disclosure requirements (usually by providing an IRS Form W-8ECI). Instead, such dividends will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax, net of certain deductions, at the same graduated individual or corporate rates applicable to U.S. Holders. If the non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, dividends that are effectively connected income may also be subject to a “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).

Exercise or Lapse of a Warrant

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a non-U.S. Holder’s exercise of a warrant or the lapse of a warrant held by a non-U.S. Holder generally will correspond to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the exercise or lapse of a warrant by a U.S. Holder, as described under “—U.S. Holders—Exercise of a Warrant” or “—U.S. Holders—Sale, Exchange, Redemption or Expiration of a Warrant” above, although to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the tax consequences to the non-U.S. Holder would be the same as those described below in “—Non-U.S. Holders—Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants.”

Redemption of Warrants for Class A Common Stock

A redemption of warrants for Class A common stock described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants” should be treated as a “recapitalization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(E) of the Code. Accordingly, you should not recognize any gain or loss on the redemption of warrants for shares of our Class A common stock. Your aggregate tax basis in the shares of Class A common stock received in the redemption should

 

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equal your aggregate tax basis in your warrants redeemed and your holding period for the shares of Class A common stock received in redemption of your warrants should include your holding period for your surrendered warrants.

Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants

A non-U.S. Holder will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax in respect of gain recognized on a sale, taxable exchange or other taxable disposition of our Class A common stock, which would include a dissolution and liquidation in the event we do not complete an initial business combination within 24 months from the closing of this offering, or warrants (including an expiration or redemption of our warrants), in each case without regard to whether those securities were held as part of a unit, unless:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business by the non-U.S. Holder within the United States (and, if an applicable tax treaty so requires, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the non-U.S. Holder);

 

   

the non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met; or

 

   

we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of disposition or the period that the non-U.S. Holder held our Class A common stock, and, in the case where shares of our Class A common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market, the non-U.S. Holder has owned, directly or constructively, more than 5% of our Class A common stock at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding the disposition or such non-U.S. Holder’s holding period for the shares of our Class A common stock. There can be no assurance that our Class A common stock will be treated as regularly traded on an established securities market for this purpose.

Gain described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. Any gains described in the first bullet point above of a non-U.S. Holder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or lower applicable treaty rate). Gain described in the second bullet point above will generally be subject to a flat 30% U.S. federal income tax. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding possible eligibility for benefits under income tax treaties.

If the third bullet point above applies to a non-U.S. Holder, gain recognized by such holder on the sale, exchange or other disposition of our Class A common stock or warrants will be subject to tax at generally applicable U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, a buyer of our Class A common stock or warrants from such holder may be required to withhold U.S. income tax at a rate of 15% of the amount realized upon such disposition. We cannot determine whether we will be a United States real property holding corporation in the future until we complete an initial business combination. We will be classified as a United States real property holding corporation if the fair market value of our “United States real property interests” equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests plus our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” you are urged to consult your own tax advisors regarding the application of these rules.

Possible Constructive Distributions

The terms of each warrant provide for an adjustment to the number of shares of Class A common stock for which the warrant may be exercised or to the exercise price of the warrant in certain events,

 

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as discussed in the section of this prospectus captioned “Description of Securities—Warrants—Public Stockholders’ Warrants.” An adjustment which has the effect of preventing dilution is generally not a taxable event. Nevertheless, a non-U.S. Holder of warrants would be treated as receiving a constructive distribution from us if, for example, the adjustment increases the holder’s proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits (e.g., through an increase in the number of shares of Class A common stock that would be obtained upon exercise) as a result of a distribution of cash to the holders of shares of our Class A common stock which is taxable to such non-U.S. Holders as described under “—Non-U.S. Holders—Taxation of Distributions” above. A non-U.S. Holder would be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding under that section in the same manner as if such non-U.S. Holder received a cash distribution from us equal to the fair market value of such increased interest without any corresponding receipt of cash.

Redemption of Class A Common Stock

The characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of the redemption of a non-U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock pursuant to the redemption provisions described in this prospectus under “Description of Securities—Common Stock” will generally correspond to the U.S. federal income tax characterization of such a redemption of a U.S. Holder’s Class A common stock, as described under “—U.S. Holders—Redemption of Class A Common Stock” above, and the consequences of the redemption to the non-U.S. Holder will be as described above under “—Non-U.S. Holders—Taxation of Distributions” and “—Non-U.S. Holders—Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Class A Common Stock and Warrants,” as applicable.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance promulgated thereunder (commonly referred as the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act” or “FATCA”) generally impose withholding at a rate of 30% in certain circumstances on dividends in respect of our securities which are held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless any such institution (1) enters into, and complies with, an agreement with the IRS to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to interests in, and accounts maintained by, the institution that are owned by certain U.S. persons and by certain non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons and to withhold on certain payments, or (2) if required under an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, reports such information to its local tax authority, which will exchange such information with the U.S. authorities. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify these requirements. Accordingly, the entity through which our securities are held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of our securities held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity that does not qualify under certain exceptions will generally be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (1) certifies to us or the applicable withholding agent that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (2) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners,” which will in turn be provided to the U.S. Department of Treasury. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in our securities.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

In general, information reporting requirements will apply to payments of dividends and proceeds from the sale of our securities to non-U.S. Holders that are not exempt recipients. We must report annually to the IRS and to each such holder the amount of dividends or other distributions we pay to such non-U.S. Holder on our shares of Class A common stock and the amount of tax withheld with

 

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respect to those distributions, regardless of whether withholding is required. The IRS may make copies of the information returns reporting those dividends and amounts withheld available to the tax authorities in the country in which the non-U.S. Holder resides pursuant to the provisions of an applicable income tax treaty or exchange of information treaty.

The gross amount of dividends and proceeds from the disposition of our Class A common stock or warrants paid to a holder that fails to provide the appropriate certification in accordance with applicable U.S. Treasury regulations generally will be subject to backup withholding at the applicable rate.

Information reporting and backup withholding are generally not required with respect to the amount of any proceeds from the sale by a non-U.S. Holder of Class A common stock or warrants outside the United States through a foreign office of a foreign broker that does not have certain specified connections to the United States. However, if a non-U.S. Holder sells Class A common stock or warrants through a U.S. broker or the U.S. office of a foreign broker, the broker will generally be required to report to the IRS the amount of proceeds paid to such holder, unless the non-U.S. Holder provides appropriate certification (usually on an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable) to the broker of its status as a non-U.S. Holder or such non-U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient. In addition, for information reporting purposes, certain non-U.S. brokers with certain relationships with the United States will be treated in a manner similar to U.S. brokers.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts we withhold under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, by the IRS if the required information is furnished in a timely manner to the IRS.

 

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UNDERWRITING (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)

Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement, underwriters named below through their representatives Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. have severally agreed to purchase from us the following respective number of units at a public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

 

Underwriters

   Number
of Units
 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

  
  

 

 

 

Total

     70,000,000  
  

 

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters are obligated to purchase all the units in the offering if any are purchased, other than those units covered by the option to purchase additional units described below.

