Exhibit 4.4
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
General
The following description of the capital stock of AppLovin Corporation (“our”, “us”, “we” or the “Company”) is a summary of provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all the information that may be important to you. For a complete description of the matters set forth in this exhibit, you should refer to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws, and investors’ rights agreement, each previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this exhibit is a part, and to the applicable provisions of Delaware law. Our authorized capital stock consists of 1,950,000,000 shares of capital stock, $0.00003 par value per share, of which:
a.1,500,000,000 shares are designated as Class A common stock;
b.200,000,000 shares are designated as Class B common stock;
c.150,000,000 shares are designated as Class C common stock; and
d.100,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock.
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, without stockholder approval except as required by the Nasdaq listing standards, to issue additional shares of our Class A common stock and Class C common stock. Until the Final Conversion Date, any issuance of additional shares of Class B common stock, other than pursuant to agreements outstanding as of the date of this offering, requires the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Class B common stock voting as a separate class.
Common Stock
We have three classes of authorized common stock, Class A common stock, Class B common stock, and Class C common stock. The rights of the holders of Class A common stock, Class B common stock, and Class C common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion.
Voting Rights
Holders of our Class A common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, holders of our Class B common stock are entitled to 20 votes for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, and holders of our Class C common stock are not entitled to vote on any matter that is submitted to a vote of stockholders, except as otherwise required by law. The holders of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock vote together as a single class, unless otherwise required by law. Under our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, approval of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock voting as a separate class is required to increase the number of authorized shares of our Class B common stock. In addition, Delaware law could require either holders of our Class A common stock, our Class B common stock, or our Class C common stock to vote separately as a single class in the following circumstances:
a.if we were to seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to increase or decrease the par value of a class of stock, then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment; and
b.if we were to seek to amend our amended and restated certificate of incorporation in a manner that alters or changes the powers, preferences or special rights of a class of stock in a manner that affected its holders adversely, then that class would be required to vote separately to approve the proposed amendment.
Until the Final Conversion Date, approval of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock voting as a separate class will be required to amend or modify any provision of the amended and restated certificate of incorporation inconsistent with, or otherwise alter, any provision of the amended and restated certificate of incorporation to modify the voting, conversion, or other rights, powers, preferences, privileges, or restrictions of our Class B common stock.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may apply to any shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if our board of directors, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that our board of directors may determine.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights
Our common stock is not entitled to preemptive rights, and is not subject to conversion, redemption or sinking fund provisions.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
If we become subject to a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of our common stock and any participating preferred stock outstanding at that time, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights of and the payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Conversion of Class B Common Stock
Each share of Class B common stock is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into one share of Class A common stock. Shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert into shares of Class A common stock upon sale or transfer except for certain transfers described in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, including transfers for estate planning, transfers among KKR Denali Holdings L.P. (“KKR Denali”) and its affiliates, or other transfers among the holders of Class B common stock. Withdrawal from the Voting Agreement (as defined below) constitutes a transfer.
Each share of Class B common stock will convert automatically into one share of Class A common stock upon the date fixed by our board of directors that is no less than 61 days and no more than 180 days following the date on which (i) the Voting Agreement is terminated or (ii) Adam Foroughi is no longer involved with us as a member of our board of directors or as an executive officer.
Conversion of Class C Common Stock
After the conversion or exchange of all outstanding shares of our Class B common stock into shares of Class A common stock, all outstanding shares of Class C common stock will convert automatically into Class A common stock, on a share-for-share basis, on the date or time specified by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock, voting as a separate class.
Preferred Stock
Pursuant to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the authority, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law, to issue preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors can also increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company and might adversely
affect the market price of our common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock. We have no current plan to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Voting Agreement
The holders of our Class B common stock (the “Voting Agreement Parties”) have entered into a voting agreement (the “Voting Agreement”), which provides that all shares of Class B common stock held by the Voting Agreement Parties and their respective permitted entities and permitted transferees will be voted as determined by two of Adam Foroughi, Herald Chen, and KKR Denali (the “Key Holders”) (one of which must be Mr. Foroughi). In the event that Mr. Chen or KKR Denali is no longer party to the Voting Agreement, all shares of Class B common stock subject to the Voting Agreement will be voted by the mutual decision of the remaining parties, or, if the parties disagree, the shares of Class B common stock will be voted by each party in their own discretion. If Mr. Chen is no longer party to the Voting Agreement, Mr. Foroughi and KKR Denali may, upon mutual agreement, permit a then-member of management become a party to the Voting Agreement.
