Company: DBRG
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001679688-25-000017
Chunk: 11

Company: DigitalBridge Group, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 7
Chunk 11
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 net basis (as opposed to a gross-up of other income and administrative expenses). Where applicable, FRE is adjusted for Start-Up FRE as defined below.

Fee revenues earned from consolidated funds are eliminated in consolidation. However, because the fees are funded by and earned from third party investors in these consolidated funds who represent noncontrolling interests, our allocated share of net income from the consolidated funds is increased by the amount of fees that are eliminated. The elimination of these fees, therefore, does not affect net income (loss) attributable to DBRG. Accordingly, FRE is presented without giving effect to the elimination of fee revenue to the extent such fees meet the definition of FRE. 

FRE does not include distributed carried interest as these are not recurring revenues and are subject to variability given that they are dependent upon realization events related to underlying fund investments. Placement fees are also excluded from FRE as they are inconsistent in amount and frequency depending upon timing of fundraising for our funds. Other items excluded from FRE include realized principal investment income (loss); and interest, dividend and other income, all of which are not core to the investment management fee service business. Unlike DE, which is a post-tax measure, FRE is a pre-tax measure and does not incorporate the effect of income taxes.

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To reflect a stabilized investment management business, FRE is further adjusted to exclude Start-Up FRE, where applicable. Start-Up FRE is FRE associated with new investment strategies that have 1) not yet held a first close raising FEEUM; or 2) not yet achieved break-even FRE only for investment products that may be terminated solely at the Company’s discretion. The Company regularly evaluates new investment strategies and exclude Start-Up FRE until such time a new strategy is determined to form part of the Company’s core investment management business.

We believe that FRE is a useful measure to investors as it reflects the Company’s profitability based upon recurring fee streams that are not subject to realization events related to underlying fund investments, and without the effects of income taxes, leverage, non-cash expenses, income (loss) items that are unrealized and other items that may not be indicative of core operating results in an investment management fee service business. This allows for better comparability of the Company's profitability on a recurring and sustainable basis and relative to its peers.

Distributable Earnings

DE generally represents net realized earnings of the Company and is an indicative measure used by the Company to assess ongoing operating performance and in making decisions related to distributions and reinvestments. Accordingly, we believe DE provides investors and analysts transparency into