We have granted to the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 10,500,000 additional units at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The option may be exercised only to cover any over-allotments of units.

The underwriters propose to offer the units initially at the public offering price on the cover page of this prospectus and to selling group members at that price less a selling concession of $                 per unit. After the initial public offering the underwriters may change the public offering price and concession and discount to broker/dealers. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters’ right to reject any order in whole or in part.

The following table summarizes the compensation and estimated expenses we will pay:

 

     Per Unit(1)      Total(1)  
     Without
Over-
allotment
     With
Over-
allotment
     Without
Over-
allotment
     With
Over-
allotment
 

Underwriting Discounts and Commissions paid by us

   $ 0.55      $ 0.55      $ 38,500,000      $ 44,275,000  

 

(1)

Includes $0.35 per unit, or $24,500,000 (or $28,175,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) in the aggregate payable to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions to be placed in a trust account located in the United States as described in this prospectus. The deferred commissions will be released to the underwriters only on completion of an initial business combination, in an amount equal to $0.35 multiplied by the number of shares of common stock sold as part of the units in this offering, as described in this prospectus.

We estimate that our out-of-pocket expenses for this offering will be approximately $1,000,000. We have agreed to pay for the FINRA-related fees and expenses of the underwriters’ legal counsel, not to exceed $25,000.

The representative has informed us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.

We, our sponsor and our officers and directors have agreed that we will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, without the

 

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prior written consent of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any units, warrants, shares of common stock or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of common stock or enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any units, shares of common stock, warrants or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of common stock owned, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that we may (1) issue and sell the private placement warrants; (2) issue and sell the additional units to cover our underwriters’ option to purchase additional units (if any); (3) register with the SEC pursuant to an agreement to be entered into concurrently with the issuance and sale of the securities in this offering, the resale of the private placement warrants and the shares of Class A stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants and the founder shares; and (4) issue securities in connection with our initial business combination. However, the foregoing shall not apply to the forfeiture of any founder shares pursuant to their terms or any transfer of founder shares to any current or future independent director of the company (as long as such current or future independent director is subject to the terms of the letter agreement, filed herewith, at the time of such transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a result of such transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the transfer). Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. in their sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.

Our initial stockholders have agreed not to transfer, assign or sell any of their founder shares until the earlier to occur of: (A) one year after the completion of our initial business combination and (B) subsequent to our initial business combination, (x) the date on which we complete a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of our public stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of common stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after our initial business combination (except as described herein under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”). Any permitted transferees would be subject to the same restrictions and other agreements of our initial stockholders with respect to any founder shares.

The private placement warrants (including the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon exercise of the private placement warrants) will not be transferable, assignable or salable until 30 days after the completion of our initial business combination (except with respect to permitted transferees as described in this prospectus under “Principal Stockholders—Transfers of Founder Shares and Private Placement Warrants”).

We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make in that respect.

We expect our units to be listed on the NYSE, under the symbol “GSAH.U” and, once the Class A common stock and warrants begin separate trading, to have our Class A common stock and warrants listed on the NYSE under the symbols “GSAH” and “GSAH WS,” respectively.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our securities.

The determination of our per unit offering price was more arbitrary than would typically be the case if we were an operating company. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were the history and prospects of companies whose principal business is the acquisition of other companies, prior offerings of those companies, our management, our capital structure, and currently prevailing general conditions in equity securities markets, including current market valuations

 

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of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which the units, Class A common stock or warrants will sell in the public market after this offering will not be lower than the initial public offering price or that an active trading market in our units, Class A common stock or warrants will develop and continue after this offering.

If we do not complete our initial business combination, the underwriters have agreed that: (1) the underwriters will forfeit any rights or claims to their deferred underwriting discounts and commissions, including any accrued interest thereon, then in the trust account; and (2) that the deferred underwriters’ discounts and commissions will be distributed on a pro rata basis, together with any accrued interest thereon (which interest shall be net of taxes payable) to the public stockholders.

In connection with this offering the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

   

Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

 

   

Over-allotment involves sales by the underwriters of units in excess of the number of units the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of units over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of units that they may purchase in the option to purchase additional units. In a naked short position, the number of units involved is greater than the number of units in the option to purchase additional units. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option to purchase additional units and/or purchasing units in the open market.

 

   

Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of the units in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of units to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of units available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase units through the option to purchase additional units. If the underwriters sell more units than could be covered by the option to purchase additional units, a naked short position, the position can only be closed out by buying units in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the units in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

 

   

Penalty bids permit the representative to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the units originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.

These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our units or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the units. As a result the price of our units may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be effected on the NYSE or otherwise and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

We are not under any contractual obligation to engage the underwriters to provide any services for us after this offering, and have no present intent to do so. However, the underwriters may introduce us to potential target businesses or assist us in raising additional capital in the future. If any of the underwriters provide services to us after this offering, we may pay such underwriter fair and reasonable fees that would be determined at that time in an arm’s length negotiation; provided that no agreement will be entered into with the underwriters and no fees for such services will be paid to the underwriters

 

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prior to the date that is 90 days from the date of this prospectus, unless FINRA determines that such payment would not be deemed underwriters’ compensation in connection with this offering and we may pay the underwriters of this offering or any entity with which they are affiliated a finder’s fee or other compensation for services rendered to us in connection with the completion of a business combination.

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. The underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for a discussion of additional conflicts applicable to Goldman Sachs.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments. Please see “Proposed Business—Certain Potential Conflicts of Interest Relating to Goldman Sachs” for a discussion of additional conflicts applicable to Goldman Sachs.

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the web sites maintained by the underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in this offering and the underwriters participating in this offering may distribute prospectuses electronically. The representative may agree to allocate a number of units to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the underwriters and selling group members that will make internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.

The units are offered for sale in those jurisdictions in the United States, Europe, Asia and elsewhere where it is lawful to make such offers.

The underwriters have represented and agreed that they have not offered, sold or delivered and will not offer, sell or deliver any of the units directly or indirectly, or distribute this prospectus or any other offering material relating to the units, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations thereof and that will not impose any obligations or other duties on us except as set forth in the underwriting agreement.

Conflicts of Interest

Because our sponsor, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, an underwriter of this offering, beneficially owns all of our outstanding common stock prior to the consummation of this offering, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is deemed to have a “conflict of interest” under FINRA Rule 5121. Accordingly, this offering is being made in compliance with the applicable provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. FINRA Rule 5121 prohibits Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC from making sales to discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the account holder and requires that a “qualified independent underwriter,” as defined in FINRA Rule 5121, participate in the preparation of the

 

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registration statement and exercise its usual standards of due diligence with respect thereto. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is assuming the responsibilities of acting as the qualified independent underwriter in this offering and is undertaking the legal responsibilities and liabilities of an underwriter under the Securities Act, which specifically include those inherent in Section 11 thereunder. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. will not receive any additional fees for serving as “qualified independent underwriter” in connection with this offering.