The Voting Agreement will terminate upon the earliest of (i) the date on which final conversion of all outstanding shares of Class B common stock pursuant to the terms of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation occurs (the “Final Conversion Date”), (ii) the liquidation, winding up, or dissolution of the company, (iii) the consent of a majority of the Key Holders then party to the Voting Agreement (one of which must be Mr. Foroughi), (iv) the date that Mr. Foroughi is no longer a member of management or the board of directors, or (v) the date that Mr. Foroughi withdraws from the Voting Agreement.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Certain provisions of Delaware law, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, which are summarized below, may have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another person from acquiring control of us. They are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with an unfriendly or unsolicited acquirer outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging a proposal to acquire us because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaw Provisions
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws include a number of provisions that could deter hostile takeovers or delay or prevent changes in control of our board of directors or management team, including the following:
Multi-Class Stock
As described above, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides for a multi-class common stock structure. The Voting Agreement Parties have entered into a voting agreement whereby all Class B common stock held by the Voting Agreement Parties and their respective permitted entities and permitted transferees will be voted as determined by two of Mr. Foroughi, Mr. Chen, and KKR Denali (one of which must be Mr. Foroughi). As a result, the Voting Agreement Parties will collectively be able to determine or significantly influence any action requiring the approval of our stockholders, including the election of our board of directors, the adoption of amendments to our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, and the approval of any merger, consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other major corporate transaction.
Separate Class B Vote for Certain Transactions
Until the Final Conversion Date, our Class B common stock will have the right to vote as a separate class on amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that affect the rights of our Class B common stock.
Board of Directors Vacancies
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws authorize only our board of directors to fill vacant directorships, including newly created seats. In addition, the number of directors constituting our board of directors may be set only by a resolution adopted by a majority vote of our entire board of directors. These
provisions would prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and then gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees. This makes it more difficult to change the composition of our board of directors and promotes continuity of management.
Stockholder Action; Special Meeting of Stockholders
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that until the first date on which the outstanding shares of our Class B common stock represent less than a majority of the total combined voting power of our Class A common stock and our Class B common stock (the “Voting Threshold Date”), our stockholders may only take action by written consent if such action is first recommended or approved by our board of directors. After the Voting Threshold Date, our stockholders will not be able to take action by written consent for any matter and will only be able to take action at annual or special meetings. As a result, following the Voting Threshold Date, a holder or holders controlling a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend our amended and restated bylaws or remove directors without holding a meeting of our stockholders called in accordance with our amended and restated bylaws. Our amended and restated bylaws further provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority of our board of directors, the chairperson of our board of directors, our Chief Executive Officer or our President, thus prohibiting a stockholder from calling a special meeting. These provisions might delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for stockholders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations
Our amended and restated bylaws provide advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before our annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of stockholders. Our amended and restated bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before our annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at our annual meeting of stockholders if the proper procedures are not followed. We expect that these provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.
No Cumulative Voting
The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that stockholders are not entitled to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting.
Amendment of Charter and Bylaws Provisions
Amendments to our amended and restated certificate of incorporation require the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common stock. Our amended and restated bylaws provide that the approval of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our Class A common stock and Class B common voting together as a single class is required for stockholders to amend or adopt any provision of our bylaws.
Issuance of Undesignated Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of undesignated preferred stock with rights and preferences, including voting rights, designated from time to time by our board of directors. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock would enable our board of directors to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or other means.
Exclusive Forum
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or other employees to us or our
stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the company or any director or officer of the company arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or amended and restated bylaws, or (v) any other action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be a state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, in all cases subject to the court’s having jurisdiction over indispensable parties named as defendants. Nothing in our amended and restated bylaws precludes stockholders that assert claims under the Exchange Act from bringing such claims in federal court, subject to applicable law Our amended and restated bylaws also provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a course of action under the Securities Act.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to these provisions. We note that stockholders cannot waive compliance (or consent to non-compliance) with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Conflicts of Interest
Delaware law permits corporations to adopt provisions renouncing any interest or expectancy in certain opportunities that are presented to the corporation or its directors or stockholders. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time by Delaware law, renounces any interest or expectancy that we have in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, specified business opportunities that are from time to time presented to our directors or stockholders or their respective affiliates, other than those directors who are our employees. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, none of KKR Denali, any of its affiliates, or any director who is not employed by us or his or her affiliates will have any duty to refrain from (1) engaging in a corporate opportunity in the same or similar lines of business in which we or our affiliates now engage or propose to engage or (2) otherwise competing with us or our affiliates. In addition, to the fullest extent permitted by law, in the event that any of KKR Denali or any of its affiliates, or any director who is not employed by us or his or her affiliates acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself or himself or its or his affiliates or for us or our affiliates, such person will have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or business opportunity to us or any of our affiliates and they may take any such opportunity for themselves or offer it to another person or entity. Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation does not renounce our interest in any business opportunity that is expressly offered to a non-employee director solely in his or her capacity as a director or officer of us. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no business opportunity will be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity for us unless we would be permitted to legally and contractually undertake the opportunity, we have sufficient financial resources to undertake the opportunity and the opportunity would be in line with our business.