Note 10 - 2020 Cash Incentive Bonus Plan |
9 Months Ended |
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Sep. 30, 2023 | |
Notes to Financial Statements | |
Cash Incentive Bonus Plan [Text Block] |
Note 10. 2020 Cash Incentive Bonus Plan
In August 2020, the Board approved the Plan. The Plan was established to promote the long-term success of the Company by creating an “at-risk” cash bonus program that rewards Plan participants with additional cash compensation in lockstep with significant increases in the Company’s market capitalization. The Plan is considered “at-risk” because Plan participants will not receive a cash bonus unless the Company’s market capitalization increases significantly and certain other conditions specified in the Plan are met. Specifically, Plan participants will not be paid any cash bonuses unless (1) the Company completes a merger or acquisition transaction that constitutes a sale of ownership of the Company or its assets (a "Merger Transaction") or (2) the Compensation Committee of the Board (the "Compensation Committee") determines the Company has sufficient cash on hand, as defined in the Plan. Because of the inherent discretion and uncertainty regarding these requirements, the Company has concluded that a Plan grant date has not occurred as of September 30, 2023.
Plan participants will be paid all earned cash bonuses in the event of a Merger Transaction.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s independent directors were participants in the Plan. However, effective March 16, 2023, the Board amended the Plan to remove all independent directors as participants in the Plan and the independent directors consented to such removal. The independent directors’ share of potential benefits under the Plan were completely forfeited to the Company and will not be allocated to any other participant under the Plan. The Company’s independent directors have not received, and as a result of such amendment will never receive, any payments under the Plan.
The Company’s market capitalization for purposes of the Plan is determined based on either (1) the closing price of one share of the Company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market multiplied by the total issued and outstanding shares and options to purchase shares of the Company, or (2) the aggregate consideration payable to security holders of the Company in a Merger Transaction. This constitutes a market condition under applicable accounting guidance.
The Plan triggers a potential cash bonus each time the Company’s market capitalization increases significantly, up to a maximum $5 billion in market capitalization. The Plan specifies 14 incremental amounts between $200 million and $5 billion (each increment, a “Valuation Milestone”). Each Valuation Milestone triggers a potential cash bonus award in a pre-set amount defined in the Plan. Each Valuation Milestone must be achieved and maintained for no less than 20 consecutive trading days for Plan participants to be eligible for a potential cash bonus award. Approximately 67% of each cash bonus award associated with a Valuation Milestone is subject to adjustment and approval by the Compensation Committee. Any amounts not awarded by the Compensation Committee are no longer available for distribution.
If the Company were to exceed a $5 billion market capitalization for no less than 20 consecutive trading days, all Valuation Milestones would be deemed achieved, in which case cash bonus awards would range from a minimum of $111.4 million up to a hypothetical maximum of $289.7 million. Payment of cash bonuses is deferred until such time as (1) the Company completes a Merger Transaction, or (2) the Compensation Committee determines the Company has sufficient cash on hand to render payment (each, a “Performance Condition”), neither of which may ever occur. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that Plan participants will ever be paid a cash bonus that is awarded under the Plan, even if the Company’s market capitalization increases significantly.
The Plan is accounted for as a liability award. The fair value of each Valuation Milestone award will be determined once a grant date occurs and will be remeasured each reporting period. Compensation expense associated with the Plan will be recognized over the expected achievement period for each of the 14 Valuation Milestones, when a Performance Condition is considered probable of being met.
In October 2020, the Company achieved the first Valuation Milestone. Subsequently, the Compensation Committee approved a potential cash bonus award of $6.5 million in total for all Plan participants (after the March 2023 Plan amendment), subject to future satisfaction of a Performance Condition.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company achieved 11 additional Valuation Milestones triggering potential Company obligations to all Plan participants from a minimum of $74.9 million up to a hypothetical maximum of $202.3 million (after the March 2023 Plan amendment), to be determined by the Compensation Committee and contingent upon future satisfaction of a Performance Condition. However, no compensation expense was recorded since no grant date has occurred and no Performance Conditions are considered probable of being met. There is no continuing service requirement for Plan participants once the Compensation Committee approves a cash bonus award.
No Valuation Milestones were achieved during 2022 or the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
No actual cash payments were authorized or made to participants under the Plan through the date of filing of this Form 10-Q.
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