Other Terms

Our sponsor, an affiliate of an underwriter, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 8,000,000 private placement warrants (or 9,050,000 private placement warrants if the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), at $2.00 per private placement warrant (for a total purchase price of $16,000,000, or $18,100,000 aggregate if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full), with each private placement warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in this prospectus. These purchases will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the consummation of this offering. A portion of the purchase price of the private placement warrants will be added to the proceeds from this offering to be held in the trust account described herein. In addition, if our sponsor, an affiliate of our sponsor or certain of our officers and directors make any working capital loans, up to $1,500,000 of such loans made to us more than 90 days after the date of this prospectus may be converted into warrants, at the price of $2.00 per warrant at the option of the lender. Such warrants would be identical to the private placement warrants.

The private placement warrants and the warrants that may be issued upon conversion of the working capital loans have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(1), commencing on the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(g)(1), these securities will not be sold during the offering, or sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put or call transaction that would result in the economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or commencement of sales of the public offering, except to any underwriter and selected dealer participating in the offering and their bona fide officers or partners; provided that all securities so transferred remain subject to the lockup restriction above for the remainder of the time period. We have granted the holders of private placement warrants the registration rights as described under the section “Principal Stockholders—Registration Rights.”

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

The units may be sold in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106—Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103—Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the units must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

 

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Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105—Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area (each, a “Member State”) no units have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the units which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), except that offers of units may be made to the public in that Member State at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation:

 

  (a)

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation;

 

  (b)

to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representative for any such offer; or

 

  (c)

in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any units in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any units to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any units, and the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.

This European Economic Area selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out below.

Notice to Residents of Hong Kong

The units may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the units may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to units which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Notice to Residents of Japan

The units have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948, as amended) and, accordingly, will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan, or for the benefit of any Japanese Person or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to any Japanese Person, except in compliance with all applicable

 

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laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines promulgated by relevant Japanese governmental or regulatory authorities in effect at the relevant time. For the purposes of this paragraph, “Japanese Person” shall mean any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan.

Notice to Residents of Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the units may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the units be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.

Where the units are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

   

shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

   

to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA;

 

   

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or

 

   

where the transfer is by operation of law.

Notice to Investors in the United Kingdom

The underwriters have represented and agreed that:

 

  (a)

they have only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the units in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the company; and

 

  (b)

they have complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the units in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Los Angeles, California, has passed upon the validity of the securities offered in this prospectus on behalf of us. Ropes & Gray LLP advised the underwriters in connection with the offering of the securities.

EXPERTS

The financial statements as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 and for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the period from May 31, 2018 (date of inception) to December 31, 2018 included in this Prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the securities we are offering by this prospectus. This prospectus does not contain all of the information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our securities, you should refer to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. Whenever we make reference in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the references are materially complete but may not include a description of all aspects of such contracts, agreements or other documents, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contract, agreement or other document.

Upon completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information requirements of the Exchange Act and will file annual, quarterly and current event reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

     Page  

Audited Financial Statements

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     F-2  

Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018

     F-3  

Statements of Operations For the Year Ended December 31, 2019 and for the Period from May 31, 2018 (inception) to December 31, 2018

     F-4  

Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity For the Year Ended December 31, 2019 and for the Period from May 31, 2018 (inception) to December 31, 2018

     F-5  

Statements of Cash Flows For the Year Ended December 31, 2019 and for the Period from May 31, 2018 (inception) to December 31, 2018

     F-6  

Notes to Financial Statements

     F-7  

Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

  

Condensed Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019

     F-15  

Condensed Statements of Operations for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019

     F-16  

Condensed Statements of Changes in Stockholder’s Equity for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2019

     F-17  

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows for the three months ended March  31, 2020 and March 31, 2019

     F-18  

Notes to Condensed Financial Statements

     F-19  

 

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Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholder of GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the related statements of operations, of changes in stockholder’s equity, and of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019 and for the period from May 31, 2018 (date of inception) to December 31, 2018, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2019 and for the period from May 31, 2018 (date of inception) to December 31, 2018 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB and in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

New York, New York

April 20, 2020, except for the effects of the offering size and the June 11, 2020 stock split discussed in Note 6 to the financial statements, as to which the date is June 11, 2020.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.

 

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GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

BALANCE SHEETS

 

     December 31,
2019
    December 31,
2018
 

ASSETS

    

Current assets:

    

Cash

   $ 5,000     $ 5,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 5,000     $ 5,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accounts payable

   $ 636     $ 295  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     636       295  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stockholder’s equity:

    

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding

            

Class A common shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding

            

Class B common shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 20,125,000 issued and outstanding

     2,012       2,012  

Additional paid-in capital

     2,988       2,988  

Accumulated deficit

     (636     (295
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholder’s equity

     4,364       4,705  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholder’s equity

   $ 5,000     $ 5,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

     For the
Year-Ended
December 31,
2019
    For the
period from
May 31, 2018
(date of
inception) to
December 31,
2018
 

Revenues

   $     $  

General and administrative expenses

     341       295  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income tax (provision) benefit

     (341     (295

Income tax (provision) benefit

            
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common stockholder

   $ (341   $ (295
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares outstanding:

    

Basic and diluted

     20,125,000       20,125,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net loss per common share:

    

Basic and diluted

   $ (0   $ (0
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

 

     Class B Common
Shares
                     

For the period from May 31, 2018

(date of inception) to December 31, 2018

   Shares      Amount      Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Stockholder’s
Equity
 

Balance on May 31, 2018

          $      $      $     $  

Sale of common shares to GS Sponsor II LLC at $0.0003 per share

     20,125,000      $ 2,012      $ 2,988              5,000  

Net loss

                          (295     (295
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balances at end of period

     20,125,000      $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (295   $ 4,705  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Class B Common
Shares
                     
For the year-ended December 31, 2019    Shares      Amount      Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Stockholder’s
Equity
 

Balance at beginning of year

     20,125,000      $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (295   $ 4,705  

Net loss

                          (341     (341
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balances at end of year

     20,125,000      $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (636   $ 4,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

    For the
Year-Ended
December 31,
2019
    For the
period from
May 31, 2018
(date of
inception) to
December 31,
2018
 

Net loss

  $ (341   $ (295

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities:

   

Increase in accounts payable

    341       295  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by/(used for) operating activities

    —         —    
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities:

   

Proceeds from sale of Class B common shares to GS Sponsor II LLC

    —         5,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by/(used for) financing activities

    —         5,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Increase in cash

    —         5,000  

Cash at beginning of period

    5,000       —    
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash at end of period

  $ 5,000     $ 5,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations

Organization and General

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on May 31, 2018. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Initial Business Combination”). The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”).

At December 31, 2019, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from May 31, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2019 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (the “Proposed Offering”) described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of its Initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company expects to generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement (as defined below) (Note 3). The Company has selected December 31st as its fiscal year end.

Sponsor and Proposed Financing

The Company’s sponsor is GS Sponsor II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”).

The Company’s ability to commence meaningful operations and finance its Initial Business Combination is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through the proposed $700,000,000 initial public offering of Units (as defined below) (Note 3) and a $16,000,000 (or $18,100,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full—Note 3) private placement of Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) (Note 4). Upon the closing of the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement, $700,000,000 (or $805,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full—Note 3) will be held in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) (discussed below).

