9. EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN UNCONSOLIDATED SUBSIDIARIES

As of September 30, 2013, our equity investment in unconsolidated subsidiaries consisted solely of our carried interest in CTOPI, a fund sponsored and managed by CTIMCO. Historically, this balance has also included our co-investments in investment management vehicles that were sponsored and managed by CTIMCO. As described in Note 3, we sold two such co-investments to an affiliate of Blackstone in December 2012 in conjunction with our Investment Management Business Sale; however, we retained 100% of our carried interest in CTOPI.

Activity relating to our equity investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries was ($ in thousands):


	CTOPI Carried Interest ⁽¹⁾
Total as of December 31, 2012	$	13,306
Incentive income allocation ⁽²⁾		12,326

Total as of September 30, 2013	$	25,632

(1)	The allocation of carried interest from CTOPI is net of a $1.4 million advance distribution of incentive compensation to satisfy our 2012 income tax obligation related to the allocation of taxable income in respect of our carried interest in CTOPI.

(2)	We have deferred the recognition of incentive income allocated to us from CTOPI in respect of our carried interest in CTOPI, and recorded an offsetting liability as a component of accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.

Our carried interest in CTOPI entitles us to earn incentive compensation in an amount equal to 17.7% of the fund’s profits, after a 9% preferred return and 100% return of capital to the CTOPI partners. As of September 30, 2013, we had been allocated $27.0 million of incentive compensation from CTOPI based on a hypothetical liquidation of the fund at its net asset value.

Accordingly, we have recognized this allocation as an equity investment in CTOPI on our consolidated balance sheet; however, we have deferred the recognition of income until cash is collected or appropriate contingencies have been eliminated.

The CTOPI partnership agreement provides for advance distributions in respect of our incentive compensation to allow us to pay any income taxes owed on phantom taxable income allocated to us from the partnership. We refer to these distributions as CTOPI Tax Advances. During 2012, we received one such CTOPI Tax Advance of $1.4 million, which reduced our equity investment in CTOPI. In the event the performance of CTOPI does not ultimately result in a sufficient allocation of incentive compensation to us, we would be required to return these CTOPI Tax Advances to the fund. As of September 30, 2013, our maximum exposure to loss from CTOPI was $1.4 million, the amount of CTOPI Tax Advances we have received from CTOPI.

CTOPI Incentive Management Fee Grants

In January 2011, we created a management compensation pool for employees equal to 45% of the CTOPI incentive management fee received by us. As of September 30, 2013, we had granted 96% of the pool to our former employees, and the remainder remained unallocated. If any awards remain unallocated at the time incentive management fees are received by us, any amounts otherwise payable to the unallocated awards will be distributed prorata to the plan participants then employed by an affiliate of our Manager.

Approximately 96% of these grants have the following vesting schedule, which is contingent on continued employment with an affiliate of our Manager: (i) one-third on the date of grant; (ii) one-third on September 13, 2012; and (iii) the remainder vests upon our receipt of incentive management fees from CTOPI. The remaining 4% of these grants vest solely upon our receipt of incentive management fees from CTOPI or the disposition of certain investments owned by CTOPI.