The Trust Account

The proceeds held in the Trust Account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds registered under the Investment Company Act and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 thereof. Except for interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its taxes, until the Company completes the Initial Business Combination, it may pay its expenses only from the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement held outside the Trust Account, which will be approximately $1,000,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $1,000,000 in expenses relating to the Proposed Offering, and any loans or additional investments from the Sponsor, members of the Company’s management team or any of their respective affiliates or other third parties.

Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its taxes, the proceeds from the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of: (i) the completion of the Initial Business Combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection

 

F-7


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations (Continued)

 

with the Initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its public shares if it does not complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-Initial Business Combination activity; and (iii) the redemption of all of the Company’s public shares if the Company has not completed the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of the Company’s public stockholders.

Initial Business Combination

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering, although substantially all of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement are intended to be generally applied toward consummating an Initial Business Combination. The Initial Business Combination must occur with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect an Initial Business Combination.

The Company, after signing a definitive agreement for an Initial Business Combination, will provide its public stockholders’ with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares upon the completion of the Initial Business Combination, either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. However, in no event will the Company redeem its public shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. In such case, the Company would not proceed with the redemption of its public shares and the related Initial Business Combination, and instead may search for an alternate Initial Business Combination.

If the Company holds a stockholder vote or there is a tender offer for shares in connection with an Initial Business Combination, a public stockholder will have the right to redeem its shares for an amount in cash equal to its pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Initial Business Combination, including interest but less taxes payable. As a result, such shares of Class A common stock will be recorded at redemption amount and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Offering, in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”

Pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if the Company is unable to complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s

 

F-8


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations (Continued)

 

board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company after an Initial Business Combination, the Company’s stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. The Company’s stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that the Company will provide its stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, under the circumstances, and, subject to the limitations, described herein.

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The financial statements of the Company are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Emerging Growth Company

Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.

This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statement with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Net Gain/(Loss) Per Common Share

Net gain/(loss) per common share is computed by dividing net gain/(loss) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus, to the extent dilutive, the incremental number of shares of common stock to settle warrants, as calculated using the treasury stock method. At December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company under the treasury stock method. As a result, diluted gain/(loss) per common share is the same as basic gain/(loss) per common share for the periods.

 

F-9


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.

Financial Instruments

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Income Taxes

The Company is included in the consolidated tax return of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, the parent (the “Parent”) of the Sponsor. The Company calculates the provision for income taxes by using a “separate return” method. Under this method the Company is assumed to file a separate return with the tax authority, thereby reporting its taxable income or loss and paying the applicable tax to, or receiving the appropriate refund from, the Parent. The Company’s current provision is the amount of tax payable or refundable on the basis of a hypothetical, current year, separate return.

Any difference between the tax provision (or benefit) allocated to the Company under the separate return method and payments to be made to (or received from) the Parent for tax expense are treated as either dividends or capital contribution. Accordingly, the amount by which the Company’s tax liability under the separate return method exceeds the amount of tax liability ultimately settled as a result of using incremental expenses of the Parent is periodically settled as a capital contribution from the Parent to the Company.

Deferred Income Taxes

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

 

F-10


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

The Company recognizes tax positions in the financial statements only when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on examination by the relevant taxing authority based on the technical merits of the position. A position that meets this standard is measured at the largest amount of benefit that will more likely than not be realized on settlement. A liability is established for differences between positions taken in a tax return and amounts recognized in the financial statements. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2019. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. No amounts were accrued for interest expense and penalties related to income tax matters as of December 31, 2019. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception. The Company believes that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits is adequate in relation to the potential for additional assessments.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

Note 3—Public Offering

Pursuant to the Proposed Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 70,000,000 Units at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit. The underwriters will have a 45-day option to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 10,500,000 additional units. The Sponsor will subscribe to purchase an aggregate of 10,666,667 (or 12,066,667 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full—see below) Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering.

Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one-third of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock (each, a “Warrant” and, collectively, the “Warrants”). One Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Warrants and only whole Warrants will trade. Each Warrant will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination and 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering and will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. Once the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Warrants in whole and not in part at a price of $0.01 per Warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, if and only if the last reported sale price of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the Warrant holders. Additionally, commencing ninety days after the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Warrants in whole and not in part at a price of $0.10 per Warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their Warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares of Class A common stock to be determined by reference to a table included in the warrant agreement, based on the redemption date and the fair

 

F-11


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 3—Public Offering (Continued)

 

market value of Class A common stock, if and only if the last reported sale price of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted) on the trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the Warrant holders.

The Company expects to pay underwriting commissions equal to 2.0% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering at the time of the Proposed Offering, and to agree to defer underwriting commissions equal to an additional 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering (the “Deferred Discount”) until completion of the Initial Business Combination. The Deferred Discount will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event the Company completes the Initial Business Combination.

Note 4—Related Party Transactions

Founder Shares

In July 2018, the Sponsor purchased 575 shares of Class B common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate price of $5,000. On April 17, 2020, the Company conducted a 1:5000 stock split, resulting in the Sponsor holding 2,875,000 Founder Shares. Subsequently, on June 11, 2020, the Company conducted a 1:7 stock split, resulting in the Sponsor holding 20,125,000 Founder Shares, as well as increased the authorized shares of Class B common stock to 50,000,000. The financial statements reflect the changes of these splits retroactively for all periods presented. As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, Founder Shares shall be deemed to include the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion thereof. The Founder Shares are identical to the Class A common stock included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering, except that, prior to the Initial Business Combination, only holders of the Founder Shares have the right to vote on the election of directors and holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Founder Shares stock may remove members of the Company’s board of directors for any reason, the Founder Shares automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the Initial Business Combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, and are subject to certain transfer restrictions and the holders of the Founder Shares have agreed to certain restrictions and will have certain registration rights with respect thereto. Up to 2,625,000 Founder Shares are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The number of Founder Shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the Founder Shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of the Proposed Offering. If the Company increases or decreases the size of the Proposed Offering, the Company will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to its Founder Shares immediately prior to the consummation of the Proposed Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of the Proposed Offering.

The Sponsor will subscribe to purchase an aggregate of 10,666,667 private placement warrants (or 12,066,667 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per whole warrant (approximately $16,000,000 in the aggregate or $18,100,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) that will occur on or prior to the closing of the Proposed Offering (the “Private Placement Warrants”). Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the purchase price of the Private Placement Warrants will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Offering to be held in the Trust Account such that at the closing of the Proposed Offering,

 

F-12


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 4—Related Party Transactions (Continued)

 

$700.0 million (or $805.0 million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the Trust Account. If the Initial Business Combination is not completed within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

An affiliate of the Sponsor has directly paid $636.00 for the regulatory fees incurred during the period from May 31, 2018 (inception) through December 31, 2019 on behalf the Company.

Registration Rights

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares), will have registration rights to require the Company to register the resale of any of its securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed on or before the closing date of the Proposed Offering. These holders will also be entitled to certain piggyback registration rights. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Note 5—Stockholder’s Deficit

Common Stock

The authorized common stock of the Company includes up to 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 50,000,000 shares of Class B common stock. If the Company enters into an Initial Business Combination, it may (depending on the terms of such an Initial Business Combination) be required to increase the number of shares of Class A common stock which the Company is authorized to issue at the same time as the Company’s stockholders vote on the Initial Business Combination to the extent the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with the Initial Business Combination. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock; provided that only holders of the Founder Shares have the right to vote on the election of the Company’s directors prior to the Initial Business Combination. At December 31, 2019, there were 20,125,000 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding.

Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At December 31, 2019, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

 

F-13


Table of Contents

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

 

Note 6—Subsequent Events

Management has performed an evaluation of subsequent events through April 20, 2020, the date of issuance of the financial statements, noting no other items which require adjustment or disclosure other than those disclosed below.

On April 17, 2020, the Company conducted a 1:5000 stock split, resulting in the Sponsor holding 2,875,000 or approximately $0.002 per share. The financial statements reflect the changes of this split and related increase in authorized shares retroactively for all periods presented.

On April 17, 2020, an affiliate of the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate amount of up to $300,000 to be used to pay a portion of the expenses related to the Proposed Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note is non-interest bearing, unsecured and payable on the earlier of December 31, 2020 and the closing of the Proposed Offering. As of April 20, 2020, the Company hasn’t borrowed any amount under the Note.

An outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to grow both in the US and globally. Global financial markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant volatility resulting from the spread of COVID-19. While the extent of the impact of the outbreak on the Company will depend on future developments, it could limit the Company’s ability to complete the Initial Business Combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to the Company or at all.

On June 11, 2020, the Company increased the offering size and, as a result conducted another stock split at a ratio of 1:7, resulting in the Sponsor holding 20,125,000 shares. These financial statements reflect the change in the offering size, as well as this split and related increase in authorized shares for all periods presented.

Events Subsequent to Original Issuance of Financial Statements (Unaudited):

In connection with the reissuance of the financial statements, the Company has evaluated subsequent events through June 24, 2020, the date the financial statements were available to be reissued.

On June 24, 2020, the Company updated each Unit to include one-quarter of one redeemable warrant from each Unit including one-third of one redeemable warrant. On June 24, 2020, the Company also updated the expected Private Placement so that the Sponsor will agree to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 Private Placement Warrants (or 9,050,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $2.00 per Private Placement Warrant from an aggregate of 10,666,667 Private Placement Warrants (or 12,066,667 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant.

 

F-14


Table of Contents

GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

UNAUDITED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS

 

     March 31,
2020
    December 31,
2019
 

ASSETS

    

Current assets:

    

Cash

     $5,000     $ 5,000  

Deferred offering costs

     81,857        
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total assets

   $ 86,857     $ 5,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

    

Current liabilities:

    

Accrued offering costs

   $ 81,857     $  

Accounts payable

     636       636  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     82,493       636  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Stockholder’s equity:

    

Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding

            

Class A common shares, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding

            

Class B common shares, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 20,125,000 issued and outstanding

     2,012       2,012  

Additional paid-in capital

     2,988       2,988  

Accumulated deficit

     (636     (636
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total stockholder’s equity

     4,364       4,364  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total liabilities and stockholder’s equity

   $ 86,857     $ 5,000  
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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Table of Contents

GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

     Three months
ended March 31,
 
     2020      2019  

Revenues

   $      $  

General and administrative expenses

             
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Income (loss) before income tax (provision) benefit

             

Income tax (provision) benefit

             
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loss attributable to common stockholder

   $         
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares outstanding:

     

Basic and diluted

     20,125,000        20,125,000  
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net loss per common share:

     

Basic and diluted

   $         
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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Table of Contents

GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY

 

     Class B Common
Shares
                     
     Shares      Amount      Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Stockholder’s
Equity
 

Balance, December 31, 2018

     20,125,000      $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (295   $ 4,705  

Net income/(loss)

                                 
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, March 31, 2019

    
20,125,000
 
   $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (295   $ 4,705  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 
     Class B Common
Shares
                     
     Shares      Amount      Additional
Paid-in
Capital
     Accumulated
Deficit
    Stockholder’s
Equity
 

Balance, December 31, 2019

    
20,125,000
 
   $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (636   $ 4,364  

Net income/(loss)

                                 
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

Balance, March 31, 2020

    
20,125,000
 
   $ 2,012      $ 2,988      $ (636   $ 4,364  
  

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

    

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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Table of Contents

GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II

UNAUDITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 

    Three months
ended March 31,
 
    2020     2019  

Net loss

  $     $  

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities:

   

Increase in Accounts payable

           
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net cash provided by/(used for) operating activities

           
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash flows from financing activities:

   

Proceeds from sale of Class B common shares to GS Sponsor II LLC

           

Net cash provided by/(used for) financing activities

           
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Increase in cash

           

Cash at beginning of period

    5,000       5,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Cash at end of period

    $5,000     $ 5,000  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activities

   

Deferred offering costs

  $ 81,857     $  
 

 

 

   

 

 

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

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Table of Contents

NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(UNAUDITED)

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations

Organization and General

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II (the “Company”) was incorporated as a Delaware corporation on May 31, 2018. The Company was formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses (the “Initial Business Combination”). The Company is an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”).

At March 31, 2020, the Company had not commenced any operations. All activity for the period from May 31, 2018 (inception) through March 31, 2020 relates to the Company’s formation and the proposed initial public offering (the “Proposed Offering”) described below. The Company will not generate any operating revenues until after completion of its Initial Business Combination, at the earliest. The Company expects to generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents from the proceeds derived from the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement (as defined below) (Note 3). The Company has selected December 31st as its fiscal year end.

Sponsor and Proposed Financing

The Company’s sponsor is GS Sponsor II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”).

The Company’s ability to commence meaningful operations and finance its Initial Business Combination is contingent upon obtaining adequate financial resources through the proposed $700,000,000 initial public offering of Units (as defined below) (Note 3) and a $16,000,000 (or $18,100,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full—Note 3) private placement of Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) (Note 4). Upon the closing of the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement, $700,000,000 (or $805,000,000 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full—Note 3) will be held in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) (discussed below).

The Trust Account

The proceeds held in the Trust Account will be invested only in U.S. government treasury bills with a maturity of 185 days or less or in money market funds registered under the Investment Company Act and meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 thereof. Except for interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its taxes, until the Company completes the Initial Business Combination, it may pay its expenses only from the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement held outside the Trust Account, which will be approximately $1,000,000 in working capital after the payment of approximately $1,000,000 in expenses relating to the Proposed Offering, and any loans or additional investments from the Sponsor, members of the Company’s management team or any of their respective affiliates or other third parties.

Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to the Company to pay its taxes, the proceeds from the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement will not be released from the Trust Account until the earliest of: (i) the completion of the Initial Business Combination; (ii) the redemption of any public shares properly submitted in connection with a stockholder vote to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations (Continued)

 

(A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the Initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of its public shares if it does not complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-Initial Business Combination activity; and (iii) the redemption of all of the Company’s public shares if the Company has not completed the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, subject to applicable law. The proceeds deposited in the Trust Account could become subject to the claims of the Company’s creditors, if any, which could have priority over the claims of the Company’s public stockholders.

Initial Business Combination

The Company’s management has broad discretion with respect to the specific application of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering, although substantially all of the net proceeds of the Proposed Offering and the Private Placement are intended to be generally applied toward consummating an Initial Business Combination. The Initial Business Combination must occur with one or more operating businesses or assets with a fair market value equal to at least 80% of the net assets held in the Trust Account (excluding the amount of any deferred underwriting discount). There is no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully effect an Initial Business Combination.

The Company, after signing a definitive agreement for an Initial Business Combination, will provide its public stockholders’ with the opportunity to redeem all or a portion of their shares upon the completion of the Initial Business Combination, either (i) in connection with a stockholder meeting called to approve the business combination or (ii) by means of a tender offer. However, in no event will the Company redeem its public shares in an amount that would cause its net tangible assets to be less than $5,000,001 following such redemptions. In such case, the Company would not proceed with the redemption of its public shares and the related Initial Business Combination, and instead may search for an alternate Initial Business Combination.

If the Company holds a stockholder vote or there is a tender offer for shares in connection with an Initial Business Combination, a public stockholder will have the right to redeem its shares for an amount in cash equal to its pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, calculated as of two business days prior to the consummation of the Initial Business Combination, including interest but less taxes payable. As a result, such shares of Class A common stock will be recorded at redemption amount and classified as temporary equity upon the completion of the Proposed Offering, in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, “Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.”

Pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, if the Company is unable to complete the Initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten business days thereafter redeem the public shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which interest shall be net of taxes payable, and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding public shares, which redemption will completely extinguish public stockholders’ rights as stockholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 1—Description of Organization and Business Operations (Continued)

 

redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors, dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law.

In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company after an Initial Business Combination, the Company’s stockholders are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining available for distribution to them after payment of liabilities and after provision is made for each class of stock, if any, having preference over the common stock. The Company’s stockholders have no preemptive or other subscription rights. There are no sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock, except that the Company will provide its stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their public shares for cash equal to their pro rata share of the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, under the circumstances, and, subject to the limitations, described herein.

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The condensed financial statements of the Company are presented in U.S. dollars in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered for a fair statement have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020 or any other period. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1.

Emerging Growth Company

Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard.

This may make comparison of the Company’s condensed financial statement with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

Net Gain/(Loss) Per Common Share

Net gain/(loss) per common share is computed by dividing net gain/(loss) applicable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus, to the extent dilutive, the incremental number of shares of common stock to settle warrants, as

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

calculated using the treasury stock method. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company did not have any dilutive securities and other contracts that could, potentially, be exercised or converted into common stock and then share in the earnings of the Company under the treasury stock method. As a result, diluted gain/(loss) per common share is the same as basic gain/(loss) per common share for the periods.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash accounts in a financial institution, which, at times, may exceed the Federal Depository Insurance Coverage of $250,000. The Company has not experienced losses on these accounts and management believes the Company is not exposed to significant risks on such accounts.

Financial Instruments

The fair value of the Company’s assets and liabilities, which qualify as financial instruments under the FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures,” approximates the carrying amounts represented in the balance sheet.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Deferred Offering Costs

The Company complies with the requirements of the FASB ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A—“Expenses of Offering.” Deferred offering costs of $81,857 as of March 31, 2019 consist principally of costs incurred in connection with formation and preparation for the Proposed Offering. These costs, together with the underwriter discount, will be charged to capital upon completion of the Proposed Offering or charged to operations if the Proposed Offering is not completed.

Income Taxes

The Company is included in the consolidated tax return of Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, the parent (the “Parent”) of the Sponsor. The Company calculates the provision for income taxes by using a “separate return” method. Under this method the Company is assumed to file a separate return with the tax authority, thereby reporting its taxable income or loss and paying the applicable tax to, or receiving the appropriate refund from, the Parent. The Company’s current provision is the amount of tax payable or refundable on the basis of a hypothetical, current year, separate return.

Any difference between the tax provision (or benefit) allocated to the Company under the separate return method and payments to be made to (or received from) the Parent for tax expense are

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

 

treated as either dividends or capital contribution. Accordingly, the amount by which the Company’s tax liability under the separate return method exceeds the amount of tax liability ultimately settled as a result of using incremental expenses of the Parent is periodically settled as a capital contribution from the Parent to the Company.

Deferred Income Taxes

The Company follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes.” Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statements carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that included the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

The Company recognizes tax positions in the financial statements only when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on examination by the relevant taxing authority based on the technical merits of the position. A position that meets this standard is measured at the largest amount of benefit that will more likely than not be realized on settlement. A liability is established for differences between positions taken in a tax return and amounts recognized in the financial statements. There were no unrecognized tax benefits as of March 31, 2020. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. No amounts were accrued for interest expense and penalties related to income tax matters as of March 31, 2020. The Company is subject to income tax examinations by major taxing authorities since inception. The Company believes that no liability for unrecognized tax benefits is adequate in relation to the potential for additional assessments.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Management does not believe that any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting pronouncements, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s condensed financial statements.

Note 3—Public Offering

Pursuant to the Proposed Offering, the Company intends to offer for sale 70,000,000 Units at an offering price of $10.00 per Unit. The underwriters will have a 45-day option to purchase on a pro rata basis up to 10,500,000 additional units. The Sponsor will subscribe to purchase an aggregate of 10,666,667 (or 12,066,667 if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full—see below) Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant in a private placement that will close simultaneously with the Proposed Offering.

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 3—Public Offering (Continued)

 

Each Unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A common stock, $0.0001 par value, and one-third of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A common stock (each, a “Warrant” and, collectively, the “Warrants”). One Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the Warrants and only whole Warrants will trade. Each Warrant will become exercisable on the later of 30 days after the completion of the Initial Business Combination and 12 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering and will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, five years after the completion of the Initial Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or liquidation. Once the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Warrants in whole and not in part at a price of $0.01 per Warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption, if and only if the last reported sale price of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the Warrant holders. Additionally, commencing ninety days after the Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the outstanding Warrants in whole and not in part at a price of $0.10 per Warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their Warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares of Class A common stock to be determined by reference to a table included in the warrant agreement, based on the redemption date and the fair market value of Class A common stock, if and only if the last reported sale price of the Company’s Class A common stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted) on the trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the Warrant holders.

The Company expects to pay underwriting commissions equal to 2.0% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering at the time of the Proposed Offering, and to agree to defer underwriting commissions equal to an additional 3.5% of the gross proceeds of the Proposed Offering (the “Deferred Discount”) until completion of the Initial Business Combination. The Deferred Discount will become payable to the underwriters from the amounts held in the Trust Account solely in the event the Company completes the Initial Business Combination.

Note 4—Related Party Transactions

Founder Shares

In July 2018, the Sponsor purchased 575 shares of Class B common stock (the “Founder Shares”) for an aggregate price of $5,000. On April 17, 2020, the Company conducted a 1:5000 stock split, resulting in the Sponsor holding 2,875,000 Founder Shares. Subsequently, on June 11, 2020, the Company conducted a 1:7 stock split, resulting in the Sponsor holding 20,125,000 Founder Shares, as well as increased the authorized shares of Class B common stock to 50,000,000. The condensed financial statements reflect the changes of these splits retroactively for all periods presented. As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, Founder Shares shall be deemed to include the shares of Class A common stock issuable upon conversion thereof. The Founder Shares are identical to the Class A common stock included in the Units being sold in the Proposed Offering, except that, prior to the Initial Business Combination, only holders of the Founder Shares have the right to vote on the election of directors and holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Founder Shares stock may remove members of the Company’s board of directors for any reason, the Founder Shares automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock at the time of the Initial Business

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 4—Related Party Transactions (Continued)

 

Combination, or earlier at the option of the holder, on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustment pursuant to certain anti-dilution rights, and are subject to certain transfer restrictions and the holders of the Founder Shares have agreed to certain restrictions and will have certain registration rights with respect thereto. Up to 2,625,000 Founder Shares are subject to forfeiture depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised. The number of Founder Shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the Founder Shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of the Proposed Offering. If the Company increases or decreases the size of the Proposed Offering, the Company will effect a stock dividend or a share contribution back to capital or other appropriate mechanism, as applicable, with respect to its Founder Shares immediately prior to the consummation of the Proposed Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding common stock upon the consummation of the Proposed Offering.

The Sponsor will agree to purchase an aggregate of 10,666,667 private placement warrants (or 12,066,667 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per whole warrant (approximately $16,000,000 in the aggregate or $18,100,000 in the aggregate if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) in a private placement (the “Private Placement”) that will occur on or prior to the closing of the Proposed Offering (the “Private Placement Warrants”). Each Private Placement Warrant is exercisable for one whole share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. A portion of the purchase price of the Private Placement Warrants will be added to the proceeds from the Proposed Offering to be held in the Trust Account such that at the closing of the Proposed Offering, $700.0 million (or $805.0 million if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full) will be held in the Trust Account. If the Initial Business Combination is not completed within 24 months from the closing of the Proposed Offering, the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants held in the Trust Account will be used to fund the redemption of the public shares (subject to the requirements of applicable law) and the Private Placement Warrants will expire worthless. The Private Placement Warrants will be non-redeemable and exercisable on a cashless basis so long as they are held by the Sponsor or its permitted transferees.

Registration Rights

The holders of Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants and warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans (and any shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants or warrants issued upon conversion of the working capital loans and upon conversion of the Founder Shares), will have registration rights to require the Company to register the resale of any of its securities held by them pursuant to a registration rights agreement to be signed on or before the closing date of the Proposed Offering. These holders will also be entitled to certain piggyback registration rights. The Company will bear the expenses incurred in connection with the filing of any such registration statements.

Note 5—Stockholder’s Deficit

Common Stock

The authorized common stock of the Company includes up to 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 50,000,000 shares of Class B common stock. If the Company enters into an Initial Business Combination, it may (depending on the terms of such an Initial Business Combination) be required to increase the number of shares of Class A common stock which the Company is authorized

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 5—Stockholder’s Deficit (Continued)

 

to issue at the same time as the Company’s stockholders vote on the Initial Business Combination to the extent the Company seeks stockholder approval in connection with the Initial Business Combination. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock; provided that only holders of the Founder Shares have the right to vote on the election of the Company’s directors prior to the Initial Business Combination. At March 31, 2020, there were 20,125,000 shares of Class B common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding.

Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock with such designations, voting and other rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. At March 31, 2020, there were no shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding.

Note 6—Subsequent Events

Management has performed an evaluation of subsequent events through June 11, 2020, the date of issuance of the condensed financial statements, noting no other items which require adjustment or disclosure other than those disclosed below.

On April 17, 2020, the Company conducted a 1:5000 stock split, resulting in the Sponsor holding 2,875,000 or approximately $0.002 per share. The condensed financial statements reflect the changes of this split and related increase in authorized shares retroactively for all periods presented.

On April 17, 2020, an affiliate of the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company an aggregate amount of up to $300,000 to be used to pay a portion of the expenses related to the Proposed Offering pursuant to a promissory note (the “Note”). The Note is non-interest bearing, unsecured and payable on the earlier of December 31, 2020 and the closing of the Proposed Offering. As of June 11, 2020, the Company has borrowed the entire amount under the Note.

An outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to grow both in the US and globally. Global financial markets have experienced and may continue to experience significant volatility resulting from the spread of COVID-19. While the extent of the impact of the outbreak on the Company will depend on future developments, it could limit the Company’s ability to complete the Initial Business Combination, including as a result of increased market volatility, decreased market liquidity and third-party financing being unavailable on terms acceptable to the Company or at all.

On June 11, 2020, the Company increased the offering size and, as a result conducted another stock split at a ratio of 1:7, resulting in the Sponsor holding 20,125,000 shares. These financial statements reflect the change in the offering size, as well as this split and related increase in authorized shares for all periods presented.

Events Subsequent to Original Issuance of Financial Statements (Unaudited):

In connection with the reissuance of the financial statements, the Company has evaluated subsequent events through June 24, 2020, the date the financial statements were available to be reissued.

 

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NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

Note 6—Subsequent Events (Continued)

 

On June 24, 2020, the Company updated each Unit to include one-quarter of one redeemable warrant from each Unit including one-third of one redeemable warrant. On June 24, 2020, the Company also updated the expected Private Placement so that the Sponsor will agree to purchase an aggregate of 8,000,000 Private Placement Warrants (or 9,050,000 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $2.00 per Private Placement Warrant from an aggregate of 10,666,667 Private Placement Warrants (or 12,066,667 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) at a price of $1.50 per Private Placement Warrant.

 

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70,000,000 Units

GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II

Joint Book-Running Managers

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Citigroup

Until                 , 2020, all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

 

 


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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The estimated expenses payable by us in connection with the offering described in this registration statement (other than the underwriting discount and commissions) will be as follows:

 

SEC expenses

   $ 104,489  

FINRA expenses

     121,250  

Accounting fees and expenses

     142,500  

Printing and engraving expenses

     40,000  

Travel and road show expenses

     10,000  

Directors and officers insurance premiums(1)

     200,000  

Legal fees and expenses

     250,000  

NYSE listing and filing fees

     85,000  

Miscellaneous

     46,760  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 1,000,000  
  

 

 

 

 

(1)

This amount represents the approximate amount of annual director and officer liability insurance premiums the registrant anticipates paying following the completion of its initial public offering and until it completes a business combination.

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will provide that all of our directors, officers, employees and agents shall be entitled to be indemnified by us to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or the DGCL. Section 145 of the DGCL concerning indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents is set forth below.

Section 145. Indemnification of officers, directors, employees and agents; insurance.

(a) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.

(b) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director,

 

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officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

(c) To the extent that a present or former director or officer of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

(d) Any indemnification under subsections (a) and (b) of this section (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the corporation only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the present or former director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such determination shall be made, with respect to a person who is a director or officer at the time of such determination, (1) by a majority vote of the directors who are not parties to such action, suit or proceeding, even though less than a quorum, or (2) by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (3) if there are no such directors, or if such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, or (4) by the stockholders.

(e) Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director in defending any civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation as authorized in this section. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former officers and directors or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems appropriate.

(f) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, the other subsections of this section shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. A right to indemnification or to advancement of expenses arising under a provision of the certificate of incorporation or a bylaw shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to such provision after the occurrence of the act or omission that is the subject of the civil, criminal, administrative or investigative action, suit or proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought, unless the provision in effect at the time of such act or omission explicitly authorizes such elimination or impairment after such action or omission has occurred.

(g) A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership,

 

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joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under this section.

(h) For purposes of this section, references to “the corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a merger or consolidation which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under this section with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

(i) For purposes of this section, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this section.

(j) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this section shall, unless otherwise provided when authorized or ratified, continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

(k) The Court of Chancery is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine all actions for advancement of expenses or indemnification brought under this section or under any by law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise. The Court of Chancery may summarily determine a corporation’s obligation to advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees).

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, we will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

In accordance with Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, will provide that no director shall be personally liable to us or any of our stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of their fiduciary duty as directors, except to the extent such limitation on or exemption from liability is not permitted under the DGCL. The effect of this provision of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is to eliminate our rights and those of our stockholders (through stockholders’ derivative suits on our behalf) to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of the fiduciary duty of care as a director, including breaches resulting

 

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from negligent or grossly negligent behavior, except, as restricted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL. However, this provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or the rights of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief, such as an injunction or rescission, in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care.

If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the liability of directors, then, in accordance with our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the liability of our directors to us or our stockholders will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, as so amended. Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation limiting or eliminating the liability of directors, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by applicable law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to further limit or eliminate the liability of directors on a retroactive basis.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also provide that we will, to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by applicable law, indemnify our current and former officers and directors, as well as those persons who, while directors or officers of our corporation, are or were serving as directors, officers, employees or agents of another entity, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, in connection with any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, against all expense, liability and loss (including, without limitation, attorney’s fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by any such person in connection with any such proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person eligible for indemnification pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will be indemnified by us in connection with a proceeding initiated by such person only if such proceeding was authorized by our board of directors, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification.

The right to indemnification which will be conferred by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation is a contract right that includes the right to be paid by us the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding referenced above in advance of its final disposition, provided, however, that if the DGCL requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by our officer or director (solely in the capacity as an officer or director of our corporation) will be made only upon delivery to us of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such officer or director, to repay all amounts so advanced if it is ultimately determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or otherwise.

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses will not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which any person covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may have or hereafter acquire under law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our bylaws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation affecting indemnification rights, whether by our stockholders or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by applicable law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation will also permit us, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other that those specifically covered by our amended and restated certificate of incorporation.

 

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Our bylaws, which we intend to adopt immediately prior to the closing of this offering, include the provisions relating to advancement of expenses and indemnification rights consistent with those which will be set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. In addition, our bylaws provide for a right of indemnity to bring a suit in the event a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses is not paid in full by us within a specified period of time. Our bylaws also permit us to purchase and maintain insurance, at our expense, to protect us and/or any director, officer, employee or agent of our corporation or another entity, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

Any repeal or amendment of provisions of our bylaws affecting indemnification rights, whether by our board of directors, stockholders or by changes in applicable law, or the adoption of any other provisions inconsistent therewith, will (unless otherwise required by applicable law) be prospective only, except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits us to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis, and will not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing thereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

We will enter into indemnification agreements with each of our officers and directors a form of which is to be filed as Exhibit 10.7 to this Registration Statement. These agreements will require us to indemnify these individuals to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law against liabilities that may arise by reason of their service to us, and to advance expenses incurred as a result of any proceeding against them as to which they could be indemnified.

Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Registration Statement, we have agreed to indemnify the underwriters and the underwriters have agreed to indemnify us against certain civil liabilities that may be incurred in connection with this offering, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

In July 2018, our sponsor purchased an aggregate of 575 founder shares for an aggregate purchase price of $5,000. In April 2020 and June 2020, we conducted stock splits, resulting in our sponsor holding 20,125,000 founder shares (up to 2,625,000 of which are subject to forfeiture by our sponsor depending on the extent to which the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised), for an effective purchase price per share of approximately $0.0003. The number of founder shares issued in the stock split was determined based on the expectation that the founder shares would represent 20% of the outstanding shares of common stock upon completion of this offering. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. GS Sponsor II LLC is an accredited investor for purposes of Rule 501 of Regulation D.

In addition, GS Sponsor II LLC, our sponsor, has committed to purchase from us an aggregate of 8,000,000 private placement warrants (or 9,050,000 warrants if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full) at $2.00 per warrant (for an aggregate purchase price of $16,000,000 or $18,100,000 if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional units is exercised in full). This purchase will take place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of our initial public offering. Any such issuances will be made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

No underwriting discounts or commissions were paid with respect to such sales.

 

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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith:

 

Exhibit

  

Description

  1.1    Form of Underwriting Agreement
  3.1*    Certificate of Incorporation
  3.2*    Certificates of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation
  3.3    Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation
  3.4*    Bylaws
  4.1    Specimen Unit Certificate
  4.2*    Specimen Class A Common Stock Certificate
  4.3    Specimen Warrant Certificate (included in Exhibit 4.4)
  4.4    Form of Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant
  5.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
10.1*    Promissory Note, dated April 17, 2020 issued to and affiliate of GS Sponsor II LLC
10.2    Form of Letter Agreement among the Registrant and the Registrant’s officers and directors and GS Sponsor II LLC and its members
10.3    Form of Investment Management Trust Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company and the Registrant
10.4    Form of Registration Rights Agreement between the Registrant and certain security holders
10.5*    Securities Subscription Agreement, dated July 3, 2018, between the Registrant and GS Sponsor II LLC
10.6    Form of Warrant Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and GS Sponsor II LLC
10.7*    Form of Indemnity Agreement
10.8*    Form of Administrative Services Agreement, by and between the Registrant and an affiliate of GS Sponsor II LLC.
14*    Form of Code of Ethics and Business Conduct
23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
23.2    Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24*    Power of Attorney (included on signature page to the initial filing of this Registration Statement)
99.1    Consent of Senator William Frist
99.2    Consent of Steven S. Reinemund
99.3    Consent of David Robinson
99.4    Consent of Martha Sullivan

 

*

Previously filed.

(b) Financial Statements. See page F-1 for an index to the financial statements and schedules included in the registration statement.

 

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Item 17. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriter at the closing specified in the underwriting agreements, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriter to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) For the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser, if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

(4) For the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of an undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

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(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 24th day of June 2020.

 

GS ACQUISITION HOLDINGS CORP II
By:  

/s/ Tom Knott

Name:   Tom Knott
Title:   Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/    Tom Knott        

Tom Knott

  

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and Director

(Principal Executive, Financial and Accounting Officer)

  June 24, 2020

*

Raanan A. Agus

   Chairman of our Board of Directors   June 24, 2020

 

*By:   /s/ Tom Knott
 

 

 

Tom Knott

Attorney-in-fact